Gerry’s House

A short walk along the beach from Warren Harlow’s house will take you to what may be the most important address in surfing: 59-363 Ke Nui Road.

Its occupants still refer to it as “Gerry’s House” as a sign of respect for the man who built it. Gerry Lopez was a surfer from Honolulu who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s and earned the nickname “Mr. Pipeline” for his graceful approach to Pipeline’s perils.

The view of the three-story house built by Gerry Lopez. Now owned by Volcom, a surf apparel company. Note the Volcom “stone” logo attached to the upper level porch. Photo: Tai Vandyke/Volcom

Lopez put up this house 38 years ago with help from partners “Fat Paul” Peterson and Herbie Fletcher, according to Volcom’s David Riddle. Volcom, a surf apparel company, purchased the 4-bedroom, 5-bath home in 2007. Through the decades the house has served as Pipeline headquarters for a string of athletes well known for their mastery of that difficult wave: Andy and Bruce Irons, Mike and Derek Ho, Sunny Garcia, Dane Kealoha, Martin Potter and Tom Carroll.

The vew from inside the Volcom house. Photo: Tai Vandyke/Volcom

Volcom also owns a one-story bungalow next door that in the early 1990s acted as base camp for a young Kelly Slater and many of his contemporaries.