The 2017 New Jersey Surfing Hall of Fame bi annual induction celebration went down May 12th at the Flanders Hotel in Ocean City NJ in front of a boisterous crowd and some serious industry firepower. The sold-out crowd of over 600 was made up of old timers, rippers, legends and grommets. Of course, the local crew showed up to support their favorite inductees but the biggest surprise of the night was the heavy presence of the surf industry from Jersey and beyond. For starters, the class of 13 HOF surfers were introduced by former World Champ Peter “PT” Townend who has a storied past on the Jersey Shore. Representing Jersey was an impressive cross-section of surf reps, pro surfers and shop owners from up and down the coast. The infamous “Orange County bubble” did not disappoint, showing how important surf culture in New Jersey is to the longevity of our surfing lifestyle. In attendance was a solid entourage of Quiksilver management lead by co-founder Bob McKnight, and included VP of sales Ted Li, Sales Director Mike Reilly and Director of Roxy Sales Sasha Hartloff. Electric owner Eric Crane celebrated his Jersey roots feeling right at home with the entertaining crowd.
However, the night belonged firmly to the Hall of Fame inductees who out shined all the celebrities in the room. The group embodied the true spirit of what surfing means to the New Jersey community and its many contributions to the sport collectively. The lineup included athletes, artists and influencers equally represented from individual coastal regions determined by the NJSHOF board of directors. To find out a little more about the organization and induction process follow the link https://www.njsurfinghalloffame.com/.
The Induction Class of 2017 and a brief bio:
1. Jeff Arensman – Central District
- Central Jersey fierce competitor during the ’70s
- 2nd-place in the 1971 US Surfing Championships at Huntington Beach
- 1st place at East Coast Surfing Championships in 1973
2. Kevin Casey – Central District
- Central Jersey surfer who earned two US Men’s Open Championships in ’83 and ’85.
- Received one of 30 invites to the 1983 Hawaiian Tropics Men’s World Cup Pipeline event
- He hit #48 on the 1978 IPS rankings
3. Gary Finnigan – Northern District
- Monmouth County surfer whose career started 1969 still competes regularly and usually wins
- Mentor, Volunteer, and Family man influencing many along the way
4. Larry Friedel – Cape May County
- Owner/Founder 7th Street Surf Shop Ocean City, NJ
- Pioneer of the “learn to surf” school concept in NJ
- Helped coach and mentor pro surfers Dean Randazzo and Matt Keenan
5. Tony Giordano – Central District
- Owner/Founder Ocean Hut Surf Shop Lavallette, NJ
- Casino Pier fixture and legend
- Contributions too long to list…if you know Tony G you know
6. Brian Heritage – Cape May County
- Owner Heritage Surf and Sport Sea Isle City NJ
- Owner/shaper Heritage Surfboards
- Endless competitive results from East Coast Champs all the way to the pro tour steering BH to bringing some of the largest Pro and Jr Pro competitions to NJ in the last 20 years
7. Charlie Kunes – Northern District
- Surfed for Les Reitman’s (NJSHOF class of 2015) Manatee Surf Shop and its Hobie team
- Monmouth county surfer, shaper and mentor
- Peer group included Harold Iggy, Reno Abellira, Nat Young, and Scott Busbey
8. Tom McClaren – Atlantic County
1994 Colin J. Couture award recipient
- Mastermind behind South Jersey District ESA
- Co-wrote ESA competition hand book
9. Jack Meyer – Northern District
- Renowned Monmouth County Artist whose work can be found throughout and still influences many in the surf industry
- Did airbrush work for numerous shapers including Channel Islands, OP, and Local Motion
- Longtime industry rep who passed away in 2007
10. Bill Minder – Northern District
- Founder Monmouth Beach Surf Shop
- Assembled a “surf shop team” in the 60s including guys and gals
- Mentored many including 2015 NJHOF inductees Vince Troniec as well as the late Jim Jeffries and Steve Adeskavitz
11. Mark Neustadter – Atlantic County
- Industry vet including Sales Manager Rip Curl, Rusty sales rep in the 90s, and numerous rep jobs with heavy hitting surf brands
- Storied amateur/pro career including media exposure and advertisements in major magazine publications
- Legendary character who has brought NJ surfing well beyond the state’s borders
12. Tom O’Brien – Atlantic County
- A laundry list of competitive successes that continues today
- Absecon Island native who helped mentor Frank Walsh, Zack Humphreys and Cassidy Mclain
- A renaissance man that represents the best of NJ surfing
13. Sandy Ordille – Cape May County
- East Coast Hall of Fame inductee 2017
- Trailblazer for women’s competitive surfing on the East Coast
- Set the stage for surfers like Frieda Zamba and Lisa Anderson
