The victim of a fatal collision in Huntington Beach was identified this week as Kolby Aipa, the 20-year-old grandson of legendary surfboard shaper Ben Aipa.
Police said that Kolby, who was referred to as “surf royalty” by major surf publications, was riding an e-bike on the Pacific Coast Highway Saturday night while holding onto the back of a Toyota Tacoma driven by his 20-year-old friend. According to the Huntington Beach Police Department, Kolby somehow lost control while being towed, resulting in a collision with his friend’s pickup truck.
Officers responded to reports of the collision at 10:08 p.m. near the intersection of the PCH and Seapoint Street to find the 20-year-old driver uninjured, and Kolby, unconscious, lying on the road. Paramedics rushed Kolby to a nearby hospital, where, according to Surfer Magazine, he was put on life support until he died from his injuries on Tuesday.
Investigators stated that impairment was not suspected in the driver of the Tacoma, and no arrests were made. Police said the crash is still under investigation and asked anyone who may have witnessed the incident or the events leading up to it to contact HBPD Traffic Investigator S. Flynn at 714-536-5666.
Kolby’s grandfather, Ben Aipa, was from Hawaii and pioneered the notorious “sting” surfboard design and founded the brand Aipa Surf in 1970. He was also known for crafting surfboards for colleagues who went on to win surf championships, as well as winning championships himself.
Aipa Surf posted a tribute to Ben’s legacy on Wednesday, the day after Kolby’s passing.
“This is the hardest post we will ever make,” read the beginning of Aipa Surf’s social media post. “We at Aipa Surf, @dukeaipa @valaipa and @leilani_skysky wanted to share the devastating news that our sweet boy @kolby_aipa has passed. We are completely heartbroken.”
A report by Surfer Magazine said that following in his long surfing lineage, Kolby was a local up-and-coming surfer himself — sponsoring major surfing brands and being a member of the Huntington Beach Board Riders club.
“Thank you for loving our boy,” continued Aipa’s tribute. “Kolby always had a way with touching the lives of whoever he met. His acts of kindness and caring was his gift of Aloha to friends and strangers alike. To everyone that reads this… pass his Aloha on. So, how Kolby treated you, treat others in that same way…In this you are continuing his legacy of Aloha. And you too can be like Kolby.”
The Pai family, owners of Huntington Surf and Sport, set up a GoFundMe to support the Aipa family.
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