Poznik loved spearing white sea bass, riding white sharks

Easy Reader 2015 Christmas Party. Left to right: Taras Posnik, Mike Purpus, Chris Rae Photo by Deirdra Davidson
Easy Reader 2015 Christmas Party. Left to right: Taras Posnik, Mike Purpus, Chris Rae  Photo by Deirdra Davidson

Easy Reader 2015 Christmas Party. Left to right: Taras Posnik, Mike Purpus, Chris Rae Photo by Deirdra Davidson

I first met Taras Poznik about 10 years ago when my next door neighbor Bob Carlson asked if he could go surfing with us. Bob was Taras’ sponsor and said that Taras wanted to meet me. The 6-foot-2, buzz cut red head was covered with tats and pretty intimidating. I asked if he was ready to go surfing and he grabbed my 7-foot Pat Ryan King Fish. I was impressed with his unique surfing style. He was a regular foot. He stood almost straight up like he was skiing with both arms stretched out like they should be holding ski poles. He was very agile turning up and down the face. We started surfing a lot together as he adapted to the quick rights between Knob Hill and Topaz. Taras hated small waves. He had a Greg Noll mentality when it came to big surf. He didn’t care if it was blown out or not. Just as long as it was big. Topaz local Don Swift and Taras would be out before it got light, with Don riding his peak a half block south of the jetty and Taras perched in front of the rocks waiting for the next set. They always caught the biggest waves of the day

We would talk surfing or he would tell me dive stories, always ending with “Don’t tell anyone”. I had no interest in diving but the stories were good. He loved his job at Dive N Surf because everybody dove. Paul Hugoboom became his best friend after they began free-diving together chasing the biggest fish in the ocean. Taras told me he once petted a porpoise and grabbed the fin of a great white shark in the same afternoon.

Saturday morning I went surfing at the Cove to find two helicopters buzzing overhead and Chris “Rooster” Rae and his wife Judy crying at the bottom of the trail.

“He is gone. He has been missing since Thursday.”

I was thinking, Taras is not gone. He is pulling one of his classic tricks. The Cove was filled with Topaz locals. Mark, Big Erick, Rocky, Howie, Johnny and his wife were all out there surfing, quietly watching the copters and Lifeguard Baywatch look for Taras.

Liz Benavidez was waiting when I returned from the Cove to tell me that Taras was seriously missing. She told me how Taras and Paul had been after a giant sea bass that was hanging out near the Cove. She felt bad because she couldn’t go with him but didn’t think he was diving alone.

Taras was crazy when it came to surfing or diving, often going out alone in the middle of the night. Bob Carlson told me that he was so into free diving that he would practice holding his breath over four minutes in the hot tub. Bob would tell him to quit but Taras would just laugh.

My friend Pat Cahill called me early afternoon to tell me that they just brought his body back to King Harbor. Pat was working on a boat as they cruised in. I still can’t believe Taras is gone. He was crazy but a bigger than life John Wayne style South Bay surfing legend that will be missed by everyone. Aloha

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