Stroll Through Huntington’s Walk of Fame Ballot

With the upcoming August induction of the first six people to Surfing’s Walk of Fame at Huntington Beach, Rockin’ Fig and I focused on our ballots, assembled to offer a convenient who’s who.

Hawaiian legend Duke Kahanamoku--the surfer, actor and Olympic swimmer most credited with bringing the sport to the Mainland--is an automatic inductee. Members of the surfing media and surf industry will vote on the five other categories: surf pioneers, surfing champions, top women, local heroes and those who pushed the surfing culture.

The winners, who will be named in late July or early August, will be honored with a two-foot-square granite slab on the Walk, at Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway, sponsored by Huntington Beach and Jack’s Surf Shop.

In the pioneer division, some big kahunas are among the 39 nominees, including Phil Edwards, Mike Doyle, Robert August, Greg Noll and the late Eddie Aikau.

Figgy, I was having trouble with the surf culture category. Who had the biggest impact, the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean or Dick Dale?

Whoever you think is the most important . I thought you were gonna pick your buddy Bruce Brown because you met him up at the SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturers Assn.) gig. His movie, “The Endless Summer,” did get surfing out to everybody. It’s a tough category.

I know. So help me.

I’d like to pick Nancy Katin because she was big out here on the West Coast.

You got a point there. Katin Surf Trunks are still going strong.

But Brown could be the guy, too. Unless you want to take Annette Funicello from “Beach Blanket Bingo”!

Yeah, I saw those actors listed. I mean come on, Sandra Dee (“Gidget”), Frankie Avalon, Don Stroud (from the “Beach Blanket” boondoggles) as well as Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt and Gary Busey (“Big Wednesday”)? I couldn’t believe it.

How about pioneers, Fig?

Dunno. I’d almost go for Eddie Aikau. I’ve got a lot of respect for that guy--you know, surfing the Waimea Bay when it’s real big. And he was like a true ocean man all the way around. He passed away after leaving an outrigger. They had really rough seas, and the boat started falling apart. He said to the others, “I’m going to get help.” He paddled off on his surfboard, and that’s the last they ever saw of him. But again, there’s a ton of heroes all the way across in each category.

For the female selection, I favor Joyce Hoffman. She won a lot of contests in the ‘60s, opening the sport to women and giving them credibility. Margo Oberg (nee Godfrey) was one of the first women to shred with heavy maneuvers.

In men’s champions, I’m leaning toward Tom Curren just because he’s won the Op, the Katin and the world championship. You know what I mean? Although Mark Richards from Australia would probably be a close runner-up with four world titles in a row.

Well, I like David Nuuihiwa, winner of the U.S. Championship in 1970. In the early days, he was Mister Huntington Beach Pier.

He’s a name to be reckoned with. Not only did David set the tone for radical surfing, he brought in the fishes--ultra short, round-edged surfboards. In fact, Nuuihiwa used to fight off Corky Carroll in the championships, although Corky won in ‘66, ’67 and ’69.

They’re both from the late ‘60s and ‘70s, when surfing was more free-style expression. By the beginning of the ‘80s, it got back to heavy contest format. There’s PT (Peter Townend--first world champion in 1976 and co-founder of the current world tour surf championships); you might wanna vote for him. He was the first world surf champ.

What about local heroes, among the smallest categories with 18 nominees?

Yeah, I saw Chuck Dent’s name and the Greek’s (Bob Bolen) and Bud Llamas.

Uhhhh, Figgy, didn’t you attend Huntington Beach High School?

Yup.

And haven’t you been living in Huntington Beach for more than 10 years?

Yup.

Figgy, you could be a write-in candidate!

*

Donation: Jimmy Olmes, FreeStyle USA vice president, recently presented actor Ted Danson, president of the Santa Monica-based American Ocean’s Campaign, with a $55,000 donation. Olme’s, SIMA vice president, ran a campaign in which the company donated a portion of sales of a friendship bracelet.

Buddies: Cardiff pro surfer Rob Machado got the royal treatment after winning the Marui Pro surfing contest in Japan recently. Machado and 1992 world champion Kelly Slater of Florida have become major buds. When it was announced that Machado won the final, Slater grabbed him as he was coming out of the water and hoisted him onto his shoulders. It was Machado’s first major pro victory.

Season: Summer’s here! Big south swells, warmer water and, hopefully, a chance to lose all these early-morning clouds. Get it while you can. By August, expect quadruple crowds at local beaches.

Contests: San Clemente’s Shane Beschen won the Body Glove contest in Oceanside on Sunday. In second place was Cardiff’s Rob Machado, followed by Hawaii’s Kalani Robb and Florida’s Todd Holland. A nice, south swell brought three- to five-foot surf for the contest, which was the sixth stop on the U.S. Bud Tour.

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. Championships will be Monday through July 1 at Lower Trestles. About 500 of the nation’s top surfers, bodyboarders, high school and college teams will compete.