WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO JOHN MASON
10-10-07
By Corky Carroll
Back in February I did a column about surfing “one hit wonders.” These were people that made a momentary big splash in surfing and then were more of less never heard from again. One of those dudes was an Orange County guy named John Mason who won the Open Men’s division of the San Clemente Surf Capades in 1962. That was probably the second biggest event in California at the time and John defeated a finals lineup that included the best surfers in the world at that time. That was it. He seemed to be around for a little while but then pretty much dropped off the surfing planet; until this morning when I got an email from him. Here it is and the answer to “what ever happened to John Mason?”
“Talk about weird...I get on the Internet once in awhile and get a chuckle out of your "life slant" and escapades. I'm on this morning...haven't been on for awhile and I'm picking through your columns and open One Shot Wonders and see my name. Even YIKIER, 2/14 is also my birthday.
Winning in 1962 was the surfing highlight of my young life! I puttered around in other competitions through that summer and went to San Diego State on a baseball scholarship that Fall. I still spent most of my time at the San Diego beaches and set a record for the lowest GPA in SD history and flunked out. I spent the summer of 63 in San Clemente trying to convince my military father that I could get to the big leagues by hanging around the beach. Surfing for a living was not something accepted my household....baseball was.
My Dad yanked my ass out of SC and stuck me in the surfing mecca of the mid-west, Carbondale, Illinois. Bad for my surfing career but good for my baseball career. I was drafted by the Red Sox in 67 and played in their organization through 1973. I spent the longest part of my career in Triple AAA Louisville, Kentucky...another surfing mecca.
I retired in 73 and stayed in Louisville to earn a real living. My surfing background was a barely fleeting memory. No more beach for me...it was family and responsibility.
I've been in Louisville ever since. Been through some of the same tough times all of us have had...divorce, alcoholism (been sober 30 years)...losing a job. The turning point in my life came in 84 when we lost our 12 year old son to cancer. It was life changing and gave me a new found respect for life and my role in taking care of my family.
I've sold printing, been the marketing and promotions for the University of Louisville Athletic Dept. and their baseball coach for 8 years. I've spent the last 17 years with a local bank and am now a Sr.V.P. in their private banking division. I've had some financial success and have a summer home in Naples, Fl., another surfing mecca. We have four kids, the oldest being a professor at UT, Austin. Got an actor in Hollywood, another private banker, and our baby who is a junior at UL.
I went surfing a few years back in San Diego and nearly drowned....not from surfing but from the exhaustion of paddling out. Some things came easy, some didn't. My mind was saying you've done this before, but my body was saying no freaking way. At that time I was thinking that maybe surfing every 37 years was often enough!
I have some great memories of my time in San Clemente...surfing at Doheny in the late 50's with 10 guys in the water...including you...Trestles, San Onofre, Cottons Point on big days, Dana Point...my board contract with Gordie...the win in 62...the pure joy that being in the water brought me...the satisfaction that the "Flea" could compete with the big boys...my 36 Dodge pick up filled with boards going through the military gate at Las Pulgas (?) headed towards Trestles or San Onofre and the guard at the gate having to salute the officer's sticker on my truck....hamburgers at the Overpass...the nostalgia runs deep.
I'm thinking of retiring soon and my goal is to return to the beach. I'd use Naples as my base and I'd scoot around Florida trying to re-live the good old days. If I had any balls I'd spend a week at our place in Mexico and see what I could accomplish...maybe someday.
Coming across this 2/14/07 column, coincidence? I don't think so. Thanks for thinking of me...the Masons are well here in Kentucky!
Thanks Corky...you got the old juices going again!!!!”
So there it is surf fans. A bit of history revealed.
SAM’S LIVES
The Wave ~ 10-10-07
By Corky Carroll
When I was a little boy living is Surfside Colony there was this huge blue neon fish across Pacific Coast Highway on the top of a restaurant named Sam’s Seafood. That big fish was sort of a landmark for people traveling up and down the highway. In those days that was the way to San Diego and Mexico, and back, from the Los Angeles area. It was before the freeways.
When we first moved in my room was on the back side of our house and that fish kept me company many, many nights. It was like a comfortable friend in the night for me. I always knew I was home and safe as long as that big fish was lit up and seemingly swimming across the night sky.
Then one night Sam’s burned down and the fish went away. It was a very sad thing. My room was moved to the other side of the house so I could see and hear the surf out my window instead of the sounds of Pacific Coast Highway. But I did miss the big fish.
They rebuilt Sam’s and put up a new big fish and life went on as before. Occasionally my parents would take us out to dinner there. It had a cool Hawaiian motif and I always liked it there. They also had a fish market where my dad would buy fresh fish when he felt like firing up the barbeque.
The daughter of the owners at that time was a hot babe named Sharon Kaisaris who rode my school bus with me everyday. I always kinda liked her but we never became more than pals. About a year ago I got an email from her. She lives near Lake Tahoe and works with a guy I used to play tennis with down here. Small world.
Well, I guess a few years ago the present owners, at that time, decided to close up Sam’s and move on. It was pretty sad for all the locals who had grown up with it and had come to know it as one of the favorite local places to hang out, eat, drink and be merry. And again the fish went dark. If I was still living there and still been the same little boy I would have cried and been lonely at night without it.
Then a miracle happened and a new dude came along and decided that Sam’s should indeed not die. And he did some remodeling, added some new entertainment and put together a new menu. Reminded me that I played at a few weddings there myself about ten years ago.
I am looking at the website right now. It reads OC’s Hottest New Restaurant & Lounge, Restaurateur, Josh Peasley, welcomes you to his newly renovated restaurant. It invites you to come in and get “Mai Tai’d.” Hmmm, that sounds like fun.
And the fish lives. It is once again lit up and swimming across the night sky right where it always was before. Sam’s is on the inland side of Coast Highway almost directly across from the big water tower that divides Surfside and Sunset Beach. With the big lit up fish on top you can’t miss it.
So I am wondering if there are any new young kids living there in Surfside that now are considering the big fish their very own night time friend now? And people driving by it for the zillionth time and seeing it but not really realizing how long and how much history that thing has behind it? And people driving by it for the first time and sort of abstractly thinking in their minds, “Wow, look at that big fish.” The motif is definitely Hawaiian, but the fish is the bait. So to speak.
The new General Manager is Demi Stevens. The website reads, “Demetra "Demi" Stevens invites you to come enjoy the dining sensations of Executive Chef, Thomas Ortega, island inspired cocktails, exquisite wines and spirits, live entertainment, in a modern, lush, tropical environment.
I like modern tropical environments so I am headed over there myself to see about getting “Mai Tai’d.” And say hello to my old friend the big fish. And I can look out the window and see where I grew up. That is always a trip down memory lane.