Balsa Bill might not have won big contests, but he influenced surfing

This is the story of my pal, “Balsa Bill” Yerkes.  Bill is as laid back a hard-core surfer as you are gonna find anywhere and has seen all sides of the surfing industry with more than 50 years in the business.
He is currently 72 years old.  Here is how he got there:
Originally born in Mount Holly, New Jersey, Bill would learn to surf in Malibu when his parents made a brief move to California in 1960 – he fell in love with the sport and the lifestyle that went along wi