Beach ceremony remembers Laguna’s Bruce Hopping

Christy Cones, left, speaks at a memorial ceremony for longtime Laguna Beach resident and International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Hopping at Thalia Street Beach on Thursday.

Friends gather to remember longtime Laguna Beach resident and local arts and youth sports patron Bruce Hopping with a ceremony and paddle-out Thursday at Thalia Street Beach. From left are organizer Steve Clark, retired Laguna lifeguard chief Mark Cunningham and Laguna Beach surf ambassador Hans Hagen.

Alisa and Ian Cairns, center, share stories about late Laguna Beach waterman Bruce Hopping during a ceremony and paddle-out at Thalia Street Beach on Thursday.

Friends and family members gather in the ocean Thursday to remember late Laguna Beach swimmer, war veteran and arts and youth sports patron Bruce Hopping during a paddle-out at Thalia Street Beach.

Ceremony organizer Steve Clark, in hat, shares a hug with retired Laguna Beach lifeguard Mark Cunningham during a memorial Thursday for longtime Laguna resident Bruce Hopping.

Local artist Walter Viszolay shares a story about the late Bruce Hopping during a memorial ceremony and paddle-out at Thalia Street Beach in Laguna Beach on Thursday.

A crowd gathers to remember late Laguna Beach resident Bruce Hopping, an International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee, arts and youth sports patron, war veteran and founder of the Kalos Kagathos Foundation during a ceremony Thursday at Thalia Street Beach.

Christy Cones, center, shares a hug with Jean Burca, left, and Lido DeCoy after a memorial ceremony and paddle-out for longtime Laguna Beach resident Bruce Hopping at Thalia Street Beach on Thursday.

Robert Frost participates in Thursday’s beach ceremony for late Laguna Beach waterman Bruce Hopping at Thalia Street Beach.