My Dad Richard (left) and Dru Harrison (right) at The World Contest 1972 in Oceanside.

By Phillip Salick

This is a pretty classic confrontation because my dad had just quickly defeated Dru in their match up in the event. After the heat, when this picture was taken, Dru had just walked up and sucker punched my dad in the parking lot. My dad was quite a scrapper and as you can tell, he could’ve easily taken Dru out for such a stunt. My dad‘s kindness and cool head prevailed as he talked Dru down from this potentially violent stand-off.

This was a lesson that my dad taught us at a very young age. A real man should never use violence unless he absolutely has to. Even though he was strong and skilled at fighting, he would avoid hurting someone at all cost. With confidence and nothing to prove, his compassion and kindness ruled the day. Be kind and let your SURFING do the talking... “Would you rather be right or would you rather be kind? “

Richard Salick 10/06/1949 - 07/02/2012