Ozzie Ausband

Bobby Piercy / Mystery

Bobby Piercy (RIP) at Carlsbad skatepark. October 1977
Quimby Street. San Diego. He snorted a line and handed the rolled up bill to the thin leggy girl beside him. She looked delicious with her peanut butter brown skin and long fine hair. They had been up all night and a pall of cigarette smoke hung near the ceiling. Empty Heineken bottles stood on virtually every available flat surface. Dawn burned orange through the blinds. Bobby rubbed his eyes. They were red-rimmed and sore... as was his nose. He and the girl were wrung out like water from a twisted rag. Marathon sex was hours behind them and still the mirror whispered its mantra ....  
Bobby Piercy.  Rumors abound. Grist for the mill. Playboy bunnies, cocaine, BMW's.... the high life. Bobby was a superstar. Reportedly, he was the kind of guy that loved life and lived that life to its fullest. He was a World Class skateboarder. He won slalom & downhill races, rode pools, parks and pipes. He had fine ladies around him at all times. He was a ripper.
Bobby and a friend
One day, Bobby simply disappeared. He wasn't there anymore. It was as if a giant hole opened up in Point Loma and swallowed him up. The grapevine. Innuendo. Subtle hushed conversations. "Bobby was arrested for dealing blow." Furtive looks and worried expressions... "He's now in the Witness Protection Program." Yet who really knows the truth? Can anyone ever truly know? Is he dead? Some stories describe Bobby as being executed in a drug deal gone wrong. Has he actually just moved on and is living his life as a balding, big-bellied hardware store clerk in Utah somewhere?  Bobby Piercy knows but he's not talking. At least not to anyone who knew him back in sunny San Diego in the 1970's.
Bobby Piercy - Rector advertisement
I prefer to think of Bobby as he lived. Wide open. Possibilities. Unlimited and  lawless.... that is the Bobby Piercy that I admired. Thanks to Jim Goodrich for the images. Skate- Ozzie
Bobby- La Costa 1977

Bobby- La Costa 1977

 

Addendum- People have commented on Bobby Piercy and his mysterious disappearance. I include them here. - Ozzie

 

    • Met Tommy a few times when I was a Kid, 1965 0r ’66 through mutual friends, he was already a Team Hobie “Star”……ran into him over the years, Surfing & Hanging out ….as I got older, I don’t think he remembered me as “that kid” ….But as an up & Coming “GROM” ……haven’t seen him in ages ……Bobby was SOUL ……if you did not know him, chances are…..you wouldn’t. Not a “DICK”, just liked having “Friends” ….Bobby, arrived at P L High 1972, from P B …..Nobody knew much , other than He was a P B Pt. Local, and he dressed, all Rock ‘n Roll —-Like Jagger or S.Tyler. …Knew some mutual friends …B. Kreft, D. Andrews, T. & C . Kessler, S. Frye, L. Emmet, R.T…etc., …We’d see each other surfing at S. O B Pier, couple other spots., Just saying, “What’s Up” …”Hey, Pretty Deep” or acknowledging each other…He Called me “Kid Kool”, he did not know my name yet ..Saw him at “Acidopholis Acres” (Heavy Local Cliffs Break)_He was Hangin’ w/ Joe Lynch & Steve Lis (FISH INVENTOR) Burned one, after surfing …invited me to a party at his pad…come alone … (Friends Only)……Knew Many of the People there, his Roomy, was B K (B.Kreft) friends for yrs. ….Leaving the party, B P says, ” Dude, that ‘s Wild, You Know Half my old friends & the other half are Yours—-I don’t know why we’re not already Hangin’ Out” ……..FRIENDS were his FAMILY, and Bobby treated you that way..ALWAYS a Hug & A Handshake ….He was the Only Person, that called me “SILVS” ….Or “COOL” …he couldn’t call me “KID”….That was Jon “KID” Riddle (Jon Riddle Surfboards) He was a Bad-Ass fighter, but only treated people, with Love and Respect, unless you were a KOOK and Deserved a Beating….One of the Greatest Friends, I have Known…Greatly Missed …He Backed his Friends …even took the fall, on some Police action, for me. He was an Awesome Surfer…Then I Saw Him Skate !!! ……… IN-FUCKING-CREDIBLE …They’d Shoot HILL ST (Name Says All) …no pads, Helmet …..JoneZy ….Steven Jones, wore zero protection …..so there was NO BAILING ….Another great guy…Just Nuts…But a GOOD Nuts, Almost as Fast as B P …………Bobby May be Missing…But NOT GONE …as long as we remember Him, His ways & Lessons he taught US …Friends are like Family, if not, they are Merely People you Know ….Bobby is Still a Part of us, Like We ARE ALL Part of His FAMILY …..What Happened ??? We’ve ALL WONDERED …Does Tommy Know ??? Well, IF He Does, and he is Keeping quiet FOR BOBBY ……Well then, Good Deal …I don’t need to Know, That’s B P ‘s Call . He Was a Great Friend …..A Legend ……He IS FAMILY ….BY THE WAY >>>>>>>GREAT PHOTOS >>>THANK YOU

    • Bobby went “Missing” in the Early 1980′s ………81, or 82 …..I don’t think he ever saw my 5’9″ Quad, Rick Holt shaped in “83 …WOW 31 0r 32 years …met him at 17… gone at 27 ………3 times the years we hung out ….remember him like it’s been 5 yrs.

      • Ozzie hell of a tribute to our friend. Thanks so much. I must of read this 10 times over the weekend.

        I was telling a story to a friend the other day about how I told Tony Hawk in 82 when he was opening his first shop and going pro that there wasn’t really a lot of money in the industry. He was dating one of my cousins at he time. Richest skater of all time now. Shows how smart I am. Anyway I told him this because I knew a lot of the skaters from the 70′s. He asked if I knew BP and I said sure he was the first skater I met and lived just up the street. That got me thinking of BP and I found this page. Hell of a tribute and dead on.

        I met BP in the mid 70s at a skate show. Went there to meet him because a mutual friend said he would be a good addition to my business. Gave him a big old rail just before he went out for his part in the show. Broke his arm. Blamed myself so I took him to the hospital and stayed all night making sure he was being taken care of. From then on he was always there for me. I was at Avalon in 77 when he won the slalom. Shortly after that I had to take a trip compliments of the state.

        I came home in the winter of 82 and one of the first people I asked bout was BP. He was up in Mammoth skiing but as soon as he got back to Dago we got together. Went skiing in Colorado a few times and just plain partied. BP was as wild as they come and I always loved him for that and his extreme sense of loyalty.

        In the late 80s I got another trip this time compliments of the feds. Ronnie’s timeline is a little off above. I know this for a fact. Ronnie is Jimmy Ray (another of BPs good friends) one of your cousins. Seems like I met you once when I lived in Pont Loma next to old Manuel Silva. Been trying to find JR for some time. Miss all the old bros. Anyway one of the first things I did when I got home was ask how BP was. This was 91. I was told that he was presumed dead. In fact I was given the keys to BPs Porch and told there was a dispute on who was support to get it and not let anyone have the car before the dispute was resolved. Back in those days if something happened to a good friend I always wanted the answer and help if needed..

        The story I got was he was out at the river where he loved to go and was a little bit impaired and dove in and never came up. No body as we know. This came from one of the witnesses that gave the report to the police on the matter. I’ve seen BP surf while very impaired more than once in good size waves so this did not make sense to me. Then I found out there were indictments coming down and he was on the list.

        I find it very hard to believe that he would ever hurt any of his friends or associates by talking and I would have most likely have heard if so. That being said it does happen. Both my trips were from friends that talked.

        I prefer to think he is still out there being BP. If not shaking up heaven a little or a lot as the case may be.

        Where ever you are bro as you can see from Ozzie’s tribute your are loved and missed. When I looked into your disappearance I spoke to about 15 people. The women cried and the men got teary eyed.

        Thanks Again Ozzie

 
  1. Bobby lived around the corner from me in Kearny Mesa back in the 60′s. I have pictures of us from elementary through high school. We were the two kids without moms, so our two houses were the hangouts after school and during the summer. Bobby started surfing at 6! Our group spent summer days at my house, Bobby’s (and his little brother Donny), and at the beach. Before the water shortage in the early 70′s that started us all skateboarding, Bobby was a world class surfer! Yeah, he was wild, but one of the truest friends you could have. I was sad, but not surprised when I heard of his death. He was an amazing guy who lived life like there was no tomorrow, no regrets, never looking back. His ashes were scattered off the OB pier, so he’s back where we all started. I’ll miss him always, but I have only great memories of those long San Diego summers!

  2. Ahhhh the sweet smell of the seventies! When coke was still coke and a camel toe was a fashion statement. I miss my stupid youth sometimes

  3. Just an outstanding posting, Ozzie! It captured the mystique and legend of the comet that was Bobby Piercy perfectly, and left us wanting more…just like the real life subject.

  4. In 1977 after work every day in the skate shop I would roll down the hill from home in Kettering (UK) to Skateside where I was the resident Pro. Imagine my surprise as I turned in to the car park, a black BMW pulled in next to me with Bobby Peircy driving and Jerry Valdez in the passenger seat with three others in the back seat. Jay Adams, Kent Senatorie and Steve Cathey (if my memory serves me) The most memorable session of my life and still can’t belive how lucky I was to get to ride with those guys. Bobby was a super nice guy. I think of him regularly.