Larry Bertlemann
American surfer (1955-2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early life
Bertlemann was born in Hilo, Hawaii, on August 7, 1955.[1][3] When he was 11, he moved with his mother to Oahu, where he witnessed surfing at Waikīkī’s Queens break.[1] Bertlemann first surfed on rented longboards.[1]
Career
At the age of 17, Bertlemann finished fourth at the 1972 World Surfing Championships and third at the 1972 Pipe Masters.[1][4][5]
In 1974, he finished first at the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational at Sunset Beach.[2]
In 1978, Bertlemann finished first at the Katin Pro-Am Team Challenge at Sunset Beach, Hawaii.[6]
Martin Potter referred to Bertlemann as the "godfather of high-performance surfing".[1] Kelly Slater referred to him as the "first New Schooler."[1]
Bertlemann slide
A bertslide, Bertlemann slide, or bert, is a skateboarding trick where the skateboarder puts one hand on the ground and rotates the board while it is still on the ground, effectively sliding on the wheels of the skateboard.[7] The trick was named after Bertlemann, who first performed the trick on a surfboard, then later incorporated it into his skateboarding.[8] The original version of the trick was a 180-degree turn.[citation needed]
