The Malibu Surfing Association – Leo Nordine Profile
The Malibu Surfing Association – Leo Nordine Profile
COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS
2006
1st, Earth Day Contest
1st, San-O Classic
1st, Fall Fest
1st, Swami’s noseriding
BIO
NAME: Leo Nordine
BORN: December 30, 1962
NICKNAME: Mr. Nordine
HOMETOWN: LA
STANCE: switch
STARTED SURFING: 1976
STARTED COMPETING: 2000
SURFING INFLUENCES: Terry Fitzgerald, BK, Wayne Lynch, Simon Anderson, Farberow
FAVORITE MANUEVER: changes every day
BOARDS: Anderson and Bing, all shapes. I ride everything.
VINTAGE BOARD: Bing Australian vee bottom, Hansen 50/50, G&S Hot Curl
FIRST BOARD: Pink reshape with a ski shovel nose. Found in trash.
SPONSORS: Anderson and Bing
JOB: I sell bank REOs. Invest and manage real estate.
FUTURE PLANS: retire somewhere green and beautiful, with good surf, and have a mountain cabin. Live vicariously through my kids.
TRAVELS: Canada, Europe, Fiji, Hawaii, Mexico, Oregon, New Zealand
OTHER INTERESTS: Music, reading, health, the environment, politics, economics
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE: During a Cat 5 cyclone at Tavarua, we all ended up in one bure, holding the bed up against the wall, all night. All the Fijians left the island before it hit. The next morning the bure next to us was gone, and several people on boats and the mainland had died. I’ve nearly drowned 3 times. I cartwheeled all the way down Dave’s Run at Mammoth; my jacket came completely off, and my pants were at my ankles. I cut a utility pole wire with bolt cutters (I know, smart). I got run over at Trestles, broke my back, couldn’t swim but floated to shore with my head up. I was indirectly electrocuted by lightning at Lake Mead. I had pneumonia with 105 temperature as a kid. I have a bunch more.
ONE THING YOU’D SAVE IN A FIRE: besides my family, nothing’s that important to me
FAVORITE FOOD: raw
SOUNDS: Portishead, Viva K, Elliott Smith, The Smiths, Aimie Mann, classical
WHAT YOU’RE LISTENING TO NOW: K-Mozart
SURF FLICKS: ASP live webcasts, Morning of the Earth, Searching for Tom Curren, Laird, Summer of ’67
WEBSITES: nordine.com, click on 1% logo to see links
GUIDING LIGHTS: Jimmy Carter, Amy Goodman, Henry David Thoreau, Neville, Yvon Chounaird, Eddie Talbot
SHOUT OUTS: End the war! To the kids: education first.
QUOTE: “We Americans are blessed to live in a democracy, where dissent is not disloyal. What is unpatriotic is the subservience to bad policies, the cowardly sin of silence in the face of evil”. William Sloane Coffin
CHOOSE ONE
BASKETBALL / FOOTBALL USC football
BLONDE / BRUNETTE my wife
BRAINS / BRAWN
BURGERS / SANDWICHES sushi
GOLF / TENNIS rock climbing and mountain biking
TEA / COFFEE
PEPSI / COKE kombucha
CAKE / PIE abstain
SMOOTHIE / ICE CREAM FLOAT raw ice cream
TATTOO / PIERCING In high school, during the original punk era, I had a mohawk and a fake scar with “lobotomy” on my head.
SHORT / LONG SKATEBOARD both
SHORT / LONG SURFBOARD depends on the conditions
BEACH CHAIR / TOWEL
© 2007 Malibu Surfing Association
credits: Nordine family archive