Aloha 'Oe Peter Trombly

The Sound of Huelo Street — Sunset Point Surf Music

Soul Man extraordinaire Peter Trombly.

A kind, gentle, creative soul moved on to the next plane and left behind all those who admired and loved him for the Pure Aloha he embodied, exemplified, and shared with everyone he met. The world was lucky to have had him.

Peter Trombly’s music was singular and absolutely gorgeous, often mesmerizing in its sonic wafting beauty — for me it was the Sound of Huelo Street and would accompany me as I strolled by his house (the antipode of mine on Huelo) and enter the sacred waters of Paumalu for a surf. He’d hit a note or some interesting, harmonic chord as a way of saying “Hi” just as I passed his house, Peter casually sitting there cast in the shade by the window. Sunset Point Music par excellence. Surf sounds . . . Listen to the tunes embedded and attached (above & below) hereto . . . let your soul soar with his . . .

“Peter Built” Backyards Hawaii — Huelo Street. Photo: Author.

They don’t call it “Backyards” for nothing. Ground Zero for the soul of surfboard design, shaping, & building in the 1970s-1990s. Peter at work between surf/sailing sessions. Photo: Gordinho.

An all around artist, Peter’s knowledge and expertise as a surfer and shaper went deep, back to the roots of Hawaiian Soul Surfing and, especially, windsurfing — he was at the vanguard of it all at Backyards (one of the original “Yardbirds”) and Diamond Head in the late 1970s and early ‘80s through the 1990s when I met him. He was also an excellent glasser. Peter helped me with one of my favorite guns (The Panther — an 11’7” triple stringer single fin pintail Owl Chapman shaped for me in 1997) that I lost at Point Surf Makaha about 15 or so years ago, which had washed on the rocks.¹ The pintail had been crushed; I was bummed. Peter simply sawed it off (I was horrified at first!) and made this elegant wooden tailblock, perfectly fashioned, and glassed it on just so. I was stoked! It looked better than before; that tailblock has driven off the bottom of some big blue waves many times since . . . I was and remain honored to be in the rarefied community of those who benefitted from his expertise.

OG Yardbird — Peter Trombly driving a mean turn off the bottom at Backyards. Photo: Gordinho.

Simply put, Peter was A Master Craftsman. He shaped and glassed boards for Eddie Aikau among many others, under the esoteric label: “Peter Built.” Another legendary shaper for countless legends, Pat Rawson (musician/surfer/shaper who jammed with Peter for over 45 years), declared that “Peter glassed my boards for a long while; and his glass jobs were beautiful, the strongest in the business.” Highest praise from on high.

An iconic shot of Eddie charging a Paumalu West Peak off the Second Reef on the custom white opaque 10’ gun shaped (and glassed) for him by his friend Peter Trombly. Hana Hou! Photo: Jeff Divine.

To say that I’ll miss seeing and speaking with Peter — a daily occurrence for the past 25 years, whether it be at the beach (after his swim), on the bike path (on his morning walk), or on our street as he raked the yard or collected the bins (both his and his neighbors) — is an understatement. Always gracious and generous with a smile. Yet, I know that his spirit will endure. He won’t be far. Just listen to the tape . . . (Miles Davis said that).

Soul session . . . Peter jamming with my friend Matt Simmons-St. Onge at Huelo Hale in 2009.

I truly love his music. So much so that I encouraged Peter to record some of those inspired magical afternoon improvisation jam sessions. Thank God he did — and Mahalo Nui Loa he shared a couple discs with me, which I have and will always treasure. Back in 2005, I actually told him that one day we’ll just “listen to the tape” with gratitude and joy once he’s gone. He laughed and a few days later said: “Hey, Andy, I got something for you!” Well, that day came too soon, totally unexpectedly, I’m stunned; Peter died mowing the lawn a couple days ago . . . so it goes. There are worse ways to go.

Peter Trombly launching & flying at his beloved Backyards on one of his own designs. Photo: Gordinho.

Now all we can do is listen to the tape of Peter’s light profound genius floating and flying in the ethereal spheres of Wao Akua and reflect gratefully on a life creatively actualized and well lived. Aloha ‘Oe, my friend.

Amicus. My friend Peter and I at my house (Huelo Hale) on my 40th Birthday (2009).

Pau

Huelo Hale, Paumalu

1. The Panther — El Niño 1997-98