Shane Herring Passes Away

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

In sad news, Shane Herring has passed away at his home. Herring had a late-night fall down a set of stairs and was attended to, yet he didn't wake up the next morning. He was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

In the early-90s, Herring, who's originally from Dee Why, Sydney, was Australia's answer to Kelly Slater. Both surfers rode wildly thin boards - Herring's made by Greg Webber, Slater's by Al Merrick - which also included deep concaves and exagerrated rocker. The combination of curves turbo-charged their surfing and together they created generational change; moving surfing away from a 'pure power' approach towards faster and tighter surfing that also went above the lip.

"The first strike of a new age," Derek Hynd said of Slater and Herring after their famous 1992 Coke Classic duel, which left Herring on top of the ratings. "These two will battle for future championships," Hynd promised.

If they were united in equipment they differed in lifestyles - Slater was a teetotaller while Herring was happy, perhaps too happy, to breast the bar. It was the seed of his downfall.

In 1992, Slater won his first world title, with Herring finishing the year in fourth. The 'future battles' didn't eventuate with Herring's behaviour and his surfing performances becoming erratic. By late-1993, Slater had toned down the extremes of his boards, yet Herring went entirely the other way riding snub-nosed vee bottoms. 

His rankings slid: in 1993 he finished 22nd, and in 1994, when Kelly collected his second world title, Herring finished 44th and lost his seedings. The next year he was unrated and barely surfing; the flame that burned so bright almost extinguished.

Shane in his happy place: First Rock, Dee Why Point (Peter Crawford)

Herring's sessions throughout the latter part of 1992, particularly those at Avalon and Dee Why, some of which were shot by Monty Webber and Peter Atchison, remain a high point in surfing. Herring could turn as powerfully as Richard Cram or Occy, burying his board to the stringer, yet he did it in a shorter arc, at higher speed, and with no loss of flow.

Though he turned his back on the design and would ultimately disown it, Herring's role in the development of concaves remains. Thirty years later, concaves remain the bottom contour of choice on all performance shortboards.

Recently, Herring had been working on a new line of boards with shaper Jimmy Young-Whitforde, with input from Greg Webber.

Comments

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 3:34pm

Damn sad news.
RIP Herro.

euchat's picture
euchat's picture
euchat Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 3:53pm

So tragic...RIP....this surfing is incredible for early 90's

Tim Fisher's picture
Tim Fisher's picture
Tim Fisher Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 4:32pm

I always found it weird that Herro and Kelly were criticised for somehow not being 'power surfers'.

Look at the spray he's throwing in the first couple of hacks in this clip.

Hope he finds peace on the other side.

mugofsunshine's picture
mugofsunshine's picture
mugofsunshine Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 3:58pm

Urgh, news you don't want to hear :(
RIP Shane

Halfscousehalfcockneyfullaussie's picture
Halfscousehalfcockneyfullaussie's picture
Halfscousehalfc... Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 4:01pm

RIP, great surfer back in the day. I used to like those water shots of him pulling in at Dee why point in the surf mags…. I remember underground surf did a good article on him about 20-25 years ago… which seemed like 2 years ago… frk. Ha

Hiccups's picture
Hiccups's picture
Hiccups Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 4:24pm

Shane was at the top of his game when I started surfing and was my first favourite surfer. Was strictly O'neill wetties for me back then. RIP

john.callahan's picture
john.callahan's picture
john.callahan Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 4:24pm

Sad news - a generational talent, mostly squandered.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 4:38pm

'92/'93:

Andrew P's picture
Andrew P's picture
Andrew P Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 4:44pm

RIP Shane. Dont all those pics just make you want to drop everything and go surfing

Beggsie's picture
Beggsie's picture
Beggsie Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 5:10pm

Shared the odd refreshment with Shane at bells 92/93
Such a down to earth good bloke back in the day when everyone was into everything
100 percent could’ve been world champ but too much partying took a lot down
RIP herro

saltman's picture
saltman's picture
saltman Monday, 17 Mar 2025 at 5:38pm

Journey on Shane
Hands down some of the best surfing ever