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The Cocoa Beach Surf Museum’s Quarterly Newsletter

V olum e 4 – I ssu e 2 Summ er 2011

WW aa vv ee LL ee nn gg tt hh ss

Did We Have Fun! It was the 10th Annual Waterman’s Challenge and our luck held.

Somehow we were blessed again with beautiful weather and great

waves. Sunday morning’s waves were the best we had seen in quite

a while. The turnout far exceeded our expectations and this year’s

Surfrider Team Challenge drew five teams from all over Florida.

The biggest division was our Menehunes where twenty groms

showed their stuff.

Our new Skip Savage 1st Timers division and our first 50+

divisions in Women’s Longboard and Shortboard proved popular

additions. We also split our SUP into four divisions and filled them

all. Instead of one open division, we had Women’s, Men’s

Shortboard SUP, Men’s Longboard SUP and Men’s 50+.

The Saturday night Luau was also the best attended ever, but

our cooking, decorating and serving crews (lots of overlap there!)

were up to the task. The Luau went back to an earlier venue at the

Cocoa Beach Pool Pavilion where we had a bragging-rights-only

race around the island to work up our appetites. The race was a hit,

just like the music by Honey Miller and the Aquanuts, the food,

drinks, live auction and fine company. The Cocoa Beach regulars

had a great time mingling with contestants from St. Pete, Miami,

Boca Grande and all over the state. We hope you’ll all be back next

year.

Inside you’ll find the results, a list of our great sponsors and tons

of photos by Dan Mahoney. Thanks volunteers, sponsors,

contestants and the weatherman-woman-person for a successful

Waterman’s Challenge weekend.

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Enjoy the Ride

Wave Lengths Published quarterly by The Cocoa Beach Surf Museum Where possible, the editor has given credit for photographs Please advise when additions or corrections are in order

athenagsasso@aol.com

Special thanks to Matt Bellina, our Waterman’s

Challenge contest director, for the weeks of planning

and that led to the “surreally” on-time execution of

our 10th annual contest. It continues to get better

every year, thanks to an army of volunteers. With all

our activities these past few months – the Florida

State Paddleboard Championship, the Slater Exhibit

Opening, docent tours, Waterman’s Challenge, Luau,

Movie nights at the library, and volunteer meetings,

our volunteers contributed over 800 hours last

quarter bringing to you the programs of the Cocoa

Beach Surf Museum. That’s a lot of volunteers, but

it’s even more hours, which means we can find just

the right spot for you to get involved.

We need docents to volunteer at the museum on

one or more Saturdays in September from Noon to 2

p.m. We also still volunteers for the museum’s booth

at Surf Expo on Friday and Saturday, September 9-

10. If you can help out, please call 321-258-8217 and

we’ll get you in touch with the people who head up

those activities. Meanwhile,

See you in the water, Tony

THE COCOA BEACH SURF MUSEUMTHE COCOA BEACH SURF MUSEUMTHE COCOA BEACH SURF MUSEUMTHE COCOA BEACH SURF MUSEUM

www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org

Sean O’Hare ◘ President Emeritus John Hughes ◘ President

Melody DeCarlo ◘ Vice President Bill Tweedie ◘ Sec.-Treasurer

Marketing Director Tony Sasso ◘ Executive Director

Marketing ◘ Marie Hughes

Membership ◘ Brittany Reiter/Debbie Davis Program ◘ Sharon Wolfe Cranston

Webmaster ◘ Jeff Cranston Editor ◘ Athena Sasso

www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org

The programs of the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum

are supported in part through a grant sponsored

by the Brevard County Board of County

Commissioners and managed by the

Brevard Cultural Alliance.

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2011 Florida State Paddleboard Championship

Hosted by the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum By John Hughes, Race Director

The 11th annual Florida State Championship was held on April 23rd at Shepard Park, Cocoa Beach, in

conjunction with the Ron Jon Easter Surf Festival. It was sponsored by Starboard, Ocean Minded, SOBE Surf

and WavzCapz.

Competitors and race organizers were greeted on race day with 15 to 20 mph ESE winds and a 4- to 6-foot

swell, which promised to make a very interesting race. After picking their way through the shore break, 73

men and women made a water start straight into the wind. The 7-mile course was divided into a 2.8-mile

upwind leg, followed by a 3.5-mile downwind leg back to the Cocoa Beach Pier with a .7-mile upwind sprint

to the finish line.

The conditions were very challenging with strong winds, confused seas and a 4-to 6-foot ground swell

added to the mix. Several paddlers reported head-high-plus swells on the course and one of the prone

paddlers was slapped off his board by a rogue swell, forcing him to swim for his board. To add to the fun the

south buoy decided to take a trip down the beach and the pack leaders followed until water safety on Jetskis

realized what was happening and turned the paddlers around. They ended up paddling 9.2 miles in all. Many

thanks to Brevard County Ocean Rescue and Cocoa Beach Fire/Rescue for their excellent support.

Equipment selection proved to be relatively unimportant as the overall winner, Chase Kosterlitz, with a

winning time of 1:56:24 on a 14 foot SUP, was closely followed by Packet Casey on a 12'6" SUP, John Sedely on

a 14-foot prone board and a mixed bag of boards nipping at their heels.

Nine women entered the race, with Helga Goebel finishing first overall with a time of 2:24:04 on a 12'6"

SUP. She was closely followed by Lindsay Shoop on a prone paddleboard in second, and Dariane Boyle in

third on a 14' SUP. Special congratulations to Lindsay Shoop, competing in her first ever race.

Grand Champion trophies were given to the male and female with the best combined times of the 7-mile

race and the King/Queen of the beach, a short course swim, run and paddle event. The Men’s winner was

Chase Kosterlitz and the women’s went to Helga Goebel.

Special thanks to our tireless museum volunteers, Viera High School volunteers and especially my wife,

Marie, whose organizational skills ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Photo

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ette M

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Images of the Florida State Paddleboard Championship Photographer: Georgette McWilliams

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Join the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum and help preserve surfing history.

Members receive a quarterly newsletter and special invitations to museum events.

New memberships include a museum T-shirt.

(Check One)

STUDENT 25.00 ______

SURFER 30.00 ______

STOKED 50.00 ______

OHANA (FAMILY) 60.00 ______

KAHUNA 100.00 ______

PATRON 500.00 ______

CORPORATE 1,000.00 ______

Name ___________________________________ Street ___________________________________ City/State/Zip______________________________ Phone ( ) _______________________________ Email ____________________________________ T-Shirt size (Circle One): S M L XL XXL (new memberships only) Please mail your membership form and check to: The Cocoa Beach Surf Museum P.O. BOX 321453 COCOA BEACH, FL 32932-1453

________________________________________________________

Would you like to join

Surfrider Foundation at a discount?

(First-time members only)

Check One: Regular ($15.00) _______ Student ($10.00) _______ Family ($35.00) _______

Unless you indicate otherwise, you will be a member of the Cocoa Beach Chapter __________________________________

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2011 Waterman’s Challenge Results

Men SB 18 and under 1 Sam Duggan 2 Alec Zappone

3 Logan Hayes 4 Brandon DeFillipo 5 Ryan Nemeth

6 Nick Hoff 7 Steven Longmire Women SB 18 & under 1 Olivia Bush 2 Hannah Claunch 3 Lea Alexis Taylor

4 Ariane Dumas Men SB 19-35 1 Chris Duff

2 Tommy Orsini 3 Anthony Riccio 4 Mike Jacovitz

5 Chad Carr 6 Ryan Christman 7 David Miller

Women SB 19-35 1 Crystal Cooper 2 Erica Peek

3 Mary Paine 4 Theresa Urban 5 Susan Christman

6 Jamie Henderson 7 Ami Berg 1st Timers – Final A

1 Zion Hernandez 2 Kate Newton 3 Gavin Weathers

4 Jamie Henderson 1st Timers – Final B

1 Evan Jones

2 John Harvey 3 Ronnie Beddia 4 Eddie Gelles

5 Brett Henderson 6 Mike Ennis SUP 1 Ian MacFarland 2 Raul Gonzalez 3 Dave Siljestrom

4 John Dornellas

Men SB 36-49 1 Sean Volland 2 Kyle Gres

3 Dan Dunnagan 4 Brett Henderson 5 Jay Smith

6 Robert Branagan 7 Randy Sanders Women SB 36 to 49 1 Sharon Wolfe Cranston 2 Debbie Walker 3 Heather Wilcox

Men SB 50 and up 1 Sean Hayes 2 Walter Borges

3 Art Lucke 4 John Harvey 5 Bob Freeman

6 Charlie Paxton Women’s SB 50 and up 1 Melody DeCarlo

2 Jocelyn Lowther 3 4 Deanna Pichler

Men’s 65 and up Open 1 Paul Eaton 2 Pete Barnes

3 John Ulbinsky Women’s MENEHUNE!!!! 1 Blake Knapp 2 Noah Dovin 3 Gavin Weathers

4 Christian Mochy 5 Joey Putnall 6 William Hedleston

Rodeo 1 Sam Duggan 2 Ryan Christman

3 Willy Cole 4 Art Lucke 5 Joey Putnall

6 Alejandro Hernandez

Men LB 50-64 1 Dave Siljestrom 2 Dave Miller

3 Tom Wills 4 Bill Tweedie 5 Larry Wissig

6 Rick Hayes Men LB 18 and Under 1 Sam Duggan

2 Miles Eaton 3 Tyler Carol 4 Dylan Albers

5 Sage Dunnagan 6 Ronnie Beddia Women LB 18 and Under 1 Olivia Bush 2 Katie Radcliffe

3 Hannah Claunch 4 Ariane Dumas Men LB 19-35 1 Randy Carner 2 Jeff Kennedy 3 Ryan Christman

4 David Miller 5 Chris Brehier 6 Chris Tompkins

Legends 60 and up – Open 1 Bob Freeman

2 Warren Giles 3 Dan Mahoney 4 Lisa Wakley

Women’s Pro LB 1 Crystal Cooper 2 Olivia Bush

3 Erin Rowley 4 Jesse Restivo 5 Mary Paine

6 Ami Berg 7 Jillian Watkins Men’s Pro LB 1 Shawn Bowman 2 Michael Johnson 3 Dennis Griffin

4 Michael Rowley 5 Eric Super 6 Willy Cole

7 Sean Volland

Women LB 19-35 1 Ami Berg 2 Erica Peek

3 Susan Christman 4 Crystal Cooper 5 Sandra Goodwin

6 Theresa Urban Men LB 36-49 1 John Carter

2 Joey Stevens 3 Keith Sims 4 Wyatt Werneth

5 Jimmy Walker 6 Greg Corbitt Women LB 36 to 49 1 Debbie Walker 2 Heather Wilcox 3 Yumi Ishizuka

Men’s LB 50 and up 1 2 Art Lucke

3 Todd Kennedy 4 5

6 Dan Mahoney 7 Women’s LB 50 and up 1 Melody DeCarlo 2 Lisa Wakley 3 Deanna Pichler

4 Jocelyn Lowther Body Board 1 Allison Cohen

2 Gavin Weathers 3 Zion Hernandez Men LB Pro 1 Dennis Griffin 2 Steven McLean 3 Sam Duggan

4 Tommy Grant Women SUP 1 Heather Wilcox

2 Theresa Urban 3 Karen Hawky 4 Lisa Wakley

5 Melody DeCarlo

Women LB Pro 1 Crystal Cooper 2 Ami Berg

3 Mary Payzant 4 Jillian Watkins Real Retro 60s 1 Dennis Griffin 2 Hunter Joslin 3 Warren Giles

4 Joey Stevens 5 Dylan Albers 6 Lance Albers

Real Retro 70s 1 Dan Dunnagan 2 Barry Pasnoski

3 Gavin Weathers 4 Walter Borges 5 Haley Welch

6 Tim Davis 7 Alejandro Hernandez Sufrider Challenge 1 Sebastian Inlet 2 Central Florida 3 Cocoa Beach

Men’s SB SUP 1 Girard Middleton 2 Greg Corbitt

3 John E. B. 4 Dave Siljestrom 5 Christian Cook

6 Wyatt Werneth 7 Joshua Jordan Men’s LB SUP 1 Girard Middleton 2 Dave Siljestrom 3 Danny Cruden

4 Greg Corbitt 5 Wyatt Werneth 6 Justin DeBree

Men’s 50 up SUP 1 Dave Siljestrom 2 Sam Drazich

3 Hunter Joslin 4 Dan Mahoney 5 Bob Breen

Victorious in Surfrider Challenge - L-Sebastian

Inlet Chapter 2 – Suncoast Chapter

3 – Cocoa Beach Chapter 4 – Central Florida Chapter 5 – Miami Dade Chapter

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10th Annual Waterman’s Challenge Images by Dan Mahoney

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2011Sponsors Waterman’s Challenge, Slater Exhibit, Film Series,

Florida State Paddleboard Championships

We want to recognize all the sponsors who have supported the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum this year. If your name belongs here and we have missed you inadvertently, please let us know so we can make sure to let everyone know about your valuable contribution.

Please support our sponsors!

RON JON SURF SHOP INTERNATIONALPALMS RESORT

SURF GALLERY INDO BOARD

DA KINE SEX WAX

STICKY BUMPS BREVARD CULTURAL ALLIANCE

GIRLS4SPORT PHIX DR CR SURF

WAVZCAP BOB FREEMAN DESIGNS

STU SHARPE OCEANSPORTSWORLD

BALSA BILL THE AQUANUTS

SUN BUM BARKNUCKLE

TIMELINE ANARCHY

ANGEL RVCA

X-TRAK O’NEILL

NEILSON FLORIDA TODAY

BOARDWORKS JEWELRY BY PAM

SURF64 COCOA BEACH SURF & SKATE CAFÉ SURFINISTA SUNSEED MAR CHIQUITA GOOMBAY’S DA KINE DIEGOS BEACHSIDE PHYSICAL THERAPY SHAK SHAK LIPSHIP MARINE LONGDOGGERS LPL FINANCIAL SOBE SURF STARBOARD OCEAN MINDED GREEN ROOM CAFÉ HONEY MILLER GOOMBAYS PUBLIX DOUBLE TREE BEST WESTERN DAY’S INN MARRIOTT BARRIER JACK’S WILL LUCAS COBIAN RE-NEWAL WATER FUTURE 6 KAENON SUNGLASSES MTI ADVENTURE WEAR

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E V E N T S For further details: Facebook and www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org

First Wednesdays, 7 pm

Cocoa Beach Surf Museum Volunteer Meetings Join us at to see how you can be involved in exhibits, archiving, special projects

and events.

Third Tuesdays, 6 pm

Surfrider Foundation Meetings Meetings at Café Surfinista.

Current Exhibit

Kelly - A history of Kelly Slater as only Cocoa Beach can tell it. Don’t miss the first-hand perspective this unique exhibit brings.

Thursday–Saturday, September 9-10

Surf Expo - The CBSM will be represented at Surf Expo, so come see us at booth 1708. We still need booth volunteers for Friday and Saturday, September 9-10.

Saturday, September 24, Doors open 6:15 pm – Movie begins at 7 pm

Five Summer Stories at the Cocoa Beach Public Library “Heralded as ‘the finest surf movie ever made,’ Five Summer Stories is a cultural

icon, a time capsule from a watershed era when the world was at a critical

crossroads and its reflection was clear in the emerging sport/art of surfing.”

October 1-2

Women of the Waves Weekend A reunion of sorts is in the works for a women’s weekend and surfing social.

See 2nd Annual Florida Women of the Waves on Facebook for details.

Saturday, October 15

5th Annual Balsa Bill/Ocean Naturals Paddle Board Challenge Behind Balsa Bill’s Surf Shop. Join in the fun of this low-key contest. Proceeds

benefit Surfrider Foundation and the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum.

Saturday, October 15, Doors open 6:15 pm – Movie begins at 7 pm

Ticket to Ride at the Cocoa Beach Public Library “Ticket to Ride is a 16mm film for everyone who has dreamed of getting away to

the lure of the South Seas. . . One of the last from the generation of big budget,

made for the theater, surf movies.” Donations welcome.

Saturday, November 5

5th Annual C2C 11/22 Paddle Challenge 22 miles from Lee Wenner Park in Cocoa to the Pineda and back. Paddleboards,

SUPs and other paddle craft. Check our Facebook page for this event:

C2C 11/22 Mile Paddle Challenge

http://www.facebook.com/pages/C2C-1122-Mile-Paddle-Challenge/126644374042796

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Work in Progress © Tom Fucigna Jr., Hobe Sound FL

I moved into a small apartment that had previously been occupied by an amazing long-legged blonde and

inherited an unfinished work of art. Crazy, wonderful shapes and vibrant colors filled curvilinear lines. Wider

than my shoulders, it stretched from my ankles to eyebrows, acrylic paints on a white wall. The source was

thumb tacked beside the reproduction: a postcard from the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, DC. Les Bêtes

de la mer, by Henri Matisse (1869 – 1954), cut paper collage on canvas, 1950.

Matisse was initially labeled a “Fauve” (wild beast) by the arts community, but by the 1920s he was “hailed as

an upholder of the classical tradition in French painting and a master of the expressive language of color and

drawing,” producing paintings “characterized by flat shapes and controlled lines, with expression dominant over

detail.” When his health declined, he put down his brushes and began "painting with scissors" - creating

“cutouts” such as Les Bêtes de la mer, which translates as Beasts of the Sea.1

When I moved out, I left the mural just the way I’d found it. For all I know, it’s still there today. I liked that it

was unfinished, perhaps because I view my experiences with marine life as an ever-evolving, unglued collage.

Sometimes, emphasis on the act of wave riding - focusing on the thin line between water and air along the

breaking face of a wave - can blur the bigger picture. I like paddling out and just being on or around the water,

because I never know what I may see along the way.

V-formations of pelicans, five, ten, twenty, pass low overhead, rising and falling like a shoreside rollercoaster;

a school of hefty jack crevalle fin across an oncoming wave face; spinner sharks perform aerial acrobatics offshore,

glinting in reflected sunlight, as sunbathers lie on the beach, oblivious; shimmering masses of herring and

anchovy swirl en masse; still another giant school of mullet pushes south, periodically exploding as tarpon crash

through their ranks; a flock of gannets careen and dive off shore, pursuing bait driven to the surface by who

knows what, as a lone magnificent frigate bird, wings spread eight feet wide, circles far overhead; an elegant

eagle ray powers across the current; jellyfish pass by, windblown or self-propelled, trailing their tentacles; line-

sided snook, solitary or numerous, lurk motionless in the swash; dolphin breach offshore, or leap in unison from

wave faces, frolicking, a good omen, protectors among us; sargassum shrimp and other cryptic camouflaged

critters, traveling from afar, huddle among drifting seaweed, scattering and exposed when the clump is lifted,

and dashing back to safety as it settles; riding waves at dusk in clear water over darting sharks; schools of

cownose rays fly through the nearshore surf; a big manta ray bursts through the surface as a lightning bolt lights

the ocean surface yellow; a gigantic manatee mama and her calf cruise parallel to shore; coming eye to eye with a

curious sea turtle as it rises for a breath, crossing a beach riddled with crawls and nests, or finding an expired

hatchling in the wrack line on shore; witnessing the size and powerful grace of a sea lion amongst the kelp, and

catching a whiff of it’s equally powerful breath; gazing out at a promising break and seeing a whale spout far

offshore. We are truly privileged to experience these encounters.

Each time I stop along the shoreline to pick up a piece of plastic, I think about what amazing creature might

have eaten it, become entangled, or been stung or stunted by the toxic soup our refuse brews in their

surroundings. Inspiration begets responsibility.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matisse

To see an image of Les Bêtes de la mer, which is

copyright protected, go to link below, or better

yet, catch the live show at your local water

body. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beasts_of_the_Sea

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When the day’s been long

and the thrill is gone

from three squares of common fare

I’ll seize the chance

to have a dance

with Les Bêtes de la mer

With creatures wise and wonderful

great and small, common or rare

we mingle at the interface

of the nearshore realm we share

We ride the crest as one with them

Les Bêtes de la mer

But our effluents and pressures

combine and come to bear

unfairly on the innocents

Les Bêtes de la mer

We’re creatures with the gift to choose

what we value, and stand to lose

so make each choice with thought-filled care

as stewards at the ocean’s edge

for Les Bêtes de la mer

En français

I’m enchanté

to douse my derrière

To paddle out and swim about

with Les Bêtes de la mer

I left that apartment to move into a little wooden house near the seaside with my bride, the love of my life, that

long-legged muralist and aqua-venturer. I am pleased to report that our world is filled with crazy, wonderful

shapes and vibrant colors within ever-changing curvilinear lines, some of which are produced by our children.

Our lives together are a work in progress, and each day is an adventure. We paddle out, never knowing what we

may encounter.

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HISTORIC SURFING FILM SERIES Our program director, Sharon Wolfe Cranston, gives us a preview of upcoming films presented by the Cocoa

Beach Surf Museum and the Cocoa Beach Public Library. Free popcorn, sodas and admission, though donations

are welcome and benefit museum programs. Doors open at 6:15 pm. All shows begin at 7 pm.

FIVE SUMMER STORIES – Saturday, September 24 “Heralded as ‘the finest surf movie ever made,’ Five Summer Stories is a cultural icon, a time capsule from a watershed era when the world was at a critical crossroads

and its reflection was clear in the emerging sport/art of surfing. Against a backdrop of the Vietnam War and the

Nixon years, Five Summer Stories was the culmination of the joint surf-film careers of Jim Freeman and Greg

MacGillivray. Code named "The Last Surfing Movie" during production, the movie portrays a young outlaw

sport at a strategic point in its creative evolution - and at a historic crux in time.”

TICKET TO RIDE – Saturday, October 15 “Ticket to Ride is a 16mm film for everyone who has dreamed of getting away to the lure of the South Seas. Join Johnny Boy Gomes, Martin Potter, Tom Curren, Ronnie Burns,

Max Medieros, Buttons, Tom Carroll, Richard Schmidt and the other top pros as they step up, grab hold, and take

off with their ticket to rip. Filmed in many new, never before seen locations including Tahiti, the Cook Islands,

Fiji, Mainland Mexico, Rarotonga, Hawaii, New Zealand, Maui, Samoa, Tonga, Pennsylvania, and California. . . .

One of the last from the generation of big budget, made for the theater, surf movies.”

CHILDREN OF THE SUN – Saturday, November 19 “‘One of the best longboard movies, bar none, from Australia.’ ‘A Visual Masterpiece.’ Not since Endless Summer has a surf film projected such dazzling crisp and

beautifully executed images of the longboard life style.”

STORM RIDERS – Saturday January 21 “Experience the excitement, the terror, the sheer force of the ocean as Storm Riders travel to five continents to discover the exotic jungles of Hawaii, Sumatra, Java and Bali; brave the

treacherous coastline of Africa and the blistering desert outback of the Great Australian Bight in the greatest

ocean adventure ever filmed. Featured Surfers: Mark Richards, Wayne Lynch, Rabbit Bartholomew, Gerry Lopez,

Simon Anderson, Shaun Tomson, Joe Engel, Thornton Fallander, Peter McCabe and Tom Carroll. Featuring the

best of Oz music by The Doors, Men at Work, . . . and more. ‘Storm Riders is action-packed, professional, varied

and stoking . . . the best surf flick we`ll get to see this year (1981) and perhaps for some years to come.’”

LONG BOARDERS – Saturday, February 18 “Take the video time machine back to the days of old when boards were really boards and the men who rode them were as surf crazed as ever. Hal Jepsen has assembled a pure

gem, with traditional surf humor and music and some of the greatest surfers of all time. Still the best longboard

movie ever made.”

TUBULAR SWELLS – Saturday, March 24 “The most unusual film of the ’70s that explores the limits of performance surfing at that time. A group of imaginative young surfers radically changed our concept of wave

riding. These surfers perform their dance on tubular swells that even today's heroes might not have attempted.

The 1975 surfing film classic Tubular Swells, a film by Dick Hoole and Jack McCoy, edited by David Lourie,

presented the dream of the hottest surfing of the time with a fresh and imaginative approach that has entertained

generations of surfers and non-surfers alike. . . . You'll see the best in Australia, Hawaii and then secret spots in

Bali and Indonesia. Spectacular travel sequences show lush island paradises of sparkling beauty, with long outer

reef break tubes. . . . Starring: Mark Richards, Rabbit Bartholomew, Shaun & Michael Tomson, Gerry Lopez, Rory

Russell, Michael Peterson, Ian Cairns, Larry Bertleman, Peter McCabe, Peter Townend, Tony 'Doris' Eltherington,

Terry Fitzgerald and many more!”

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An open letter to Ricky Carroll Yancy Spencer (1950 – 2011) By Skip Savage

Hey Ricky,

Sorry to take so long to write this to you.

We had talked in Pensacola at Yancy's services.

Seems we see each other in many different places.

I asked you if you knew why I was there and what the history was with Yancy and me, but the band started to

play and it got too loud to talk so, I thought I'd continue this in a letter.

That was the longest ride in the world. Cocoa Beach to Pensacola! I did not want to get there and took every

long cut I could take, even spending the night along the way. Plenty to time to think about the past and how

Yancy’s friends and family were going to deal with the future without him. Thoughts about the beginning when

we first met.

The dates might not be correct, but it's been a few years.

Yancy had met Mike Lynn somewhere, some how as surfers do. Mike invited him to Delaware to surf in the

summer of '67. When Yancy got there, Mike’s father had passed away and it just wasn't the right time, so Mike

asked me if I could let Yancy stay in my surf shop. (As we older surfers know, that was a different time when

visiting surfers from wherever were invited to stay and surf and share stories). The guys who hung out and

worked in my shop were amazed that this kid with the chicken legs and from the Gulf could surf that well. That

was the beginning. There was some reason we were put together - fate, luck or whatever. We were to be friends

for more than forty years!

From then on, there would be a string of surfing kids (14-16 year olds) from Pensacola arriving in Delaware

each summer. By train or bus or car. Summers were spent surfing and sometimes working. Yancy met Kathy Lee.

Her parents would hold a Bible study a few times a week and the guys would go, with one eye on the food buffet!

There was surf to ride and Surf Shop East was winning contests up and down the coast. Yancy's belief in God

held the guys together in a very bad time when one of them had a brain aneurysm. His belief did waver, but

never did he lose it.

I moved to Gulf Breeze in the fall of '69 and opened Greg Noll Surf Shop. The shop was on the on ramp to

Pensacola Beach. It was about 12 feet by 12 feet and I sold a bar of wax one week. Yancy and I took a bus to

Beaumont, TX, to meet with a rep from Greg, then on to Port Aransas, TX for a contest. Yancy went from 1A to 4A

in ONE CONTEST! Ground work for designing the first board by a Gulf Coast surfer and produced by a major

West coast manufacturer. Greg Noll hit Pensacola in 1970 to meet Yancy - more ground work.

Delaware was calling. The shop continued for a few more years. I basically gave the Pensacola shop to Yancy

and he changed the name a few times until Innerlight stuck and the rest is surfing history. We didn't keep in

touch with each other that much during his" Porsche" years, and me raising a family, but as you get older you

come back to what and who is important in your life. The past twenty years were filled with postcards from all

over the world and phone calls to each other. We became closer as men during the last few years and our

conversations would always end with "I love you, man."

Skip

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Kelly opening – April 23, 2011 - Don’t miss this exhibit !

Photographer: Debbie Tweedie

Davo, RIP

Three hundred of David - Davo - Dedrick’s

friends met at the edge of the ocean on July 16 to

honor him. Davo passed away on June 11, 2011,

at the age of 56, survived by his sons Jeffory and

Michael, his daughter, Rose, step-daughter,

Kelly, and five grandchildren. This photo was

posted on the forum at www2.swaylocks.com.

Photographer: unknown

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Waterman’s Luau Photographer: Dan Mahoney

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Parting Shot

Le Groms