Saturday, April 27, marks 20 years of recognizing stand-out South Bay surfers with induction into the Surfers Walk of Fame.
But first, the South Bay Surf Awards will be handed out on Friday, April 26, followed by the Walk of Fame ceremony and Spyder Surf Fest gathering in Hermosa Beach on April 27. It’s a chance to honor icons of the sport, celebrate the area’s daring wave riders and to enjoy a daytime festival at Pier Plaza where there will be music, games and free swag on offer.
Surf champion David Nuuhiwa and cultural legends Greg Browning and Mike Balzer are this year’s inductees; their plaques will be placed on the Hermosa Beach pier following the celebration.
“The Surfers Walk of Fame is a testament to the deep-rooted connection between Hermosa Beach and the surfing community,” City Manager Suja Lowenthal said. “This 20th anniversary celebration is a wonderful opportunity for the Hermosa community to continue to honor the individuals whose passion and dedication have helped shape our local identity.”
Dennis Jarvis, owner of Spyder Surfboards and board member for the Surfers Walk of Fame, recalled the early years when it started as a small-scale event with just 30 seats and a shoddy speaker system.
He already was a couple years into holding the annual Spyder Surf Fest and pitched the idea of combining the two events, with the Walk of Fame now held on the same stage that hosts music acts later in the day.
“It really made a big difference, it really stepped the presentation up,” he said.
Surfers who helped shape the early-era surf culture, including Dale Velzy, Hap Jacobs and Greg Noll, were among the first crops of surfers honored, and since then dozens of others have had their plaques added to the walk.
While Nuuhiwa calls Orange County home these days, the surfer known for his radical style in the ’60s and ’70s lived in Hermosa Beach for years with shaper Donald Takayama. He was a master noserider, riding waves with both power and grace, earning several championships through the years.
Surf champion David Nuuhiwa made waves in the 70s with his radical style and master noseriding. He will be inducted into the Surfers Walk of Fame in Hermosa Beach at 11 a.m. on April 27, 2024 at the Pier Plaza. (Photo courtesy of Surfers Walk of Fame)
“Nuuhiwa is celebrated as one of the Top 25 surfers of all time, renowned for his mastery of noseriding and his iconic BING Surfboard nose rider, which is among the most widely replicated in surfing history,” according to the city. “His prolific presence in editorial coverage spans decades, with sponsorship from major surf and apparel companies, photos featured in numerous surf publications worldwide and an impressive contest record, including the 1971 U.S. championship title, in addition to multiple world championship appearances.”
Balzer was “our social media,” Jarvis said, a lensman who documented the surf scene through the decades and helped put the South Bay and its waves on the map, publishing images in Surfer Magazine, Surfing, and other popular publications.
“He got all the clips and shots of these unbelievable surfers,” Jarvis said.
Without Balzer, “we wouldn’t have had the coverage that we had,” he said.
Balzer was also a prolific motorcycle photographer whose career spanned decades, according to city officials. “Balzer’s work has been published widely, from mainstream to local publications, capturing the essence of surfing culture.”
Browning made his mark on the pro surfing scene as part of the “momentum generation,” alongside surfers such as Kelly Slater and Shane Dorian. Filmmaker Taylor Steele, who documented the group of up-and-coming surfers, helped Browning find his place behind the lens, teaching him about surf filmmaking.
Browning started surfing and skateboarding at age 12 with his brother, Jeff, in Hermosa Beach. By age 15, he had clinched the National Scholastic Surfing Association California Men’s Open Series title in 1991, according to the city.
South Bay surfer Greg Browning is this year’s inductees for the Surfers Walk of Fame in Hermosa Beach, with the ceremony to take place 11 a.m. on April 27, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Surfers Walk of Fame)
“After a successful surf career, Greg transitioned to filmmaking, earning him award-winning acclaim,” officials said. “Renowned for his role in surfing’s New School movement, he is celebrated for creating the movie series ‘Drive Thru.’ Internationally recognized by his peers for his impact to the world of surfing, Greg also provides insight to some of the world’s top surfers, including current coaching role of pro Tatiana Weston-Webb.”
Browning has recently been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, and several fundraising efforts have been set up to help with his medical costs. At the event, T-shirts made by Spyder Surf will be on sale, with all funds going to Browning, Jarvis said.
“Three of the best getting on the Surfer’s Walk of Fame, I couldn’t be happier,” Jarvis said. “This is going to be a lot of fun.”
The festivities kick off a day earlier, on Friday at the Hermosa Beach Community Center, where the annual South Bay Surf Awards will showcase highlights from the winter surf season.
Cynthia Rogel from the Impala Skates team at the Spyder Surf Fest on April 22, 2023 at Hermosa Beach, CA. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)
Awards for Biggest Wave of the Winter, Ride of the Year, Grom Hardest Charger and Wipeout of the Year will be handed out, with winners selected by a panel of judges.
The waves must have been ridden from Nov. 1 through March 31 and between Palos Verdes and Dockweiler State Beach.
“We’re trying to feed the up-and-coming generation with surfing history,” said Derek Levy, board member for the South Bay Boardriders Club, which puts on the event. “We know that culturally, Hermosa, South Bay and Manhattan Beach had a huge impact on surf culture.”
Levy talked about growing up in the South Bay, looking up to surfers such as Jacobs and Velzy who created surf shaping businesses that would ship boards around the world.
“And surf culture followed that, the clothing lines and the multi-billion dollar industry – it all started in this area,” he said. “We want to celebrate that and that history, to be passed down to the kids.”
This year there were a “massive amount of submissions,” in part due to the number of big, El Nino-fueled swells this winter.
The festivities will end with the Spyder Surf Fest at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the Pier Plaza, where brands will bring out tents, host games and give out free gear.
“You name it, you get it,” Jarvis said of the free gear on offer. “You get entertained and you get a lot of great food – it’s just about giving back to the sport and the community.”
Several music acts will take the stage throughout the day. The South Bay Surf Awards kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday and will be held at the Community Theatre, 710 Pier Ave. The Surfers Walk of Fame ceremony happens at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and the Spyder Surf Fest kicks off at 1 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.
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