HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — The Southern California surf community is mourning the tragic loss of 20-year-old Kolby Aipa, a rising surfer and beloved member of a legendary surfing family, who died Tuesday, three days after a serious eBike accident in Huntington Beach.
The crash occurred around 10:08 p.m. on Saturday near the intersection of Seapoint Street and Pacific Coast Highway. Authorities confirmed that Aipa was being towed by a vehicle — reportedly driven by acquaintances — when he was struck and critically injured. While the exact circumstances remain under investigation, it is believed the towing may have been prompted by a dead eBike battery or a misjudged attempt to navigate the heavy traffic route.
Kolby was transported to UCI Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and placed on life support. His family later confirmed his passing on Tuesday afternoon through a social media post on their family’s business page.
Aipa’s legacy extended far beyond the waves. As the grandson of surfing icon Ben Aipa — a pioneering surfboard shaper, coach, and the creator of the innovative Sting surfboard design — Kolby was considered surf royalty. His grandfather is enshrined in both the Surfing Walk of Fame and Surfers’ Hall of Fame.
Kolby was carving his own path in the surf world. Sponsored by brands like AVVA, Dakine, and Cobian footwear, he was also a proud member of the Huntington Beach Board Riders Club and well-known in the local surf scene for his style, energy, and aloha spirit.
A crowdfunding campaign created in his honor described Kolby as someone who deeply impacted everyone he met:
“Kolby always had a way with touching the lives of whoever he met. His acts of kindness and caring were his gift of Aloha to friends and strangers alike. To everyone that reads this… pass his Aloha on. So, how Kolby treated you, treat others in that same way… In this you are continuing his legacy of Aloha.”
As of Wednesday, the campaign has raised nearly $69,000 of its $75,000 goal.
Plans are underway for a memorial paddle-out in Kolby’s honor — a fitting tribute to a young man whose life was deeply rooted in the ocean and its community.
Kolby Aipa’s passing marks at least the 31st bicycling-related fatality in Southern California this year, and the third reported in Orange County.
Heartfelt condolences go out to Kolby’s family, friends, and the entire surf community. His spirit, legacy, and aloha will live on through every wave and every heart he touched.
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