Mike loves to surf and fully expects that when heaven comes calling he will be able to paddle out into perfect waves.
Mike grew up in southern California in the 1960s with a father who was a surfing pioneer from the Malibu era and one of the early members of the renowned San Onofre Surfing Club. The tight-knit community of friends Mike grew up with gathered daily at the beach, constantly anticipating the next big south swell. When it hit, pandemonium erupted.
The surfing culture Mike grew up with soon clashed with his adult career when he relocated to Silicon Valley in 1990 to participate in the birth of the internet. Mike launched Surfing for Balance in Silicon Valley in 2014 to blog about his struggle to stay afloat amidst all the chaos of managing a job, his family, and his health.
What if we can go surfing in heaven?
While learning to brave the icy waters of northern California’s Steamer Lane as a release valve from the pressure of his job, Mike launched on a quest to find the perfect wave in heaven.
Surfing Malibu 1949
The picture on the cover of surfingforbalance.com is the only picture Mike had of his father, Jack B Mulkey, surfing. It was taken at Malibu circa 1949 by Doc Ball. Here is the original photo:
Jack is riding a 10’9″ Bob Simmons Plywood Foam Sandwich.
Mark Brown Digital Arts did the wonderful recoloring work of this photo.
The Greatest Generation
This website is dedicated to Jack for all the wonderful lessons in life Mike learned from him through the sport of surfing. More on that era at Malibu and “The Greatest Generation”.
(Dad flew in the gunner position off the USS Saratoga in WWII).
Mike, What a wonderful blog, you are so blessed and thank you so much for sharing this great story/adventure in lifes journey ….God Bless. Bill Purcell class of 1973
Michael: This is Douglas Westfall, historic publisher. Great piece — thank you. I’d really like to hear more — I wrote the book on Corona del Mar (actually two, 10 years apart). Douglas@SpecialBooks.com
Thanks Douglas for the note — I will take a look at your book. Sounds very interesting!
Hi Mike,
Good talking with you a bit after Road Crew at PBC Palo Alto this morning. After we talked, I opened the Psalms and for some reason began reading Psalm 39, which contains the following verses. I thought they connected well with what you had to say about having an eternal perspective.
Andy
“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
even those who seem secure. (Psalm 39:4-5)
Hi Mike,
Fantastic blog… I’m kinda surprise that I don’t think I know you, although you’re about 3 years older than me. I grew up at SanO’ too. My parents, Bob and Babs Fitzgerald, were among the founding members of the club, as well as my Dad being a ski instructor at Mt. Waterman! Charlie French gave me my final lesson at Waterman, when I was 12. His son Scott is one of my best friends (along with Pete Watson, also from Sun Valley, who passed away a few years ago…:( I grew up in Huntington (vs. you in CDM), but the stories are pretty much the same. SanO in the summer and winter weekends skiing at Waterman, with fellow SanO kids: Scott, Kirk Milette, Karen and Traci Peterson, Sam and Shauna Lockett.
Shawn Fitzgerald
Thanks Shawn for your note — GREAT to make the connection!!
if you don’t mind — send me your email ID. I remember the name “Fitzgerald”, probably from the SanO surfing contest, but don’t think we ever crossed. I was always too focused on Eric Hops, wondering if I could ever surf as good as him on that red of his (and of course, I now ride a red board in his memory… my email: m1mulkey@gmail.com