Eric Eastman rode his final wave on Friday, January 24. A resident of Bay Shore, Eastman graduated from the Lindenhurst High School class of 1963, earned his master’s degree from Stony Brook University, and worked as an educator. He established himself as a pioneer of the emerging surf scene at Gilgo Beach.
In an interview with this GSBN, Eastman described his feelings while surfing a barrel wave: “There’s something primal about charging down the face of a big wave and doing it. Body and mind say you’re scared, but your personality takes over. Suddenly, you’re supine when you should be terrified… Just like falling in love.”
As Eastman dominated surfing championships, he also began designing and building custom boards. During his downtime, he shared stories of his surfing competitions with a new generation of surfers. Later, he leveraged his influence to advocate for preserving the sport and lifestyle from fading into obscurity.
One of his defining moments in preserving surf culture was his resistance to Babylon Town Supervisor Anthony Noto’s 1986 ban on surfing at all town beaches, including Gilgo. Noto implemented the ban to prevent a potential rate increase, citing the tripling of town liability insurance.
Mobilizing the Eastern Surfing Association, which he helped establish in opposition to the new law, Eastman referred to Noto as “the supervisor who stole summer.” After several protests, the town board reversed the ban. Following this change, Eastman donated a surfboard previously used by famous surfer Duke Kahanamoku to the town, asking that it be displayed in the town board room. When questioned about this gesture, Eastman stated it was “to remind them that surfers are members of the community as well.”
Eastman’s passion for the ocean extended beyond surfing; his love for sailboats and catamaran racing was equally strong. He was key in organizing the Long Island Multihull Association’s East Coast Championships, also known as the Montauk Triangle Races.
In his later years, Eastman found solace in documenting his surfing and beach adventures in his self-published graphic novel, “Surf Dogs and Cool Cats.”
Eastman’s widow, Beverly Graves, posted on her Facebook page, “Anyone wishing to honor Eric, please do so to help clean our ocean.”
