PACIFIC BEACH – On Sept. 10, the San Diego Surfing Hall of Fame held its annual induction ceremony at the Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club, celebrating the individuals who have profoundly shaped San Diego’s rich surfing heritage and culture.
The ceremony featured tributes, personal reflections, and the official induction of the 2025 class of honorees, including the recently announced Eric “Bird” Huffman, kindly regarded as “The Mayor of Surfing.”
The 2025 San Diego Surfing Hall of Fame inductees included Huffman, Rob Machado, Debbie Gordon, Gary Linden, Jim Kempton, Bob Penuelas, Sandy Ordille, Sunset Cliffs Surfing Association, MITSVEN Surfboards, and Witt Rowlett’s Carlsbad Pipelines.
The San Diego Surfing Hall of Fame honors this new class of surfing legends whose dedication, innovation, and passion have left an indelible mark on the community and the sport.
Surf Diva owner Izzy Tihanyi, HOF inductee Sandy Ordille, an early women’s pro surfing standout, and surfboard builder Craig Hollingsworth. (Photo by Don Balch/Special to Beach & Bay Press) 
SD Surfing Hall of Fame inductees Gary Linden (left) and Jim Kempton. Linden is a renowned surfboard shaper and started the Big Wave Riding Pro Tour. Kempton was an editor/publisher of Surfer Magazine and the current president of the California Surf Museum. (Photo by Don Balch/Special to Beach & Bay Press) 
Eric ‘Bird’ Huffman receives his San Diego Surfing Hall of Fame induction trophy. (Photo by Don Balch/Special to Beach & Bay Press)
