Five surfing legends honored

As hundreds of up-and-comers and current surf heroes battled for the title at the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing, across the street in front of Jack’s Surfboards, those who paved the way for them honored five of their own at the 16th annual Surfing Walk of Fame on July 23.

Surf legend David Nuuhiwa sat discreetly across the street as family, friends and surfing devotees joined past inductees Corky Carroll and surfing champion Linda Benson in the crowd to honor inductees Mark Martinson, Fred Hemmings, Duke Boyd, Wendy Botha and Jackie Baxter into the Surfing Walk of Fame.

“We were excited. We were scared. We were full of joy to be there,” Benson said. “We all know how surfing is today and how it’s grown. This is what surfing was yesterday.”

The inductees shared stories, celebrated past triumphs and cherished being part of a “brotherhood” of people with a common passion. Being part of the community gives you a special place in the world and instantly bonds you to people with the same love, Boyd said.

Peter “PT” Townend introduced the hall-of-famers and shared stories about their lives and how they “owned the ’60s and ’70s.” Inductees were nominated and chosen by an international panel of 200 surf authorities for their achievements in the surfing community for five categories.

Surfing Pioneer is awarded to an individual who is at least 50 years old for his or her accomplishments in the sport before major competitions. This year, Hemmings — now a state senator from Hawaii — won the honor for his win of the Makaha International Contest in 1964 and 1966 and the World Surfing Championship in 1968.

The honor of Surf Champion went to Martinson for his win of the U.S. Championships in 1965.

“He’s one of the best surfers of all time,” Carroll said. “I’m so glad he’s getting inducted.”

Botha, the only woman honored, received the title of Woman of the Year for receiving the most votes in every category. Botha won four world titles and took home the National Championship title in her native South Africa four consecutive times in 1981 to 1984.

For helping to found and define what surf wear is, Boyd was honored with the Surf Culture award. Boyd created surf shorts — swim trucks that could withstand surfing — and the brand Hang Ten.

The last award, Local Hero, honors one of Huntington Beach’s own. Baxter grew up surfing the Pipeline, Malibu and Sunset Beach.

“We ruled this pier,” Baxter said.

Along with the five inductees to the Walk to Fame, the Orange County Register also presented young surfers who received the most votes online with the “O.C. Surfer of the Year 2009” awards.

“I think, for the younger generation, it teaches them the history of their culture,” Townend said. “They have to understand where that comes from.”

Brett Simpson won Orange County’s favorite shortboarder for the second year, Joe Aaron was voted best longboarder and Courtney Conlogue and Andrew Doheny were picked as the female and male Rising Stars.

“It’s an honor. As a little kid, I’ve always looked up to [the surfers in the Walk of Fame],” Aaron said.

With the new generation alongside the surfers of yesterday, the small tribe of wave riders has grown to a group now as broad as humanity, Hemmings said.

“I’ve experienced the chilling ecstasy of riding a wave that could kill you,” Hemmings said. “One thing that bonds us all together is surfing.”