Phil Becker’s Last Board – Follow Your Stoke By Kenneth W. Wright, MD
Phil Becker’s Last Board – Follow Your Stoke
By Kenneth W. Wright, MD
stoked
/stōkt/
adjective INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
excited or euphoric.
"when they told me I was on the team, I was stoked"
I think most people in the South Bay know Becker surfboards. Phil was a surfboard shaper who grew up in the Palos Verdes area and surfed Bluff Cove as a kid in the late 1950’s and 60’s. Over the years Phil developed a name as being one of the best shapers in the world.
For years I have had Phil shape my boards. I always paid a few bucks more so I could be with Phil in his Hermosa Beach factory when he shapes the boards. Well about 10 years ago, give or take several years, I heard Phil was going to retire and move to Hawaii. Realizing this, I raced down to Becker Surfboard Shop and ordered a 7’6” Becker Speed Shape. Of course I paid extra so I could be there with Phil for the shaping of one of his last boards.
I have a younger brother who loves to talk. I’m kind of shy and don’t talk too much, but he, on the other hand, is quite gregarious and often takes over the conversation when we’re together. I don’t know what came over me, but I invited my brother to go with me for the shaping of my board. As we entered the factory there he was Phil Becker covered with foam dust shaping my new board. What an honor. As usual my Bro immediately starts the conversation, and as usual I just stood there while he held court. Phil is so nice and he has that quiet cool surfer vibe. After several minutes I finally got an opening and asked, “Phil how did you get started shaping surfboards?”
He told us that he always loved shaping and started shaping boards in his garage. Then he was fortunate to get a job shaping for Rick Surfboards in Hermosa Beach. Phil told us he learned a lot at Rick’s and got good at shaping. He mentioned that his parents did not discourage him from shaping and living the “surfer” lifestyle, but they were concerned about his financial wellbeing. He did mention that He told us that he didn’t have much money but was happy shaping for Rick.
Then after several years Phil was approached by businessmen who wanted to partner with him. The partners bought out the Rick Surfboard factory and they started a retail store Becker Surfboards on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach. Phil said that even though the business was doing very well, he kept shaping; as that is what he loved to do. For me it was amazing that Phil had more than enough money to retire many years prior, but he kept doing what he loved – shaping surfboards. Yes, the Becker Surfboard business did very well. According to the Los Angeles Times, sales for Becker Surfboards hit over $4.7 million in 1992.
At the end of the session my Bro got back into the conversation. He asked a really good question. He asked, “Phil, what words of wisdom would you say to a high school student?” Phil thought for a second, then in Phil’s quite reserved soft-spoken voice said, “Follow your stoke”. This hit home. Phil followed his stoke, not the mainstream of going to college, getting a job, and climbing the ladder. He did what he loved; he shaped surfboards. So in reality, Phil never worked a day in his life. He was doing what he loved.
I’m now at retirement age. However, I still see patients twice a week and operate every Wednesday. I could retire, but I love being a pediatric ophthalmologist. Yes, I could have made much more money in another specialty, but I thank God every day that I too followed my stoke.
Los Angeles LA Times article on Phil Becker https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-08-me-21859-story.html
KENNETH WESTON WRIGHT, MD.
Cell – 310-818-1807
A caring physician, Dr. Wright has been devoted to the welfare of children and the health of their eyes for over 30 years. He is an internationally respected pediatric eye surgeon with specialty in adult strabismus. In 2001, Dr. Wright founded the Wright Foundation for Pediatric Ophthalmology, a non-profit, whose mission is to reduce blindness and suffering from eye disorders in children through research, education, and clinical care. To this end, Dr. Wright has established a special pediatric eye clinic that serves underprivileged children where no child is turned away.
Dr. Wright has operated on children from every walk of life, from royalty to the underprivileged. He has also participated in numerous international medical missions worldwide. Recently, Dr. Wright was awarded a service medal of honor from the office of the President of Panama for over 20 years of service to Panamanian children. As fate would have it, the youngest of Dr. Wright’s five children developed crossed eyes in infancy. Rather than refer out, Dr. Wright performed “early surgery” on his own son with great results – his son later qualified as an expert marksman in the United States Marines.
He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific research papers and 7 textbooks on ophthalmology and eye surgery including Strabismus Surgical Atlas and number one selling Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Text by Oxford Press. His publication in Pediatrics 2003 on preventing ROP with physiologic low oxygen has changed the way we treat premature infants and saved countless babies from blindness worldwide. He is a national and international speaker giving over 100 invited lectures worldwide. In 2015 he was invited guest of honor at Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Wright ran for US Congress in 2016 and 2018 and advanced through the primary election to the general election.
On a personal note, Dr. Wright loves to surf.
Present Practice and Academic Affiliations:
Wright Foundation for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus, 2001 - present
Founder and Director of non-profit 501- c3) for research, education and clinical care of all children including the underprivileged, Los Angeles, CA
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Attending Staff Refer and Follow 2015 to Present