The Second Year of this Celebratory Event Takes Place on Saturday, August 23, 2025
Oceanside, CA — The California Surf Museum is proud to present a unique event held at Oceanside’s Veterans Association of North County acknowledging those who helped launch what became a worldwide phenomenon – skateboarding.
“At the dawn of the 1960s, when the waves were flat, surfers were skateboarding,” notes Jim Kempton, Executive Director of the California Surf Museum in making the announcement. “Skateboarding at the time was the ‘boom within the boom’ as interest in both surfing and skateboarding skyrocketed. A development in one informed and advanced the other. This event is designed to celebrate those early years by honoring individuals who helped make it happen long before surfing and skateboarding ascended to become Olympic sports.”
This skateboarding bash kicks off at 3 P.M. with cocktails, a silent auction and dinner. Proceeds from the “Rolling from the 60s into the 70s” event supports the work of the California Surf Museum and the Skateboarding Hall of Fame Museum.
The highlight of the gathering will be the awards presentation honoring eight individuals with the “Silver Skater Award.” This award is presented by the California Surf Museum to skateboarders who have made significant contributions to the culture, evolution and support of the skateboard community and whose life has also inspired others by their example.
Tickets:
Individual – $85 (ticket only)
Package – $225 (includes one ticket, one dinner ticket, one drink ticket, one event t-shirt and hat, 13 tickets for Spin to Win ($130 value), and entry into drawing for a one-year membership to the California Surf Museum)
Table of 8 – $680 (tickets only)
Package – $1,800 (includes eight tickets, dinner and drinks, eight event t-shirts and hats, 13 tickets (per person) for Spin to Win, and entry into drawing for a one-year membership to the California Surf Museum)
When:
Saturday, August 23
3:00pm – 8:00pm
Where:
Oceanside’s Veterans Association of North County
1617 Mission Ave. Oceanside 92058
To purchase tickets and for more information visit surfmuseum.org.
ABOUT OUR AWARD WINNERS
Linda Benson
Linda is a true pioneer of women’s surfing and a groundbreaking athlete. In 1959 she won the Makaha International Surfing Championship, becoming the first woman to ever claim that title. It is only one of many firsts in her remarkable career. In 1964 she became the first woman to have a signature skateboard named after her with the introduction of Hansen Surfboards’ “Linda Benson Model.” She also promoted it with an appearance on TV’s “Art Linkletter’s House Party, with the broadcast of a live demonstration in the CBS Television Network’s parking-lot.
Joey Cabell
Hawaii’s Joey Cabell is recognized as among the finest all-around surfers of the 1960s, one of the decade’s best and most accomplished competitors, and a Duke Kahanamoku Invitational winner. In addition to being an expert surfer, canoe sailor, open-ocean catamaran racer and skier, he holds another distinction. He was a pioneer in the art of slalom skateboarding. His proclivity for “mamboing” down a street aboard a homemade skateboard while traversing a course of strategically placed tin cans led to a distinct style of skateboarding competition and made him the subject of the first skateboard photo to appear in Surfer magazine.
Carrasco brothers Ricky, Rene and David
Dubbed the Flying Carrasco Brothers, Ricky, Rene and David truly represent a collective lifetime of achievement and innovation in skateboard competition where setting records from freestyle to slalom, to spin events has become a family affair. Their long list of achievements includes two Guiness World Records in 360 revolution spins (Ricky), lead skater of the Pepsi Skateboard team (Rene), and California State Slalom Championship (David).
Ed Economy
Ed is not only recognized as the first Sims Team pro skateboarder from Southern California, but as a Longboard Pioneer adept at all skateboard disciplines – from Vert, Banks and Bowls to Slalom and Freestyle. Today, he has become a well-known surfing and skateboarding historian and collector. In the 1970s, he also served as manager and resident pro of three major skateparks of the era, located in Montebello, Paramount and Del Mar.
Jim Ganzer
Many skateboarding historians might recall that Larry Stevenson, founder of Makaha Skateboards, staged what is considered the first skateboard contests in 1963 at Pier Avenue Junior High School in Hermosa Beach. What may be lost in the recollection of the Makaha team was that, in 1964, selected as the manager of the team was one Jim Ganzer. Well known as an artisan and surfer, Jim’s connection and influence on skateboarding became much clearer when in 1984, working out of his garage, he started the surf/skate inspired clothing brand, JIMMY Z’S. His JIMMY Z’S competition skateboard teams over the years have included the likes of skating legends Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi.
Randy Lewis
While Randy is well known as a champion level surfer, shaper and shop owner, it was his connection to skateboarding that first put him on the map. It happened in 1964 when SkateBoarder Magazine featured him on its cover. When swimming pools were emptied due to drought conditions in Southern California during the mid-1960s, Randy was among an elite group of skaters to see it as an opportunity, and he was soon cementing his place among the pioneer swimming pool riders of the era. Randy also became a member of the exhibition skateboard team of Jack’s Surfboards in Huntington Beach.”
About the California Surf Museum
The California Surf Museum was founded in 1986 and has been in operation for nearly four decades serving tens of thousands of annual visitors from over 40 nations around the globe. With a permanent collection which chronicles the history of surfboards and wave-riding, the museum also offers many revolving exhibits each year. It has acquired a rare set of archives and collections gathered since its founding, comprising one of the world’s richest troves of surfing history. The California Surf Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located at 312 Pier View Way, Oceanside, CA 92054; phone (760) 721-6876; email csm@surfmuseum.org. Please visit the website at surfmuseum.org. Open daily 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; closed major holidays and for special events.
