Kenneth Mockett

Ken­neth Mock­ett is a Cal­i­for­nia surfer who cre­ated the unique surf shop Icons of Surf. Based in San Clemente, the store recre­ates the vibe of surf shops from back in the day. We spoke with Ken to learn more about his life and his inspi­ration.

What was it like grow­ing up in Cal­i­for­nia?
Cal­i­for­nia was an awe­some place to grow up. I grew up in the South Bay (Her­mosa Beach). I wasn’t into orga­nized sports, but I loved the beach and I found surf­ing at an early age.

When did you get your first surf­board?
10 years old.

What was the feel­ing you had when you first stood on a surf­board?
It was so excit­ing and I was so scared. It was 4 feet and I was on a 10′ Jacob pig and 10 years old. I was hooked the first time I surfed.

Who did you look up to and admire when you were a young man?
Barry Kana­iaupuni (BK) was my idol…

Of all the inter­est­ing places you have trav­eled to, what place in par­tic­u­lar stands out? And why?
Japan and Hawaii, I love to visit Japan, surf and meet new friends. I love to surf Kauai. It is my favorite island in Hawaii.

Explain how the idea for your surf shop “Icons of Surf” came about
I worked in surf shops as teenager in the 1970’s. Surf­ing and surf shops have a spe­cial place in my heart. I was sad that I could not find a surf shop near my home San Clemente that gave me this feel­ing. I decided to cre­ate my own shop that cared about the surfer and about the qual­ity of hand­made surfboards.

How do you go about choos­ing the shapers and design­ers you fea­ture in the store?
We have many brands of surf­boards in our shop. They must all be of high qual­ity. Basi­cally, our cus­tomers decide which brands remain in the store.

Who/what inspires you?
Every surfer that is a part of the past, present, and future inspires me. Surf­ing inspires me and my her­itage inspires me. Thank you to all surfers that came before me. You’ve cre­ated Icons of Surf.

What is the great­est thing you have learned in your life?
I learned that all peo­ple have beauty to share. And that cul­tural diver­sity cre­ates one­ness for all of mankind.

Do you have any regrets or wish you had done some­thing dif­fer­ently?
I know this sounds sim­ple, but our past cre­ates all that we are today. I have no regrets. Every­thing is per­fect as it should be for my growth.

What are you most proud of?
My children.

What mean­ing does surf­ing hold for you and how has it changed your life?
Surf­ing has given me an expe­ri­ence to stay young and has given me bal­ance in my life.

What brings you the most hap­pi­ness in the world?
Love, pas­sion and know­ing I make a difference.

Who are some of the indi­vid­u­als you feel are shap­ing the path for surf­ing today?
I feel that each and every per­son who con­tributes to surf­ing in their own way. This changes the path of surfing.

What is in your cur­rent quiver? What is your favorite board?
Wow! I have a big quiver:
1) Bing Dia­blo 9’5 Intrigue
2) Bing 6’6 Lotus
3) Choco­late Fish 5’9 quad
4) Choco­late Fish 5’8 twin
5) Wegener Asy­met­ric tail 2 +1
6) Boss 5’10 Piglizard
7) Eric Chris­ten­son 7’0 cus­tom sin­gle fin fish
8) Chris Chris­ten­son 11′ quad glider
9) Chris Chris­ten­son 5’9 fish quad
10) Jeff McCal­lum Mini Simmons

What’s your favorite meal?
It would have to be a rack of lamb, cheese, pate’ and wine.

What are you cur­rently lis­ten­ing to on your iPod?
My Ipod is cur­rently empty?

What causes/projects/organizations do you sup­port?
Many. I believe that all of mankind should give back to peo­ple less for­tu­nate. I believe we all can make a huge dif­fer­ence with lit­tle effort.

What are you most grate­ful for?
I am grate­ful for my health and young spirit.

What’s next for Ken Mock­ett?
Only tomor­row knows, but the surf­ing world will always know where I am.

Learn more about Icons of Surf here.