Boyd’s Fav Wave…known to us as ‘Charlie’s Reef’. This is where we’ll do a Celebration of Life Paddle Out.
Boyd aka Charlie Garrett with the Love of his life, Kathleen up in California.
First off, I want to send my thoughts, prayers and condolences to Kathleen Larson, Boyd’s Soulmate. Jill and Clint, his 2 children, as well as to each of the 4 grandchildren.
I also want to thank the amazing people of Hawaii. In particular, our Media family and Surf community for the incredible outpouring of support. Your calls, caring and dedications have made ALL the difference and always will.
In case you missed the sad news…
Our dearly departed Boyd Scofield paddled far beyond the horizon and into that Big Wave in the Sky last Wednesday the 24th. The tragedy happened early Wednesday morning around 330 am from apparent heart failure. This was likely caused by strain and complications from a dangerous fall off a 10′ ladder a week prior. He was storing his ‘Surf books’ from his ‘SURFBOOKS.COM business in the garage overhead. When the ladder accidental gave way he tried to reach for the beams but they were just out of reach. He was on the cold hard concrete in one second flat.
Boyd had badly broken his right arm and was lying in a pool of blood. I don’t need to explain the pain. He told me that the 4 inch protruding bone had torn through the artery we all have …in our elbow!
He cried out for help. Kathleen was at work. By God’s Grace a neighbor was pulling into their garage close by and heard him. The ambulance was there in 5 min.. Through all this, he still texted me to do his afternoon surf reports. That’s how consciousness this man is.
The Doctors let his body, heart and mind rest a night before the 5 hour operation the next day, Thursday Jan 25th. This left him with 3 plates, more screws and huge cast….and 6-8 weeks of recup time. He also had a hairline fracture in his shoulder and a few cracked ribs. I told him that fall would have killed a average human…but that he dodge a bullet.
They let him go home Sunday and we talked everyday through Tuesday.
Boyd made it very clear, “THIS was the hardest thing he’d EVER gone through”. He couldn’t sleep, was on plenty pain med but still in a lot of pain and extreme discomfort…near constant.
Wednesday about 8am I saw Boyd’s # come through on my phone as I was doing surf reports. I wanted to see how he was feeling so I picked up and immediately cracked some joke like ‘how was your surf session this morning, did the 25 lb cast hold you back?’
We both told jokes, good and bad, all the time. Leo’s are sorta akin to trying to make people laugh. We did laugh a lot.
‘Brother Boyd’ as I often refereed to him was improving since he got home from the hospital the prior Sunday. He even hoped he’d be able to get back onto his Monday morning Surf shift only two days prior to the surreal call! Boyd loved to work.
It wasn’t Boyd on the phone. It was Kathleen, the love of his life.
She spoke after an ever so slight pause. I thought there was some signal issue. I could not make out what she was saying. Kathleen’s voice was cracking and she was barely intelligible. The realization that this was bad news…as bad as it gets… rolled over me like a Tsunami as I forced my words out …”Did Boyd die?!”.
Only then could Kathleen get one word out…”Yes”.
Kathleen told me she heard something predawn Wednesday in the bathroom. She found her love unresponsive in the bathtub where he evidently fell before or after his heart gave out. Boyd was a BIG Boy & could not be lifted out alone. Shortly after Kathleen’s desperate 911 call Boyd was taken to the hospital but the doctors were never able to get Boyd’s precious pulse back.
Kathleen and I spent 20-30 minutes crying and talking. Hearing Kathleen was one of the saddest sounds my ears have ever heard. There’s no words to describe her devastation. I tell you, that woman LOVED that man. Brother Boyd was one lucky dude and he knew it. He always told me this again and again and I always agreed, Boyd scored with Kathleen.
Boyd was an especially ubiquitous SNN reporter for over a decade or so…he rode the air waves most everyday of the week. A True Pro broadcaster, on- time, reliable, warm and hard core in his passion for surfing. Boyd owned SURFBOOKS.COM and loved his memorabilia. He had tremendous respect for the history of our sport/lifestyle and all it’s endless array of characters. Boyd-Charlie was one of them 🙂
There’s plenty stories so I’ll mention just a couple.
Many years before Jeff Clark, Mr. Mavericks took on the infamous Big Wave surf spot 40 years ago… Boyd, along with 1 or 2 other crazy dudes would paddle out at decent sized Mavericks in the dead of winter…without a wet-suit! Jack O’Neill had begun keeping surfers warm in the water in the early 50’s but Boyd & crew chose the cheaper, more gnarly way out on their long-boards. Peering into the cold, Great White Shark zone off Pillar Point Northern California. Granted the surf wasn’t BIG, BIG as Jeff Clark’s solo exploits in 15-20′ Mavericks in the mid 70-80’s but still, would you go out?
Boyd liked to push the adventure and adrenaline envelope. He was young and ready to try just about anything. In his life…he did.
Boyd had an alter ego-personality named Charlie Garrett. They were equally inter-changeable. As a Program Director and country radio DJ at KDEO am 94 in the 80’s, Charlie ‘The Ghost Rider’ received national programming awards. He knew most every Legendary BIG name country artist of his time-and before- calling many his personal friends.
Well, guess who did his station surf reports?
We kicked off our friendship and bond with a little business, but mostly surfing, music, jokes, ladies and life…and in no particular order. In our heads there wasn’t much more to it.
For me, January has been all over the place…just like the surf has been. A dizzy variety with sharp U-turns & rip currents mixed with short quiet moments in-between. The waves have gone from small & weak to GIANT & STRONG, from smooth & glassy to stormy & choppy. For me…surf equals life…again, in no particular order.
The first mind altering event of 2018 was the Sat Jan. 13th infamous ‘incoming-run for cover’ false missile alarm. For a minute there, I hardly had time to ride one more wave…well, 38 min to be exact. So much for missiles ending our life and/or way of life. But it sure helped me be more appreciative and prepared…sorta.
Until the other disillusioning yet enlightening moment came when I lost one of my best long time friends early Wednesday morning the 24th.
Charlie Garrett was an iconic surfer reporter for SNN for decades; one of our SNN enduro award winners.
In the 40+ years of bringing Hawaii the Surf, we’ve now lost 3 Legacy reporters.
The first was Rell Sunn, ‘Queen of Makaha’ who lost her long battle against cancer back in Jan 2nd, 1998. Then, Alec ‘Ace Cool’ Cook was lost at sea surfing Waimea Bay after dark, Wednesday Oct 28th, 2015.
Boyd and I actually first met in the early to mid 80’s when he was GM of Monterey Bay Canners! It was there, my best friend of the time, Rob Schwend & I were playing guitar & singing our hearts our for living. Charlie and I hit it off forever. We started with the bond of music and surfing. Pretty powerful ingredients for friendship.
Charlie is a loyal Leo…one of the most loyal and hard-working human’s I’ve ever met. He’d back up the SNN Team and I 100% of the time whenever any of us were traveling or sick. His rich baritone would resonate out some beautiful inspiring surf reports with warmth and of course, accuracy.
It’s still raw as of this writing.
I know he wanted more…so much more.
That’s Charlie.
Final note: I dreamed of Charlie-Boyd that Wednesday night after his death… and you know how dreams can be.
I was in town and he called me late Wednesday… after he’d passed away…but it was the present moment! A short visit so to speak.
I’m having a conversation with the real ‘Brother Boyd’ about surf etc… and yet far back in my brain, I knew he was gone. Was he?
Here was Charlie … live and in person, clear as a bell.
It was comforting.
But then, I became hurried, anxious, holding the phone to my ear.
We’d recorded countless Surf Reports. And this was one of the most important ever. I wanted to get a recording of him…fast…capture it…don’t let this moment go…before its too late!
I don’t recall how the dream ended. Yet, dreams always have something to say if one listens.
Charlie’s in here and out there, too. I can hear him, feel him…and I know… whether I’m surfing or surf reporting…Charlie will be sharing in this crazy ride.
Mahalo Charlie… for everything.
R.I.P. my Brother.
Love & Aloha Always,
Gary
Below: A Remembrance of Boyd Scofield aka Charlie Garrett
Mahalo to our friends at KITV4 for their special honoring of long time SNN Reporter, Boyd Scofield.
We’ll miss that beautiful baritone Surf Update that has blessed the airwaves of Hawaii Nei for over 30 years.
Please GO HERE
Kathleen, Clint and Boyd
