Legendary shaper Pat Curren, father of three-time world champion Tom Curren, to this day Kelly Slater's favourite surfer, finds himself in dire poverty, living in a trailer in a beach parking lot with his wife and a daughter who needs special care.

His friends set up a gofundme.com to help him.; They are asking for $100.000 to try to help this legend, who turned 88 yesterday, leave behind a life that has left him in a delicate situation, in need of urgent medical treatment and with a daughter to care for who should be living in other conditions, they say in the statement published on the help site.

“There is no room for Mary (Curren’s partner) to sleep in the trailer,” the letter reads, adding: “She has been making her bed in the back of the car. They do not have a private bathroom and Mary receives food from charities when she can and they are at risk of losing everything they have, including their trailer.”

“There is a tendency to think that there is someone who will definitely help you and therefore you don’t need to do it, while avoiding uncomfortable realities, a family is slowly drowning in poverty,” adds shaper Paul Schmidt, who created the fund.

The donations, which set a goal of $100.000,, will go so they can rest under a roof, so they have health, food and a space for Pat to work. Those who donate more than $100 will receive a T-shirt with a photo of the legendary shaper.