Briefs

Local sailor honored

Costa Mesa resident Michael Segerblom has been recognized by the Intercollegiate Sailing Assn. for outstanding service.

Segerblom recently received the Graham Hall award, which recognizes organizers, administrators, advisors or coaches who have served the best interests of college sailing at the club/team, conference or national level.

Segerblom, a 1986 graduate of USC, was an ICSA All-American in 1985 and captain of the school’s sailing team. As an undergraduate he held several offices in the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Assn. (now Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference) including serving as President. Also, for more than 15 years, he served as its graduate secretary and conference commissioner.

He has served on the ICSA Board of Directors and All-America committee, and was chair of the communications committee.

In 1992, Segerblom became the executive director of the Pacific Coast Sailing Foundation and the United States Sailing Center, based in Long Beach.

In addition to being the home of the USC varsity sailing team, the center is also the host site for many racing events and learn-to-sail programs, high school competition, as well as programs for sailors with disabilities and at-risk youth.

Racing internationally and nationally on big boats and dinghies, Segerblom won national titles in the Snipe and 470 classes, and placed fifth at the 1984 Olympic 470 team trials. He has been a U.S. Sailing certified judge since 1988 and has served as the regatta chairman and principal race officer for numerous international, national, regional and local events. He also co-founded the U.S.–Japan Intercollegiate Goodwill Regatta.

“When I traveled to my first away event in 1978, I went to the U.S. Naval Academy for a regatta as John Shadden’s crew,” Segerblom said. “The first guy John and I met was Graham Hall and he took us under his wing. We were just 15, and when we won the qualifying event, I looked over and Graham was there with a big thumbs up from a coach who cared. That made receiving this award special.”

With sons Chris (age 16), Daniel (13) and Sean (10), Segerblom is very involved in high school sailing and traveling to events with his sons. Chris is spending seven weeks in Europe this summer. Daniel will be competing at the youth championship in Connecticut and Sean is learning the ins and outs of team racing in Sabots.

Segerblom’s reflections on his ICSA activities also included a nod to long-time mentor Ted Livingston, who recently died. “He sailed at San Diego State in the 1940s and was instrumental in developing the sailing program at the University of Hawaii,” Segerblom said of Livingston. “He had put me up for this award and finally I qualified age-wise. I got a very nice call from his wife [recently].”

— From staff reports