Shawn Stussy Joins The Surfer’s Hall Of Fame

On the corner of Main street and PCH in Huntington Beach lies the surfer’s Walk of Fame. Well, Hall of Fame, but it’s the same Hollywoodsian idea. As the US Open approaches and the inland prepare to contribute their annual depreciation of California’s most tasteless coastal strip, the Hall of Fame inductees get ready to have their names engrained in the sidewalk of Huntington Surf and Sport. On July 29 at 9:30am, Messrs Shawn Stussy, Ryan Turner and Blaine “Sumo” Sato will have their hand and footprints immortalised in cement alongside surfing’s most legendary, including Andy Irons, Jack O’Neill, Robert August, Bob Hurley, Sean Collins, Laird Hamilton, Kelly Slater, Lisa Andersen, CJ Hobgood, Al Merrick, Shaun Tomson, Rob Machado, Timmy Turner and Rabbit Kekai.

“We are extremely stoked and honoured to induct these three Huntington surf legends into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame this July during the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing,” said Surfers’ Hall of Fame founder Aaron Pai. 

Mr Stussy’s entire existence is luminescent.

We’ll leave the finer deets in the hands of the press release:

By the age of 13, Stussy began to design and shape his own surfboards in the family garage; creating his first board out of an older sister’s log, which he stripped and reshaped. From 1973 to 1980 Shawn shaped for Russell Surfboards on 17th street in Newport Beach, also called The Brotherhood. In 1980 Stussy launched his own business, shaping surfboards in his Laguna Canyon studio during the day and at night boxed T-shirts for sale in area surf shops. To brand his handiwork he took a large marker and scrawled his signature on the finished boards which soon became his trademark and logo. “I had the logo screen-printed on T-shirts and sweatshirts, but it had nothing to do with producing clothes. I was trying to promote the boards.” While Stussy may have viewed his clothing ventures as a sideline that helped spur the sale of his surfboards, an old surfing buddy named Frank Sinatra, Jr. (no relation to the famous singer) saw greater potential. In 1983, they joined forces and in 1984 established Stussy Inc. with Stussy handling design and Sinatra shouldering the business responsibilities. It was on March 27, 1986 that the company registered the Stussy trademark in the United States. Stussy went on to become one of the biggest street wear labels of the 1980s and 90s, reaching a value of $17 million a year at one point. Shawn sold his interest in 1986 and has been surfing and raising his family since. He still shapes in Santa Barbara on a regular basis and has a new shaping and design project called S/Double.

Mr Turner literally could not have surfed this better. See how he highlines out of the first barrel? That’s what elevates the well seasoned.

Ryan Turner is a great surfer, mentor, big wave charger and pillar of the Huntington Beach surfing community, running the Famous Sugar Shack Restaurant that his family has owned since the 60’s! With younger brother and acclaimed surf filmmaker Timmy, life from an early age was about the beach and surfing. Part of the Huntington Beach High School surf team, Ryan enjoyed a lot of junior surf contest success, but as he got older it was travel and surfing solid barrels which focused his surfing talent. It is this reputation for tube riding which leads to yearly invitations to the Padang Padang Cup in Bali, among the most coveted barrel riding events in the world. He proved in 2009 that he ranked among the world’s best tube riders, losing only in the semi-final to Jamie O’Brien, a future Pipeline Masters Champion, by less than two points. Considered the “best unknown surfer in the world” by Coach Andy Verdone, Ryan is one of the top 10 backside barrel riders in the world and has proven this point again and again with his many Indonesia surfing trips. When he isn’t getting shacked in Mexico or Indo, Ryan is back in Huntington, surfing the pier, pulling shifts in the family restaurant and hanging with his wife and family.

We aren’t pious men but Sumo’s beard is holy. Photo: Surf City USA

Blaine “Sumo” Sato is a waterman, family man and he’s had success as a professional chef. While often found charging waves on the north side of the Huntington Beach Pier on a colossal 12-foot longboard stout enough to carry his burly Hawaiian frame, Sumo’s real passion is serving the Lord. Pastor Sumo’s church, “H20,” serves the homeless, surfers in recovery, residents in crisis, be it spiritual, physical or otherwise. He has officiated marriages (Bethany Hamilton), baptisms and memorial services (Andy Irons, Sean Collins, Chris Love to name just a few). He survived a brush with drugs as a teenager, nearly succumbing to the Hawaiian drug scene in the 1970s. A chance meeting with a missionary changed his life, and instead of ending up in prison he became a disciple of God. Sato moved to California in 1990 and pursued a master of Divinity degree. In 2011, Pastor Sumo helped form the H20 Community Church in Huntington Beach and also serves as the chaplain for the city’s Marine Safety Division. In February, life threw Pastor Sumo a curveball when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer and the surf community rallied to raise funds for his healthcare. Recently, Sumo underwent an 11 hour surgery to remove two malignant tumors. Pastor Sumo has a long road to recovery, but with his loving wife, Diane and his family’s unwavering support.