SAN CLEMENTE, California, September 6, 2024: The SURFING HERITAGE and Culture Center (SHACC) is excited to announce a revitalized Board of Directors, anchored by seven surf industry icons with over 300 years of combined experience in surf-related businesses. This strategic move is being heralded by co-founders Dick Metz and Spencer Croul, who (along with the prior Board Members who will now serve on an advisory level) have now entrusted the organization's legacy to a new generation of passionate surf-history

“I can’t express how excited I am to finally pass the torch to a new generation,” says Metz, who first learned to surf in Laguna Beach in the 1930s. “Now at 95, knowing that SHACC will be in the hands of a team with the energy, focus, leadership, guidance, and fundraising acumen to take it to the next level, is just incredible. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who made this possible.”

Croul, who will remain on the board alongside the new team, shares Metz’s enthusiasm. “This move will elevate SHACC’s visibility and influence on a global scale,” he explains. “This exceptional group of directors brings the horsepower and expertise needed to solidify SHACC’s position as the premier surf archive, research center, and museum worldwide. Their leadership will ensure that SHACC not only survives but thrives for generations to come.”

Paul Naude and Mark Christy will serve as Co-Chairs of the new board, and be joined by Randy Hild, Greg MacGillivray, Dan McInerny, Jeff Alter, and Royce Cansler, who are all new to the board. Both Spencer Croul and Patti Paniccia will retain their existing board seats.

Over a span of many decades, SURFING HERITAGE has amassed what is unquestionably the world’s largest collection of iconic surfboards and surf-related memorabilia, spanning from craft and accessories to art, fashion, film, photography, music, and literature. Among its incomparable treasures are 3 of the few remaining Duke Kahanamoku boards known to exist, along with 800 more from every significant designer and performer in surf history.

“SURFING HERITAGE is effectively the Smithsonian of Surf,” Mark Christy notes. “Combining the balance of the world’s collections wouldn’t replicate half of what’s here. It’s the surfing equivalent of Lennon’s white piano, McCartney’s Höfner bass, and David Byrne’s “Stop Making Sense” white suit along with their handwritten lyrics and demo tapes. Yet, most surfers, and the general public, don’t even know what is here right under their noses. That’s what we intend to change by opening a dynamic, high-profile and publicly accessible facility where the public can immerse themselves into the many facets of Surfing through the scope of this collection”

"The SHACC mission is deeply personal to me because Dick Metz has been a member of my family, and the Hobie brand that my dad built before I was born,” says Jeff Alter, who will serve as SHACC’s Executive Director. “I’m honored and excited for this opportunity, and to be armed with the incredible level of expertise this board brings to the table, as well as our amazing in-house staff: Barry K Haun, Linda Michael, Casey Prado, and Kate Luitjens." 

“The strength of this team lies in our collective experience in building businesses that support surfingwhich, by the way, happens to be the Official Sport of California,” says Paul Naude. “We feel a profound responsibility to both protect and project the richness of surf history. Our goal is to infuse SHACC with fresh energy and vision, recognizing that surf history is a living narrative. Contextualizing the last decade, alongside the remarkable events of the past century, and surfing’s deep roots, is all vital. The storytelling never ends.”