Phil has been photographing surfing around PB for as long as many of us can remember. His shots encompass the full spectrum of the local surfing experience, from high action to artistic bliss, and with a touch of good humor thrown in here and there as well. If you think you've never seen any of Phil's photos before, you're probably wrong but you just don't know it, because people love to share the stoke he routinely captures!

Nominated by none other than fellow nominee Ron Greene, Kathy bears the distinction of being the first and only (so far) female president of the Pacific Beach Surf Club. Her constant stoke for and dedication to surfing in PB are reason enough to include her on this list of famous Pacific Beach surfing heroes, but don't let that flashing smile fool you - she can be a real tigress out in the water!

To quote from the PBSC website, "In 2006, a fresh face took the helm by the name of Kathy Austin, the club’s first woman to hold the office of president, yet wielding a take-charge, infectious personality. A successful businesswoman in her own right, she assembled a cabinet of officers and board members who would see the rebuilding of the club’s membership and restore its name to prominence once again."

Hallelujah!

A stalwart member of the PBSC competition team for decades, Phil grew up living the classic grom lifestyle and knows the local waves as well as anyone - and he's always got a big smile on his face to prove it!

Bill Caster was a legendary San Diego surfer, surfboard builder, and skateboard manufacturer. Sadly he passed away from cancer much too young, and his boards of all types are still highly sought after for their unique qualities and finely tuned craftsmanship. He was the epitome of a true local legend and one of the most highly respected surfing figures in San Diego's storied surfing history.

You couldn't throw a towel down on the sand in Pacific Beach in the '90s or early '00s without seeing a Kevin Connelly surfboard within a few yards of you, and if you were lucky the man himself would be out tearing it up right in front of you, showing you how proper longboarding was done. KC began surfing as a competitive shortboarder, but after riding a circa 1959 log that weighed 26 lbs, he was hooked on longboarding and never looked back. His board shapes still command good money even though he has (mostly) retired from shaping, so if you see one in good condition, snatch it up!

Ricky "The Redheaded Daredevil" Cunningham has spent as much time with ten toes over the nose in PB as anyone on this list, and the way he fiercely attacks waves while simultaneously exhibiting incredible balance and style has to be seen to be believed, whether it's free surfing at The Canyon or up and down the coast in numerous Coalition events.

Founding member of the infamous 'DGN' (Dalton Gang of Noseslingers) and now an esteemed member of the Church of Tiptime, Matt has probably spent as much time hanging 10 in PB as anyone on this list.

With his classic regular foot style, not only has Matt mastered the rights from Santa Cruz all the way to PB Point and spots further south, he is also a demon on summertime Pump House lefts, and whenever fellow inductee Billy Snyder is also in the water there is a good chance that their crossover tactics will steal the show for the day.

Has there ever been anyone who has cranked off more tide-shifting drop knee power turns down at The Canyon than Jesse? Doubtful! You could make a case for Jesse being in the Hall just based on that alone, but add in his big smile and presence in the lot and the case becomes that much stronger.

You'll be hard pressed to find another surfer who has blown minds over the years at the Pump House in PB like Nick has, and just this one video alone is testament to that fact. Grab a good pair of headphones or better yet plop this onto a big screen and connect the sound to a kickass hi-fi, and then sit back and revel in the revelry as Nick and friends lay down some blazing lines for your enjoyment.

There aren't many who have set foot on a surfboard in Pacific Beach who have left their mark like Ben has. He set a standard for combining noserides, cutbacks, and wisecracks that may never be equalled, and even though he rarely comes back to Tourmo these days after moving to Arizona to hang out with Kevin Connelly, his presence can still be felt any time the winds are offshore and some kooks need a good schooling on how not to make fools of themselves in the water.

Tourmaline's longtime "Mayor", Levy's presence became so respected in the parking lot that even though he had given up surfing several years prior due to a nasty hand injury, none other than Skip Frye himself hand shaped him a surfboard and presented it to him on one fine summer's day at Tourmo to an adoring crowd of onlookers.

There can be no better testament to Levy's impact on the local surf scene than the giant crowd that showed up for his paddle out after he had passed on into the Great Unknown. Few people in the rich history of Pacific Beach have matched this level of respect and gratitude that Levy so rightfully earned.

Where to begin?*

• Master Surfboard Shaper
• Acknowledged Surf Style Master for SEVEN DECADES
• Still surfing at high level into his 80s!

*Here is as good as anywhere:

Hehe...

Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE who has ever surfed Tourmaline has met Steve and heard his infectious laugh and most likely gained some pearls of wisdom. He's a true LOCAL TREASURE!

Co-Founder of Gordon & Smith Surfboards, AKA G&S, developed the famous FiberFlex skateboard, and created one of the most iconic surf apparel brands that was EVERYWHERE in the '70s and '80s.

"Mr. Pacific Beach", Ron is a PBSC Founding Member and was club President from 2017-2024. A consistent Top 3 finisher in many Coalition contests over the decades, including consecutive 1st Place trophies at Malibu.

"Pablo (Smith) and I belong to a very special & unique underground club!!!

There’s only a few that can say they have won two Malibu events (Call to the Wall & MSA Invitational) back to back in the same year. I did it in 2014 (one year after open heart quad bypass surgery).

If you know John you know that he could care less about this award... but don't let that stop you from voting for a guy who deserves it as much as anyone - if for no other reason than the chill exuberance he exudes that always seems to make your day better should you get to spend some time with him.

Josh's history of surfing in Pacific Beach is a long and storied one:

• Mission Bay High graduate
• Mentored as a shaper by Skip Frye
• Josh Hall Surfboards known worldwide
• PBSC President 2011-2016
• Countless trophies in Coalition contests

And most importantly, he's a really great guy!

A local surfing pioneer who brought his board down to the beach on his Kawasaki, a vote for Hadji is a vote for the "good ol' days":

Most, however, considered PB Point "the absolute best for us,"... As at Sunset Cliffs, access to the water off the headland wasn't easy. "You had to drive up La Jolla Boulevard and jump the curb," Hadji Hein recalls. Japanese-American farmers were growing fruits and vegetables on the bluff, and the surfers would drive through an opening in their fence and down a mud road leading south to a canyon. They'd park their jalopies there and walk the rest of the way to the beach. "There were beautiful oleander trees all along there," Hein says. The surfers would pick the blossoms, bring them home to their girlfriends, and they would make leis.

"That was the spirit we had in those days. We'd play Hawaiian music and all that sort of thing."

"Hops" is one of the few people who can make the mushy Tourmaline surf look like a world class wave. Then again, he's a world class surfer and a world class dude, so who better?

Is there anyone more in tune with San Diego's surfing scene and history than Eric "Bird" Huffman? Founder of Bird's Surf Shed, lead commentator at the annual OMBAC old board contest at Crystal Pier, local radio surf report guru, and connoisseur of all manner of cool old vehicles, Bird is a local treasure who also happens to tear apart the tricky wave at PB Point with the best of them. A vote for Bird is a vote for all of the good things about surfing in San Diego!

The '60s were cool in so many ways, and Mike Hynson epitomized the era to a "T".

"The Endless Summer" was just a small glimpse into a life that was every bit as far reaching as the film portrayed it to be.

Larry grew up in Pacific Beach, California and spent his early years skateboarding and surfing. While in high school he ran a glassing shack behind his parents’ house called Ghetto Glassing. Larry became known for his quality glassing work and earned the privilege to glass the boards of legendary shaper Skip Frye. This led eventually to his first shaping job for G&S Surfboards in 1979 where he continued to work next to master shaper Skip Frye.

He continued to hone his skills through the 90‘s while shaping boards at Xanadu, the Swift Movement and Kane Garden, where Larry was key designer for their surfboard line including the famous and popular Kane Garden Fish.

There are only two surfers who have made such a mark on the local PB surf scene that they have been honored with a memorial bench by the city of San Diego. One is Larry Gordon, co-founder of famed local surf brand Gordon & Smith, and the other is Skeeter Malcolm. It's been said that nobody epitomized the spirit of aloha that lives to this day at Tourmaline Surfing Park like Skeeter did, and the bench with his name on it is all the evidence you need.

Steve Mast is one of those surfboard shapers who does it right - for the love of the craft, and it shows in his shapes. From his website:

Those who have actually followed my shapes over the years may have noticed that the models that emerged from my rather selfish desire to shape the perfect boards for myself, have not been stagnant. They have evolved, along with my sensibilities, abilities, and knowledge of surfing and board design.

California-born and bred Kassia Meador began surfing at age 14. By 17 years old, Kassia was a sponsored professional surfer traveling the world. Known for her graceful surf style, Kassia was crowned the “queen of noseriding” by the New York Times and, in 2011, ranked 2nd on the WSL women’s longboard tour.

And by the way, she grew up surfing at Tourmaline!

From the '90s through early 2020 there may have been nobody who logged more water time at Tourmaline than Ferdie. A "quick" session for him was two hours, and four, six, or even eight hour sessions were not unheard of, and as a result he never looked off balance or out of place on a wave. His cutbacks and footwork were smooth as butter, just like his ever present smile both in and out of the water. Any day you saw Ferdie at the beach was bound to be a good one!

Founder of Star Surfing Co. on Mission Blvd., Glenn opened the shop in 1979 and closed it in 2009, and they were 30 great years. Over the decades he took about 4,000 photos of his “good customers” and tacked hundreds of them on his wall. There were images of now-famous surfing stars who visited his shop when they were wiry teens, and the best board selection west of Mission Blvd.

Oh yeah, Glenn was also the founder and first president of the Pacific Beach Surf Club. How's that for some local legend status!?

The name "Sommer" has a storied history in Pacific Beach, and not just because it's an anagram for "summer". First came Bob Sommer, then his son Erik, and then another Sommer who spent her formative years polishing her longboarding skills at the Pump House almost daily. The big payoff came when she whooped everyone real good - males and females - at the inaugural Jen Smith Aloha contest in 2022 at her old stomping grounds:

Where to begin? How about:

• Big Rock ripper
• Surfboard repair master
• Father of big wave charger JoJo
• True Local Legend!!!

A vote for Joe is a vote for the soul of San Diego's surfing roots!

Somebody once asked Mele "If surfing never came into your life, what would you be doing?", to which she replied:

"I’d probably be a less tan, more productive version of myself. Finding some other excuse to travel and make even more weird art than I do now."

Well thank God Mele followed in her family's storied cross-steps!

Daughter of local legend and founder of Soul Grind skate shop Pablo Smith, Jen is a local treasure in her own right and a two time women's world longboard champ too, booyah!

Paul "Pablo" Smith is another local legend whose surfing history speaks for itself:

• PBSC President, 2010
• Founder of Soul Grind Skate Shop
• Top 3 Finishes in numerous Coalition contests, including:

Malibu MSA Classic, 2005 - 1st
Tourmaline Club Challenge, 2012 - 1st
Windansea Invitational, 2012 - 3rd
Malibu Call To The Wall, 2013 - 3rd
Windansea Invitational, 2013 - 1st
Tourmaline Club Challenge, 2013 - 3rd

Pumphouse Master; Good Natured Prankster; Wave Gangster; AKA: "Lightning", "Maestro", "@dontsurftourmaline"

Learnt proper from his dad.

Son of local stalwart Bob Sommer, Erik progressed from young ripper in a bright blue wetsuit on a bright red longboard to pre-internet magazine and film star and consistent contest finalist through the '90s and early '00s, and nobody has ever matched E-Rok's slick combination of style and dominance over PB's waves.

Bobby Challenger Thomas designed, shaped and manufactured thousands upon thousands of surfboards since 1957. He was also a founding member of the Pacific Beach Surf Club and competed in numerous contests over the decades.

Bobby was a surfing pioneer, 60’s surfboard industry icon, surfing champion and a living legend. His aggressive attitude, designs, models, and higher standard of quality, coupled with his colorful Surfer advertising campaign made Challenger Surfboards of San Diego California known world wide.

To quote The Surfer's Journal:

"It’s doubtful any surfer has had a better life than Hank Warner. Since childhood, he’s had free reign of San Diego’s beaches, with some of the best surfers and board builders in the world as friends and mentors. They called him “Gremmie,” as suitable then as it is now. At 68 years old, he continues to possess a youthfulness touched only sparingly by the passage of time."

Oh yeah, and that Gordon & Smith shirt you own? He was the first to wear that logo on his back, though not on a shirt!

“Isaac is one of the hardest working pro-surfers I have ever worked with”- Eric Bird Huffman
“Isaac inspires me to ride the nose, his technical vision and precision on the nose is one of a 150lb person’’- Wayne Rich
“Isaac was one of the hardest working, passionate team rides we have ever had!”- Debbie Gordon (daughter of Larry Gordon of G&S)

Oh, and go ahead and try to name another surfer who has ollied a boogieboarder on a longboard, yeeee!!!