Honoring International Surfing Day with the “Surfing Circle of Honor”. A circle of solidarity, to honor surfing culture and heritage, our next generation surfers, our healthy surfing playgrounds, and Celebrating Surfing in the Summer Games, and to support our International Surfing Museum.
By LAYLAN CONNELLY | [email protected] | Orange County Register
Surfers gathered in Huntington Beach Saturday, May 20, for a practice run of the “Circle of Honor,” a Guinness World Record attempt to get 500 surfers together for the largest recorded paddle-out in history.
The gathering, scheduled for International Surfing Day on June 20, is aimed at showing solidarity and support for the sport gaining acceptance into the 2020 Olympics.
“When we got in the water, it all came together,” said organizer Diana Dehm, who runs the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, of the practice off the Huntington Beach Pier.
Various team captains gathered at the event and about 75 surfers showed up so they could measure what the actual circle might look like – and after it was formed it spanned the size of two football fields.
Team captains are made up of Huntington Beach icons, including former world tour surfer Bud Llamas, former female world champion Jericho Poppler, and Huntington Beach High School surf coach Andy Verdone.
As the date nears for the paddle-out, a more vivid plan for the day’s event is evolving. There will be a parade that starts on Main Street near the museum, led by police and fire officials and the area’s high school marching bands.
For more information about the event visit the International Surfing Museum’s website.
International Surfing Museum – Surfing Circle of Honor
http://surfingmuseum.org/surfing-circle-of-honor.html