There were stories of discovering waves in far away lands, and enjoying the surf right across the busy highway in Huntington Beach.
The memories flowed Thursday, Aug. 8, during the 30th anniversary of Surfing Walk of Fame inductions, a ceremony that shuts down Main Street across from the famed pier.
This year’s list of surfers who earned granite stones in front of Jack’s Surfboards included Bing Copeland for being a surfing pioneer, Jeff Deffenbaugh for being a local hero, Sally Fitzgibbons as the woman of the year, Mike Hynson as an honor roll inductee, Felipe Pomar as the surf champion, and Rip Curl founders Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer for surf culture.
It was a big week for Deffenbaugh, who just days ago put his hands and feet in cement for the Surfers’ Hall of Fame induction. Deffenbaugh told stories of growing up surfing at the Huntington Beach Pier with a close group of friends who pushed one another.
“It really pushed me, the guys in front of me and with me,” he said, recalling surfing at 6 a.m. in freezing winters and right after school in afternoons.
The award for the Rip Curl founders was accepted by Warbrick’s daughter, Ava.
The duo were different characters, “but they both shared the love of surfing, and found Rip Curl to continue their love for the surfing lifestyle,” she said of Singer and Warbrick.
“It’s such a delight to have that recognized here and for that to be brought to the United States,” she said.
Hynson, a San Diego surfer who joined Huntington Beach surfer Robert August to search out surf around the world for the classic film “Endless Summer” 60 years ago, talked about the moment he first surfed Cape St. Francis, which became a pivotal moment in the movie.
He talked about seeing ripples of waves, trying to point it out to the filmmaker, eventually breaking away from the rest of the group to get a closer look.
Hynson, 82 of Encinitas, paddled out and surfed perfect peelers, the others watching from afar before joining,…
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