Tough guys of surfing world

He’s battled some of surfing’s greatest with a signature smile, but after several frustrating phone calls to a few Huntington Beach surf shops, Sunny Garcia looked like he was ready to kill someone.

“When you’re trying to cross over into the business side, you realize the challenges are a lot harder than what you’re used to dealing with in surfing,” he said with a angry tone from his new Costa Mesa warehouse. “Sometimes I want to deal with things the way I’m used to dealing with them.”

A former world champion surfer, Garcia has traded competition with greats like Kelly Slater and Andy Irons for battles with the Orange County surfing industry. His 30-year-old company Da Hui relocated to Orange County five years ago and took over a warehouse in Costa Mesa in February for a major relaunch.

Garcia said he’s trying to rechannel his energy into something positive with Da Hui, a difficult task for a brand that has stirred much controversy in the last three decades.

Da Hui translates to “the pack” or “family” and comes from a surf group started by Hawaiian Eddie Rothman to regulate local surf spots and prevent mainlanders from disrespecting Hawaiians. Anyone who dared drop in on a local or snake a wave was destined for a painful beating at the hands of Da Hui.

“It’s like basketball in the Bronx. You’re not just going to show up and expect to get in on a game ? you have to earn it,” said Kala Alexander, the public face of the famous Wolfpak, a group similar to Da Hui that regulates the North Shore of Oahu.

Alexander admits the Wolfpak has been at the center of some ugly territorial disputes, but he said the group has protected dozens of locals in the dangerous breaks like Pipeline. The giant hallow barrel that made Pipeline famous sits just a few feet off a sharp reef, and one person’s mistake can hurt several people. Eleven people have died surfing at Pipeline.

“We’re not bad guys, but we’ll straighten you out if you get out of line,” Garcia said. “To a certain extent, there has to be control in the lineup, and I don’t apologize for that.”

Years of tough-guy posturing have shaped the mystique behind the Wolfpak and Da Hui, but as Alexander and Garcia grow older, they say they’re starting to leave some of the old ways behind. Like the old street fighter who’s seen too many rumbles, Alexander said that at age 37, he’s grown tired of brawling and believes violence should only be used as a last resort. As the parent of four kids, he said he’s also much more aware of the influence his actions have on children.

For Da Hui, that means a shifting message toward respect and Hawaiian culture, Alexander said, with an emphasis on age-old surf traditions covering takeoffs and pecking order in the lineup.

“We’re doing a lot less regulating and a lot more educating,” he said.

Orange County businessman Ezra Fee helped broker the North American licensing rights to the company in 2001 and is now overseeing the group’s campaign from its new headquarters off Harbor Boulevard.

Fee recently changed the motto of Da Hui to “Ride With Us” and said the company plans to sponsor regional beach cleanups and other community events.

Still, changing the image of a group long associated with being the bad boys of surfing has its challenges.

“Turning 25 years of people’s perceptions around takes time,” Fee said. “There’s a lot of people who still have a bad taste in their mouth.”

Part of that reputation includes stories about company representatives who used island-style intimidation and threats to get products into mainland surf shops.

Shop owner Rick Fignetti of Rockin Fig’s in downtown Huntington Beach said he’s carried Da Hui for several years and likes the brand’s respect for the lineup.

“That got a little bad rap, but they do a lot over there,” Fignetti said. “Besides getting in a few fights, they control the lineup, and I like that idea. There so many people who just show up from all over the world and think they’re going to take over the place. If you’re doing things right, you don’t have to worry about Da Hui, but if you’re doing things wrong and getting out of line, then Da Hui is going to take care of you.”

For his part Garcia said he plans to enjoy his recent retirement from competitive surfing and spend more time with his three children in Hawaii. Alexander also said he wants to spend more time with his kids and is pursuing a career in stunt work and acting, recently joining the Screen Actors Guild. He’s also finishing up work to get his real estate license, and he plans to represent Rothman on several Hawaiian developments.

“We got to go mainstream,” Alexander said. “We can’t be thugs no more.”dpt.06-dahui-CPhotoInfoMI1PM53R20060406ix9x39ncLINDA NGUYEN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Surfers Sunny Garcia, left, and Kala Alexander are the founders of the Da Hui surf clothing company, which recently relocated to Costa Mesa.