We are going into the final weeks before surfing’s big dance and show comes to Orange County: the Lexus U.S. Open of Surfing, running July 26 through Aug. 3 at the Huntington Beach Pier.
As far as attendance, overall glamor and just the sheer amounts of surfing “stuff” that goes along with it, this has to be considered the biggest event in the surfing world each year. It’s not a World Championship Tour event, but it doesn’t matter. The surfing world comes to Surf City, and it’s a wild and crazy week.
One of my favorite things that goes along with this is the annual induction ceremony for the Surfer’s Hall of Fame, which will be held at 9 a.m. on Aug. 1 in the plaza at the southeast corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street. In the shadow of the big Duke Kahanamoku statue, across the street from Duke’s Restaurant and directly in front of Huntington Surf & Sport.
Today, I would like to talk about Tom Servais, who, along with Caroline Marks and Dwight Dunn, will be getting inducted this year. Just to lead off, I wanna tell you right now and flat out that Tom Servais is one of the coolest, nicest and most talented dudes that I know of in the surfing world and beyond.
He told the Club of Waves that he grew up fishing off the Miami Beach piers in Florida as a kid and “when the surfing craze hit in the early ’60s, I was mesmerized by it. In ‘73 I drove to California to surf and took some photo classes. That led to a job at SURFER magazine.”
“I had a job that allowed me the freedom to surf when I wanted,” he added. He later went on to freelance successfully. “I’ve been very lucky to witness some great moments in surfing. I have to say I’m one of the lucky few who have had the privilege to do something they really love doing and getting paid to do it,” he said in his post on the group’s website.
I got to know Tom when I went to work at SURFER magazine in 1976. I became ad director and worked there for 10 years. Tom was our “darkroom dude” and a big part of the staff social circle.
We had a great staff back then, a crew of amazing personalities and talented people, who mostly had great senses of humor (a trait that I gravitate to). Tom is one of those. There were a lot of pranks, joking and just overall funny stuff that went on behind the scenes in or around the lunchroom.
Tom was ultra smooth, he never seemed to be the one either pranking or getting pranked, but he many times was involved in the background. He was a very good “urger oner” so to speak. He would watch with a super sly smile on his face without ever having to take the brunt of the doer or the one getting done to.
We all loved Tom, he is one of those people who you always felt was on your side and was a pal you could tell anything to.
Along with graphic artist Mark “Cubby” Samuels, I had a zillion great lunches, tennis matches and just good laughs hanging out with Tom during my years at SURFER. Tom was a big part of that.
He became one of the all-time great surf photographers ever. His photos from Tavarua Island, in Fiji, are classic.
He has spent his life doing, and loving, his craft, another trait I look up to. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a lot to do what you want to do. Those who are willing to do that are those who I admire. Tom Servais is all that, and I admire him very much. He is a great selection to the Surfers Hall of Fame.
Stay tuned next time for more Surfer’s Hall of Fame information and a look at Caroline Marks and Dwight Dunn.