Artist Spotlight: Brian Bent
Interview by: Royce Cansler
BING AMBASSADOR / ARTIST BRIAN BENT
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA.
FAVORITE BING MODEL: BING PIG
Sitting in his kitchen on an overcast Saturday morning Artist, Surfer, Skateboarder, Designer, Musician, Car Builder and genuine nice guy, Brian Bent, is glued to a makeshift viewing apparatus -- a VCR from a garage sale find that he's attached to his son's old computer monitor thanks to the HDMI cord he was told he needed for viewing. For those that know Brian intimately, they know that HDMI cables and electronics are not his language. But Brian's focused, intent on watching the material before him that will bring nods of recognition, he understands the material is precious -- his first longboard contest from 1983 when he was still in high school and he's riding a BING!
Brian Bent is a South Orange County native whose early years began in the South Bay of Hermosa Beach, CA. He is the nephew of Pro-Surfer Rocky Sabo, his mom and Dru Harrison among others hung out together and he can't remember a time when surf culture was not a part of his life. Brian was slated to progress in talent and competition as shortboarder, but he stepped onto a friend's Wardy and surfed a left at the Boneyard and couldn't stop talking about it. So much so that his enthusiasm caught the attention of one of his neighbors who informed him he'd happily sell Brian his 10'2" BING David Nuuhiwa lightweight for a mere ten dollars. With more than an ample amount of stoke, Brian remembers vividly his precious "new" c.1967 surfboard being taken down from the neighbor's garage rafters and placed into his eager hands. His Bing now at his ready, Brian's love affair with longboarding only continued to grow. With artistic talent he even painted the Bing logo onto his bedroom wall, clearly solidifying the enthusiast for Bing he had become.
Fast forward from 1983 to 1988 the drummer of Brian's first surf band, knowing Brian's love of vintage surf, gave him an early 1960's BING Pig. Brian's most memorable nose ride is actually on this Bing Pig surfing a left at the Point at SanO, and another very precious moment of winning a Doheny vs. Malibu contest was on the same Bing.
Moving to the now, just last week Brian could be found in his garage repairing a major ding on his Bing Pig (one might say a complete nose reconstruction, but we'll call it a ding for now) due to an unfortunate nosedive a few days prior into the rocks at SanO when conditions of the sea were, well, a bit wonky! It also had some dry rot issues from previous dings that needed some more attention. Needless to say, Brian's stoke for his Bing continues and he can be found riding it often because as he says, "you can really swing a Bing...it's a smooth riding board."
Bing Surfboards and the Bing logo hold a nostalgic fondness for Bent. Brian's earliest memories of surf culture were looking at his oldest uncle's gas station jacket with a Bing patch, his young eyes being drawn into the oblong shape and robin egg blue hue with black and white borders. This same logo showed up in one of his favorite old photos, his grandmother "Granny" standing in front of her black '64 Ford Ranchero station wagon with a Bing sticker on the window. For Brian Bing Surfboards and the Bing logo represent the fun of the early '60's longboard stoke, much like the iconic Mooneyes logo does for hot rodding.
- reflection from Brian written with his wife Rivka
Brian's iconic style stands out wherever he surfs. Whether he's riding his Bing Pig or one of his handmade kook boxes he is always a standout. You can often see Brian surfing at his regular haunts the Boneyard at Doheny and 4 Doors or the Point at San Onofre, his classic smile and enthusiasm is infectious, and he leaves everyone feeling better after encountering his presence.
Brian is unique in everything he does; his surfing style, the boards he chooses to ride, the cars he drives, the clothes he wears, and his art is no exception. Blessed with an uncanny talent for creating art pieces that transfer the magical feeling of the glide and the essence of surfing to the canvas, the motion and flow in Brian's art is special and uniquely his own.
Here at Bing are delighted to present two of Brian's own designs in our Bing Artist / Ambassador Tee Shirt Collection. Based on previous ads Bing ran in the 60s, Brian has used his style to reinvent the wheel with his own "Coast Highway" and "Swing a Bing" original designs, that like Brian himself, are totally unique.
SHOP THE NEW DESIGNS BY BRIAN BENT
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