Doc Paskowitz
| Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 3, 1921 Galveston, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | November 10, 2014 (aged 93) Newport Beach, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stanford University School of Medicine |
| Occupation | Doctor, surfer |
| Spouse(s) | Juliette Paéz (third wife) |
| Children | 11 |
| Relatives | Sonia Darrin (sister) |
Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz (March 3, 1921 – November 10, 2014) was an American surfer and physician, who gave up practicing medicine for a living and decided to become a professional surfer. In 1972, he founded a surf camp run by his family, where campers could live alongside and surf with members of the Paskowitz family. He and his family have been referred to as the "First Family of Surfing".
Paskowitz was Jewish, and was born March 3, 1921, in Galveston, Texas. He was one of three children born to Russian Jewish emigrants Louis and Rose Paskowitz. His sister is former actress Sonia Darrin. He graduated from Stanford Medical School in 1946.
After two failed marriages (including one that resulted in two daughters), he realized that he did not feel happy as a doctor. Paskowitz went to Israel for a year, and found himself happier than he had ever been. He volunteered for the Israeli army in 1956 during the Suez crisis, but was rejected. He then returned to the United States and focused on surfing full-time.
After marrying his third wife, Juliette, Paskowitz and his new bride began a period of roughly 25 years of a transient bohemian lifestyle on the road. The couple produced nine children, and the entire family lived and traveled together in a succession of used camper vans. Paskowitz's personal philosophy about education and money and healthy lifestyle was imposed on his family.
None of the Paskowitz children were formally educated during their time on the road. Paskowitz's philosophy about the difference between knowledge and wisdom led him to believe that the formal education systems in all the countries of the world were not useful. He believed that achieving wisdom came from real experiences in the world, and from meeting and learning from everyday people. He believed formal education was dangerous to young minds, despite being a Stanford graduate and a professor at community colleges, including Palomar College in San Marcos, California.
A consistent theme of health pervaded Paskowitz's approach to family life. Most mornings, the family ate a breakfast of multi-grain gruel (as one of his children described it), and they were all expected to improve their surfing skills on a daily basis. Several of Paskowitz's children reached a competitive level in surfing, winning contests and earning endorsement income.
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