Hawaiian tradition recalls Seaside surfer

Published 3:05 am Saturday, September 15, 2018

Memorial at the Cove remembers Seaside's Larry Loveridge.

“He was a beautiful man and all the surfers wanted to give him a beautiful send off,” said Noelani Halaholo Loveridge of her husband, Larry Lynn Loveridge, who was called back to sea on July 6. On that day, Loveridge left the planet doing the thing he loved most — surfing in the Cove, apparently of heart failure. On Sunday, Sept. 30, a traditional Hawaiian paddle-out ceremony will take place in the Cove at 9 a.m. sharp.

Jeff Stover, a longtime friend of Loveridge, is organizing the event.

“Larry recently told his wife his wishes should he die,” Stover said. “He laid it all out for her, the whole scenario.”

Stover said participants in the paddle-out, which old time fans of the TV show “Hawaii Five-0” may recall, will be the elders of the Cove surfing scene. “All the paddlers should be in the water at 9 a.m.,” Stover said. “The paddle-out is a Hawaiian tradition.”

Afterwards, friends will return to the beach and tell stories. At 1 p.m., there will be a luau and memorial service at the Sons of Norway Lodge on the estuary in Gearhart that will go until 4 p.m. The luau will feature some of Loveridge’s favorite foods, including a roast pig.

There will be singing.

“Larry and I were friends for about 15 years,” Stover said. “He was a good man. Always a smile for everyone.”

Since July 6, a memorial for Larry Loveridge can be seen in the Cove with photographs and various mementos and flowers. A local surfer and friend of the Loveridge’s said a small group of friends has kept replenishing the flowers.

Halo Loveridge said the paddle-out is a Hawaiian tradition calling forth the watermen and women of the Pacific Northwest and the Pacific Islands. It is a final ritual at sea in the traditional waterman way.

“It’s a way to shine light so the spirit can find their way to the other side,” she said. “By light, I mean the inner light and uniting the human spirit with the wave.”

Larry was a big part of the surfing community, Stover said. “He helped so many people. He had such a big heart. And he died doing what he loved most. He caught a wave.”

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