Like most Goleta boys, Bo Campbell would rather surf a choppy, blown out
spot alone than a perfect crowded point.
The willingness to go the extra mile to find a solitary experience with the ocean is what
makes surfing more than just a hobby, or a sport, to some folks. To these people,
surfing is more like a therapy session, or a soul revival. If the wave is good, that’s just
icing on the cake. The main thing is to get out and away for a while.
Bo was born in Goleta in 1970 and he spent the first two years of his life on the beach
at the Pit. His counter culture parents decided to move to Oregon where Bo traded
surfing for more “traditional” sports.
He got a baseball scholarship and earned his B.A. at Oregon State. In 1993, he moved
back and picked up where he left off, surfing everyday on a used 8′ board he got at
Surf’n’ Wear on Carillo. He was hooked.
Before long, he switched to a short board and rode only Bradburies.
Now he’s a junkie for Channel Islands M4’s.
Today, Bo lives in the valley, so he haunts every break north of Goleta Beach.
Goleta Surfing saw him out on Big Wednesday, 2007, in a pretty sketchy spot….
But he surfed it and lived to tell the tale. We stayed on the beach.
Bo is the son of artist and local surf legend, Jeff Campbell, who also has a
page on Goleta surfing.
Here’s to passing your therapy on to future generations!
