Troy Hirst — New-Zealand-Champ-Turned-Lakey-Peak-Mainstay — Tragically Passes Away At Age 50

Troy Hirst, who first made his name as New Zealand’s 1993 national champion and then furthered his legacy as a premiere surfboard manufacturer in Indonesia for 20 years, has passed at age 50.

“With heavy hearts, we share the passing of Troy Hirst,” Rip Curl Indonesia wrote in a tribute. “Troy was a devoted father to Mikayla and Westen, and a cherished member of the Lakey Peak, Bali, and New Zealand surfing communities. Through his kindness, friendship, and love of surfing, he touched the lives of many and leaves behind a lasting legacy.”

After growing up in Auckland, New Zealand, Troy quickly rose through the ranks to become a national champion at 16. Troy then took his talents to Australia to pursue a surfing career, where he landed the cover of Surfing Life.

After visiting Indonesia on a trip, Troy decided to uproot his entire life and move there for good. He’d end up living there for 20 years. Troy became a pillar in the Lakey Peak surfing community, running a surfboard manufacturing company and eventually becoming Matt Biolos’s distribution partner for the Indonesia region. Troy was a key figure in bringing high-performance surfboards to Indo, enabling generations of Indonesian surfers to procure quality equipment for the first time.

Along with Troy’s important personal contributions to our surfing world, he also leaves behind prodigious progeny — his 17-year-old son, Westen, is one of Indonesia’s brightest rising stars. Last year, Westen won the Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang, besting Tosh Tudor and Ivan Florence in the final.

In a Surfline article on Westen a few years ago, Troy gave this counsel: “Be a surfer, but be smart — that’s the path to happiness,” Troy said. “I know Westen has dreams of being a great surfer, but what kid wouldn’t with all the social media just screaming at them? Hell, I would’ve wanted to get paid to surf, too. So if Westen can make that work, I’ll be the first to hug him. But if he decides to just make his way in life and be happy and work with something he loves, well, I’ll know I did my job.”

Alongside Westen, Troy is also survived by his daughter Mikayla and the New Zealand and Indonesian communities that he loved so much.

If you’d like to support Troy’s children, consider donating here. Troy’s cause of death has not yet been released. Please respect the Hirst family’s privacy at this time.