TY CUKR

TY CUKR is one of the best surfers to come out of the South Bay . His act in the water is as good as it gets. From vertical surfing in big waves at the Redondo Break wall, to going beyond vertical in smaller waves that most would still consider big. When he paddles out people take notice and it's not hard to see why. Ty has been and will always be one of my favorite surfers. It's not just because he surfs so good (although he does), it"s the air of pure stoke that he brings with him, both in and out of the water .If you ever see him in the line-up, take notes, be kind, and get stoked.
 
When and where were you born? I was born in 1966 in Ohio.
 
Ohio? Yeah, Me and Joey Buran....it was South of Sepulveda so....
 
When did you first start surfing? I was about ten, I think it was when I was in 5th grade.
 
Who were you with and where was it? It was at 26th Street in Hermosa with a guy by the name of Chris Pickering. It started out as a contest between us to see who could stand up first, it took me about a week, I lost.
 
When did you start competing? I can't remember...though I do remember I went to a contest up at C Street and backed out, that would have been my first. I surfed good that day, real solid, I've regreted not doing it ever since. It was another year before I finally did a contest.
 
What was your first contest? I think it was an NSSA
 
Did you win? I really can't remember how I did so I'll just say I lost.
 
Who were your biggest influences growing up? Deffinately Tom Curren, and Shaun Thompsons' bowl riding at Pipe was amazing. I think the Aussie surfers really influenced me, they kind of represented a more core kind of surfing attitude. Oh, and Chris Barella, a local guy from 16th Street, I really admired him seeing him in the magazines as a kid.
 
Who did you fear the most to draw in a heat? Slater, it didn't matter what I did he would always win, I always thought every one was beatable but with Kelly.......He's amazing.
 
Who were your sponsors through out time? My first contract was with Quick Silver
 
Career highlights? I got 1st in the CSA and 3rd in the NSSA open in the same year. I was the top am. in the Katin Challenge.But beating Shaun Thompson as an amature was the best....
 
What was your favorite surf board of all time? I've ridden alot of boards(names off about two dozen of the best shapers around)Matt Calvani's boards are the best I've ever had.
 
What's your favorite wave? Redondo Breakwall, or the rip tides at El Porto when they're stair stepping and bowling with the channels and every thing.
 
What's your favorite move to do? Catching air.
 
What do you enjoy surfing more, big waves? or small waves? Define big? Define small? My favorite is between six and ten feet.
 
Do you ever still compete? I haven't for a while, I did a Jim Miller Contest not to long ago. The day before the contest the waves were really fun but the next morning it was like one foot. I don't like surfing in a contest and losing to some ten year old grom because the waves are too smal to surf.
 
What's the hairiest experience you've ever had while surfing? Getting caught inside at Sunset. There are three times that I can remember the most, where I'd been under so long I'd just given up, let out all my air and just quit. I'd come up blacking out, you know with that black cloud coming over your vision.
 
How do you get out to the line-up at El Porto on really big days? I don't, I won't go out at Porto over 8 feet, I'll go to Breakwall.(He means backs, that's like 16 feet on the face)
 
What do you attribute the most to being such a hot surfer? Desire-pure desire, the love of the sport.. Really I think it's just my competetive nature.
 
Where do you see the future of surfing going? It's almost going more towards an elite crowd, look at all the contests they're holding in A+ waves, at places like Fiji and Hawaii. When I was growing up all the contests were held in one foot slop at places like Huntington, I can't see the moves going much farther.
 
When and where was the biggest wave you've ever surfed? Wiamea, that day was 12-15 feet but those weren't the sets, it wasn't closing out yet.
 
What's the biggest wave you've ever surfed in the South Bay? I was one of two guys out at The Wall (Redondo),10-12 feet, maybe.
 
How many surf boards do you own right now? 12 or 14, I'm trying to think of how many I have in Hawaii. Actually I think it's 13, unlucky number,
 
Do you see your surfing getting better or worse these days? It's getting better to the sense that I'm enjoying it more.
 
What are your feelings on the reinvasion or growing popularity of long board surfing today? I think it's cool when people apply the old school style, like Tyler. I don't like people who abuse the extra foam by taking a set wave and then paddling back out to the front of the pecking order and taking the next set wave too.
 
Any special ladies in your life? My wife Dana.
 
So you're married? Yeah, in 1991 were on our tenth year in April.
 
Do you have any kids? I have three. Megan, Mitchell, and Micheal.
 
How old are they? Megan will be nine in a few days, Mitchell's seven, and Micheal is six.
 
Do they surf yet? Yeah (runs off to get a stack of recent photos showing his kids surfing)
 
What do you do to make money? I work for a company, Cable and Wireless. I'm in sales and sell internet connections.
 
Where do you live now? El Segundo
 
How much do you surf these days? It depends, when there's surf I try to surf every day.
 
Been on any trips lately? I just got back from Hawaii yesterday, it was pretty flat.
 
What kind of car do you drive? Ford Explorer
 
I've noticed an eerie similarity in the way people surf and the way they drive. Do you drive as fast and aggresive as you surf? (Laughs) I'd never really noticed that before. But no, pretty conservative.
 
If you could live any where in the world where would it be? On the Strand some where in El Porto or Manhattan. I would buy the city and kick every one out. Of course I would own multiple homes.
 
Why there? Home sweet home. I know every body here and the waves are fairly consistant year round.
 
Who do you love? My wife and kids. Good friends, you know who you are...XVIst. Hermosa.
 
Who do you hate? No one
 
 
 
Interview by Daniel Cobbley