San Diego surfing legends to be honored at Hall of Fame ceremony
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) – A new group of surfing legends will be inducted into the San Diego Surfing Hall of Fame (SDSHOF) on Wednesday, celebrating those who have shaped the city’s--and world's--rich surf culture.
Each year, the SDSHOF proudly hosts an Induction Ceremony to honor a new class of individuals whose dedication, innovation and passion have made a permanent impact on the community and sport.
From surfers to cartoonist, the 10 2025 inductees are Rob Machado, Debbie Gordon, MITSVEN Surfboards, Witt Rowlett’s Carlsbad Pipelines, Gary Linden, Jim Kempton, Eric BIRD Huffman, Sunset Cliffs Surfing Association and Sandy Ordille and Bob Penuelas. They will be joining more than 40 legends and luminaries in the Hall of Fame.
San Diego’s 70 miles of coastline have produced some of the most innovative people in the sport. Wednesday evening is a unique opportunity to see these icons receive well-deserved recognition.
“When you bring together the whole surfing community–the shapers, the sanders, the photographers, the business owners and the surfers–greater balance is achieved,” said Dustin W. Baly, SDSHOF chief surf marketer. “It’s an example for anyone who wants to create a beautiful elegant solution that works.”
This event is at the Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 10. Attendees can enjoy fresh food, rare surf footage, live music, beverages, tributary respects to some of San Diego’s surfing leaders and more.
To purchase tickets and learn more about this tradition, including dress code and parking details, visit sdsurfinghalloffame.com. Event sell out is expected.
The SDSHOF was created in response to the community’s reaction to the Skip Frye Tribute presented during the 2017 San Diego Surf Film Festival. SDSHOF said the response from the community was so overwhelming that they instantly understood there was a need to pay respect to the city’s surf royalty. As a result, the SDSHOF was born.
