Influential Santa Barbara Surfer, Filmmaker Passes Away

Charting his surf career, the Independent continued: “From Rincon’s famous right-hand point breaks to the beaches of Ventura and beyond, Alexis turned challenges into opportunities, redefining what it meant to be a goofy-footer in a world dominated by regular-foot surfers. His competitive career took him to iconic surf spots around the globe — Bali’s G-Land, Hawai‘i’s North Shore, Australia’s Bells Beach — and left an indelible mark wherever he paddled out.”

Usher was part of a cutting-edge surfboard movement of the seventies, as a GoFundme account from his sibling, created to support his cancer treatment, explains: “He was an early member of the Channel Islands surf team, working with Al Merrick since the mid 70s in his shaping room, collaborating together on designs during the heyday of the shortboard revolution.”

During his time as a professional surfer, Usher racked up wins, traveled the globe competing, and wound up ranked 46th on the 1984/84 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) tour.

Following his professional surfing career, Usher continued working in the space, documenting high-performance surfing for a string of films. Equipped with a VHS camera, Usher created Stormproof Films in 1991; he captured Bruce Irons charging massive Pipeline and Teahupo’o, and released underground classic films including Good ‘n’ Plenty (1 and 2).

A memorial paddle-out for Usher is scheduled for Santa Barbara’s Ledbetter Beach on May 31st.