The image is seared into the brain of surfers the world over, Greg Noll standing on the shoreline at Maxing Pipeline sporting his signature striped trunks, giant gun resting on his shoulder, ready to hunt. It was taken by John Severson and would go on to become one of the most iconic surf images of all time. It perfectly captured Greg Noll in his native habitat, which was taking on the kind of waves no one wanted a piece of. The image struck terror in the hearts of surfers around the world who simply couldn’t fathom how someone could survive such a tempest. Or, at least that’s how I felt the first time I saw it as a young child, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

In December of 1969, during a storm of epic proportions, Greg would ride the biggest wave ever surfed (at that time) at giant Makaha, certifying him as a true big-wave pioneer and cementing his legacy as a legend of the sport. The wave remained shrouded in mystery and intrigue because despite there being numerous cameras at Makaha that day, it’s said not a single photo or piece of film exists of the actual wave. Although, Tracks’ founder Albe Falzon, who was shooting at Makaha that day, maintains that the image you see below is in fact the wave in question, though it has never been confirmed beyond doubt.

Not long afterwards Noll stepped down from his throne as the world’s greatest big-wave surfer and retired from surfing altogether, moving to Northern California to take up a quiet life where he continued to build surfboards.

Noll’s family broke the news of his passing this morning via Facebook saying,

It is with a heavy heart the Noll family announces the death of our patriarch, Greg Noll. Greg died of natural causes on Monday June 28th, at the age of 84. We invite all of our friends and family to celebrate his life by sharing this post and your stories, pictures and experiences through your preferred platform.

Aloha

The Noll Family