Patti Paniccia remembers standing on the shore of Huntington Beach as a kid, mesmerized by the wave riders.
“And I thought, ‘I want to do that.’”
When the surfers lost their boards, she would grab them at the shore and ask if she could take a ride.
“Only two guys ever said yes,” she said. “They pushed me into a wave, but that was all it took.”
Surfing not only shaped her own life, especially after moving to Hawaii as a teen, but Paniccia led the way for women to be included in contests in the ’70s, pushing for equality in and out of the water.
Paniccia’s story and others were told to the crowd gathered for the Surfing Walk of Fame ceremony in Huntington Beach on Thursday, July 30, the latest class joining about 200 stones outside of Jack’s Surfboards at Main Street and PCH added through the years.
South Bay’s Mike Purpus was honored as a “Surfing Pioneer.” The Hermosa Beach surfer is known for being a fierce competitor through the ’60s and ’70s. Esteemed Huntington Beach artist Phil Roberts, whose artwork through the decades has been gifted to the Pipeline Masters winners and whose fine art has appeared in galleries around the world, earned the “surfing culture” award.
Paniccia earned “Woman of the Year,” while South African surfer Jordy Smith earned “Surf Champion.”
Joey Hawkins earned the “Local Hero” award, while musician Dean Torrence, who is one half of the popular 1960s surf music singing duo Jan & Dean, earned the “Honor Roll.”
Smith, a veteran on the elite World Tour, talked about memories in Huntington Beach, competing back in 1999 as a young kid, his first big window display with sponsor O’Neill outside of Jack’s Surfboards shop.
He had a big gold medal win at the same surf spot 20 years ago in Huntington Beach at the 2006 ISA World Surfing Games, launching his decades-long career as a pro surfer.
He went on that same year to win the WSL World Junior Championship, and it wasn’t long before he was on the elite World Tour.
He finished second in the world in 2010 and again in 2016, earning eight World Tour wins through the years, rooting himself in Newport Beach to be closer to sponsors for about a decade before moving back in recent years to his native country.
In 2017, he became the first surfer in history to post a perfect 20-point heat at the event and made it to the quarterfinals in the 2024 Paris Olympics in Tahiti.
It’s not just the place that makes Huntington Beach special, but the people, Smith said, reminding him of his home in South Africa. His dream is to be like his fellow Surfing Walk of Fame inductees, having decades of surfing ahead of him.
“That’s the dream, you know, to surf for the rest of your life,” Smith said. “I think that’s any surfer’s dream, to live and play in the ocean … just to continue enjoying life.”
Purpus, of Hermosa Beach, was known as a fierce competitor through the ’60s and ’70s.
Purpus joked that when people ask how long ago he started surfing, he says he started when his mother’s water broke and he was born, drawing a chuckle from the crowd.
He told surf stories from Hawaii, making the cover of “American Girl” magazine that went to households across the country, and talked about improving his surf skills to impress the people in the audience during the induction ceremony.
“My whole life, I’ve wanted to impress you guys,” he said.
Roberts started his career in Florida airbrushing t-shirts and bikinis before being noticed and asked to do surf art for Mike Tabeling’s Creative Shaping. He’s spent four decades making surf art through paintings, sculptures, magazine covers and the iconic Pipeline Masters trophies.
He started making the Pipeline trophies nearly 20 years ago when then-sponsor Billabong saw a double-page spread in Surfer Magazine showing a caricature drawing Roberts did of surfers at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, world champion Kelly Slater in the barrel with arms spread wide open like he was walking on water.
Billabong hired Roberts to do paintings for the Pipeline Masters trophies on surfboards – Slater winning twice through the years.
His art draws top dollar; one designed with an image of Hawaiian icon Rell Sunn was bought at an auction for $25,000.
Outside of the surf world, he became one of Hollywood’s premier movie poster illustrators.
Roberts also talked about being born an artist, spending his years in the studio using his imagination, his “soul spirit” leading him to Huntington Beach to help spread art for the surfing world.
“You guys inspired me to do my job,” he said. “We all made a living off of showing people how to play and surf. … And if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t get to be me.”
Hawkins’ surf journey started at 3 years old, hopping on a board with his dad on the sands of Huntington Beach, and by 8, he was a standout on the shortboard.
A herniated disk injury while on the Huntington Beach High School surf team had him leaning into longboarding, and it wasn’t long before he was leading the way for “progressive” longboarding in the ’90s, winning the 1992 World Championship in Biarritz, France.
Peter “PT” Townend, surfing’s first world champ and emcee of the event, pointed out that Hawkins is one of only three people from Huntington Beach to hold a world championship title. The other two, Janice Aragon and Scott Farnsworth, earned theirs in ISA World Games.
“When he came on the scene, my mates, the Aussies, were dominating. And then this young California kid turned up and showed a new form of longboarding that no one had ever seen before,” Townend said. “He could ride the nose, but what he could do better than anybody else was turn a longboard.”
Hawkins talked about always being fiercely loyal to Huntington Beach, even if others were talking down about his town, calling it the “raddest” place he’s ever been.
Torrence’s hit song “Surf City” – which rang from the speakers throughout the event – was the first surf song to reach the top of the charts. He joked that his Grammy award spelled his name wrong, so he had to give it away.
He talked about being raised in West Los Angeles, usually surfing Malibu’s waves in his early years. After “Surf City” came out, the crowds flocked to the beach – and surfer Miki Dora wasn’t happy, telling him he wasn’t allowed back.
“And he said, “But your girlfriend can stay,’” he said with a chuckle.
Torrence then landed in Huntington Beach, calling it “paradise.”
Paniccia got her first surfboard – saving $114 in babysitting money – from Huntington Beach shaper Bob ‘the Greek’ Bolen.
Her dad’s work relocated to Hawaii, and that’s where she was introduced to big waves and women like herself who wanted to be included in contests.
In 1974, she co-founded the Hawaii Women’s Surfing Hui, one of the first organizations dedicated to advancing women’s surfing. The next year, working with contest organizer Fred Hemmings, she helped establish a women’s division at the Smirnoff Women Pro-Am Surfing Championships.
“Our official mission was to promote public awareness of and respect for women surfers as legitimate, accomplished athletes, and to encourage females of all ages to enjoy and excel in this ancient and thrilling Hawaiian sport,” she said.
At 23, she teamed with Randy Rarick to create and direct the first women’s division of the International Professional Surfers, the predecessor to the World Surf League, and became one of six female surfers to surf in the new circuit.
She left pro surfing to pursue a career in law, specializing in gender equality, journalism and education, and has remained a leading advocate for pushing for equality for female athletes.
Her spot on the Walk of Fame is about all the women from her era who fought an uphill battle, and for the women before them, and the young girls who will be the future of the sport.
“Be strong, be brave, enjoy every single day. Don’t let anyone, or any contest, promoter, or sponsor, tell you what your limits are,” she said as advice to young girl surfers.
