Manslaughter charge filed in death of 20-year-old 'surf royalty heir' in Huntington Beach
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Set us as preferred It’s been almost a year since the 20-year-old grandson of a legendary surfboard shaper was killed while “car surfing” on an e-bike along Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.Now, the young man accused of towing Kolby Aipa while driving at speeds of more than 50 mph faces a criminal charge.Brandon Scott Soleau, 21, of Huntington Beach, has been charged with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in Aipa’s death, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.
He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday and faces up to six years in prison if convicted as charged.Aipa was the grandson of iconic shaper Ben Aipa, known for pioneering surfboard styles such as the sting and refining the design of the swallowtail in the 1970s.California Kolby Aipa, 20, died Tuesday after he was seriously injured in an accident on Pacific Coast Highway on Saturday night.
His grandfather founded the well-known Aipa Surf Company in 1970.Surfer Magazine described the younger Aipa as a “surf royalty heir,” noting that he had a promising surf career himself, as well as sponsorships from several surf clothing brands.In September, Aipa became the youngest member of the Surfers’ Hall of Fame when he was posthumously inducted and honored with a plaque next to his grandfather’s handprints in the cement in front of Huntington Surf & Sport.Aipa was fatally wounded on Aug.
2, 2025, after attending a movie premiere during the U.S.Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach.At around 10:30 p.m.
that evening, eight passengers piled into Soleau’s 2015 Toyota Tacoma, including three people in the bed of the truck, prosecutors said.Aipa was riding his e-bike alongside Soleau’s truck on a service road parallel to PCH when he asked his friend if he could grab on and “car surf,” prosecutor...