Riding high

Mike Sciacca

By 1967, the Beach Boys had become synonymous withsurf music, and the

Huntington Beach High surf program found its legs standing, largely,

because of the direction of Bill Garland.

Through the years -- much like the Beach Boys -- the Oiler surf

program grew to become synonymous with competition success, much of

it coming under the reign of athletic director Dave VanHoorebeke.

Monday night at the Huntington Beach Elks Lodge, the two men, who

current head coach Andy Verdone credits with the birth and sustenance

of the program, were honored for their years of dedication at a team

banquet.

Student athletes past and present paid tribute to Garland and

VanHoorebeke who are retiring at the end of the school year.

Each have given 37 years of service to education and coaching.

They were presented plaques and new Robert August surf boards

during Monday’s ceremony.

“They are a couple of great guys who were really involved with our

surf team,” Verdone said. “Bill laid the groundwork and Dave came in

and gave our surf program true legitimacy in the eyes of traditional

sports.

“That was very important. Otherwise, a lot of people would have

written off surfing as a team sport. It is still a quite respected

sport on our campus and many other campuses.”

Garland, a popular teacher and coach, was the school’s original

surf club advisor. A AA pitching prospect for the Chicago White Sox,

he had been coaching football and baseball at the school.

“I was out surfing one day and some students saw me out in the

water,” Garland said. “I was already involved with football and

baseball at the time and they asked me if I’d be interested in

coaching surfing. I told them ‘sure.’ That’s how it began.”

Garland said he put an ad in the school paper seeking students who

might be interested in joining the new surf club, and the following

day, he said, 72 surfers showed up for the meeting.

John Davis, a big-name surfer in Huntington Beach, was named the

club’s first team captain.

“Back then, surfing was not as big as it is today,” he said. “It

was a dichotomy because surfers were so free-spirited and that caused

some scuffs with other athletes. Other coaches also questioned my

starting up the surf club.”

Garland has two younger brothers involved in local education:

Brian, former Edison High principal, sits on the Huntington Beach

Union High School District Board of Trustees and Paul is a teacher at

Ocean View High.

“Bill brought many skills to our school and has taught and coached

many students over the years,” Verdone said. “He and Dave were

integral in the formation and stabilization of our internationally

known surf program.”

VanHoorebeke has served as Oiler athletic director since 1981.

During that time, VanHoorebeke, who also was head football coach

for four years and is a past president of the Southern California

Football Coaches Assn., oversaw the surf program through three

coaches: Rob Hill, Chuck Allen and Verdone.

In his 22 years as athletic director, Huntington won 17 National

Scholastic Surfing Assn national championships.

“It was Dr. Ann Chlebecki who first made surfing an athletic team

and class here at Huntington,” VanHoorebeke said. “People like Chuck

Allen and Peter Townend got involved and added credibility to what

was going on. It kind of snowballed from there.

“Andy came along and maintained the image past individuals had

created in the program and the support we received from our

administration, athletic department, student body, community and

surfing community was instrumental in the maintenance and stability

of the program and its success.”

Sophomore Chris Waring, in attendance at Monday’s ceremony, is a

fourth generation Huntington student.

Waring, who lives in Seal Beach, wanted to attend Huntington

because of Verdone and to be part of the school’s great surf history,

his mother, Shannon, said.

The 16-year-old had Garland as a health teacher and VanHoorebeke

is his science teacher.

“I have just learned recently how much Mr. Garland and Mr.

VanHoorebeke have meant to our surf program,” Waring said. “I’m

getting a lot of experience and motivation from this program.

“It’s great to be a part of the No. 1 high school surf team. I

want to do my part in keeping the tradition alive.”

Garland credits many dedicated individuals who helped form that

tradition.

“I can’t say enough about it,” he said. “It’s a tremendous

tradition. Today, I support Andy and all he has done with and for the

program. I admire surfers and their individuality. They all, in some

way, have helped build on this tradition.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.