Surf In Peace: Founder of Surfer Magazine John Severson Dies at 83

The impact that John Severson had in the surfing world is undeniable because he practically invented it. John's journey into the world of surfing began when his family moved from Pasadena to San Clemente in 1945, what John later called "the greatest move of my life." After college, John was drafted into the army and sent to Hawaii where he was assigned to the Army Surf Team. There he was ordered to practice every afternoon, which was no problem for the young Californian.  He'd caught the bug and by 1958 made his first surf film, simply titled Surf.  Over the following years, Severson produced early surf classics such as Surf Safari, Surf Fever, and in 1961 Big Wednesday.

In 1960 to promote his film Surf Fever, he came out with a short magazine. A modest 40 pages of photos, art, and a few articles, and called it Surfer. It was a huge success. Surfer became Surf Quarterly and Severson produced nearly the entire magazine himself. He hired writers, editors, and photographers who would become trademarks of the industry. In 1970 he made the move to Maui with his wife and children, where he spent his years surfing and painting. Severson laid the groundstone for surfing media, and his legacy, love of life, art and surfing will live on forever, surf in peace John!