Kelly Slater reveals biggest wish of surf guru Doc Paskowitz, who has died aged 93
- Text by Shelley Jones
Surf and health guru Doc Paskowitz, the father of the so-called ‘first family of surfing’ – a nomadic clan of 11 who lived an unorthodox life centred around surfing and wellbeing – has passed away aged 93.
Doc was born in Texas to Russian Jewish parents and abandoned his medical career sometime around the 1950s – after visiting Israel for a year – to search for a different way of life.
He and his family spent approximately the next 25 years on the road, surfing, learning and living a healthy lifestyle – Doc eventually wrote a book Surfing and Health about his wellbeing philosophies.
In recent years, Doc founded a charity Surfing For Peace with Kelly Slater, which delivered surfboards to the small surfing community in Gaza and aimed to promote peaceful relations between the Palestinian and Israeli communities.
According to Kelly, peace between these nations was his biggest wish.
Says Kelly on his Instagram: “Blessings to you, Dorian #DocPaskowitz. You’ve been a beacon of truth, light, knowledge, and determination for all of your surfing brothers. Despite numerous reports of Doc’s passing over the last week, he quietly said his #LastGoodbye this evening. I was lucky enough to spend time with him a few days ago and get a couple of big hugs and this final photo.
He was passionate about diet and exercise but his biggest wish was to see peace in Gaza between Israel and Palestine and always believed that those who could surf together, could live together peacefully. He told me that if they would ‘pave the streets of Palestine in gold’ there would be peace between the people. He personally donated surfboards over the Israeli border to give to his Palestinian surfing brethren as a sign of respect and acknowledgment. Maybe one day his true dream will be realized.
I’ll miss this crazy, old man who helped raise my little brother and teach me about the ways of the world. Condolences and love to his wife and 9 children. #Surfing4Peace #SurfersHealing #PaskowitzFamily”
Speaking to Huck six years ago, in issue 14, Doc said this: “I have been a beach bum since I was twelve years old. On top of that I became a lifeguard, a research physiologist and a medical doctor. But you know, it was all what you might call T-shirts on top of a bare-skin beach boy. It was a great life. I’m sure I’m gonna miss it.”
You might like
Moshpits & kickflips at the Volcom Garden Experience 2026
Family affair — Last weekend, the skate, surf and snow culture brand hosted a free mini festival in its European backyard of Biarritz. We went along and chatted to legendary artist and surfer Ozzie Wright.
Written by: Isaac Muk
As the Cornwall & Devon coastline gentrifies, what’s left at UK surfing’s spiritual home?
Priced out – Once belonging to anyone willing to be cold and thrown around underwater, the sport is becoming increasingly inaccessible, as second homes and commodification reshape England’s southwestern shores.
Written by: Noah Petersons
An intimate window into New York’s ’70s lesbian scene
We Others — An exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery combines Donna Gottschalk’s unearthed photographs of LGBTQ+ activists and friends, along with Hélène Gianneccini’s written histories.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The Pope has declared holy war on AI
The New Butlerian Jihad — In his first encyclical letter, Pope Leo XIV addressed the increasing pervasiveness of artificial intelligence as a threat to the already fragile structures of society. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland makes sense of it all.
Written by: Emma Garland
On the frontlines of Britain’s ’80s protest movements
Protest and Equality — Against a backdrop of Thatcherism, hospital closures and global conflict, photographer Sarah Saunders was a documentarian of the long decade’s effects on society, as well as the communities actively resisting it.
Written by: Miss Rosen
How one of the world’s best big wave photographers & filmmakers gets the perfect shot
Staring down the barrel — Sachi Cunningham has built an immersive body of work documenting huge barrels by getting closer to the action than most. Josh Jones speaks to her about her process, finding order within chaos, and the importance of feeling awe.
Written by: Josh Jones
