Stoke of ’69 lives on and on

Re: “Lost Ride” (Jan. 13): I moved to Kailua, Hawaii, in January 1970. I was in fourth grade, and my dad was on his way to his second tour in Vietnam. “The wave,” “the ride” and all the rides from the swell of ’69 were the talk of the island. I can’t say that’s what got my brother and me into surfing -- we lived near the beach, and my mother liked to say, “You have no fear and no common sense, but you do like to have fun.” We started surfing right away -- my first wave was on a neighbor’s blue long board. We’re still at it.

Terrence Dunn

Santa Monica