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2001
UCSD Cancer Center Supporters Come on *Board*
Waitt Family Foundation
  Pacifica
Trust
Winners
along with
UCSD
Cancer Center
****
8th Annual UCSD Cancer Center Luau &
Longboard
Invitational
Brings Tsunami Support and Aloha with Surf Legends
& Special Guests *****
In
1994 John Otterson
and Sam conceptualized
and bravely launched, chaired and surfed in
the first ever UCSD Cancer Center Luau &
Longboard Invitational. Location, Scripps
Pier in La Jolla, California. Surfing legends
and cancer center supporters eagerly jumped
on "board." Seven years later over
$700,000 has been raised for cancer research.
The
draw is to "surf
for a cure" says this year's Chair
Steve Blank. And the sponsor teams and
legends do just that along with alot of cheering
on from their 800 plus "honorary surf coaches"
in support.
Among
the legends joining in this year were those
Hawiian boys Rabbit Kekai
....(a very young 80 & 1/2 Toes on
The Nose Rabbit charging 4 -5 foot set waves)
and awesome slide and glide Donald
Takayama of Hawaiian Pro Designs.
Also
there were 5 on the nose for a .5 mile David
Nuuhiwa, artist and super cool cat Mike
Doyle, personality plus
Corky Carroll, Y...........yes the Y
who invented the famed Morey Boogie board, 1982
Women's World Champ Debbie
Beacham (who agreed with me that the
sets were tough going), always fun Jericho
Poppler and meditative John Peck with
his pre-surf yoga.
More
cool legends there were Skip," make it
look so easy" Skip
Frye, cutie Linda
Benson, Endless Summer
movie legend Robert August,
positioning master Mickey
Munoz, shape and surf legend Sonny
Vardemann, cool L.J.
Richards, Mark Martinson, Jock Sutherland
who got a bump by his board oo a set wave, Paul
Strauch who is a styler, Henry
Ford..........no not the car guy but
the guy who has V-8 style when he surfs, and
terrific surfers Larry
Gordon and Ricky
Grigg.
All
these cool surf legends give their time year
after year to help fight and prevent cancer.
Cancer has claimed a few surf legends along
the way including UCSD
supporter Rell Sunn, Queen of Aloha Spirit and
Makaha, the famed Hawaiian longboard
surf break surfer. Rell is missed immensely
for her pioneering spirit for women's surfing
and her unselfish giving to everyone she has
met.
The
Annual Rell Sun Award has been given to a special
individual who carrries on that aloha giving.
In 1998, 8 months after the passing of Rell
it went to Bill Otterson,
event co-founder John Otterson's father. Bill
was a tireless supporter who gave his all to
cancer research. After a pro-longed battle,
Bill was taken by cancer. In 1999 the Rell Sun
Award went to Dani Grady
and in 2000, to Charles aka Chuck
Gorder Sr.
The
2001 recipient of the Rell Sunn Queen of Makaha
award was Mark Renneker, M.D. known as Doc to
the world at large.
Doc pursues worldwide large waves and large
cures for cancer. Since 1974, Doc has helped
non - scientist students comprehend the biological,
clinical and psychological aspects of cancer
with his "Biology of Cancer"
courses. His testbook Understanding Cancer
is well read through not just the UC Campus
system but univerisities nationwide.
Doc
has also founded the Surfer's Medical Association
with a goal to improve the lives of cultures
near surf locations. One case in particular
is Doc's work in the Fijiian village of Nabila.
The Nabilans were convinced to stop smoking
- (too bad tobacco companies) - more than a
decade ago and have kept up their smokeless,
healthy effort.
Doc
also worked with Rell Sunn and her family in
her fifteen year fight against cancer. For all
of Doc's tremendous vision and efforts he has
been awarded the 2001 Rell Sunn "Queen
of Makaha" Award.
Mahalo Doc!!!
Big
Mahalos also go to Event Chair Steve Blank,
a tremendous organizer and communicator,
Event Co-Chairs Charla and Paul Mullen alongwith
Fred Borrelli rounded out very well done
event that is expected to raise around $200,000
for UCSD Cancer Center efforts to fignt and
prevent cancer.
UCSD
Cancer Center is under the terrific direction
of Dr. David Tarin.
The Center is comprised of world reknown scientists
whose drive have put the center forefront in
new cancer battling technologies.
And
mahalo to all of the generous team participants
including title sponsor
Ericsson. Check out Ericsson CDMA Systems
and wireless infrastructure providing at www.ericsson.com/
cdmasystems. More sponsors were Chugai
Biophamaceuticals/ Gen-Probe, Cymer, Silvergate
Bank, Agouron/Pfizer, DPR Construction San Diego
and DPR Construction San Francisco, Genomics
Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation,
Morrison & Foerster, LLP, Pacific Building
Group and yeah Pacifica Trust.
I got to surf on Pacifica Trust as a second
team for a second place when editor Sam
George could not make it.
More
team participation came from Peregrine
Systems, Qualcomm - yeah the other awesome team
I surfed on, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
with orgranizational king Sam Iacobellis (they
won last year's competition because they are
so good and their Honorary
Team Captain is the Incredible Jill Ives),
Silicon Valley Bank
(Yeah John Otterson),
Vax Gen, the winning "Can't
Waitt" Waitt Family Foundation ie.
Gateway's Waitt clan, the
Walton Foundation, the WP Carey team who
had Sam Armstrong and
the awesome chief of General Atomics' Linden
Blue surfing as its ringer, and well, Yahoo!!!!
****www.margomargo.tv
was very happy to be a table sponsor for the
great event.
My super guests were:
Kerri Corn of the
Rainforest Alliance, Debbi
Jacobs of the Qualcomm clan (......she
will be chairing the upcoming play "Dracula"
at the La Jolla Playhouse October 2001), Juliette
Holleran, actress and soon to be signed
singer, also manager of up and coming
Italian music sensation Michael Baptista,
, with her businessman /hubby Michael
Holleran, longboard surfer Dave
McLeod, board shaper and don't ever drop
in on me again Tom Matera,
my step-neice with megawattage brainpower Stephanie
Davidson, my sister Katherine
Schwab who not only is a dynamic art
history professor at Fairfield University in
Connecticut but she also greatly assisted me
by taking still photos while I was running around
for the event (thank you Kathy). Handsome actor
and otherwise known as
Purple Heart winning Scott Johnston got
the job of shooting lots of video for your viewing
pleasure. Also there at the margomargo.tv table
were vegetarian surfer
Glen, race car driver
Electra Anderson and my stayed out too
late the night before, but very cute models
Alexi and Sierra.
*****FUN
MOMENTS*****
***There
were so many great moments and some started
even before the event. Chair
Steve Blank called in when I guest hosted
New York Myke's KCBQ am 1170 show (4-5
pm Saturdays). Steve told all the air listeners
about the event with panache.
***
Then
there were weeks talking about the Luau before
and afterwards on the
Roger Hedgcock Radio Show.
***Getting
autographs is a ritual for some of us.
Rabbit Kekai this year took the prize
for Scott and myself. Rabbit signed for us "stolen
from Rabbit Kekai."
***
Legend Debbie
Beacham owning up that the surf was
rather big this year. No kidding, I got pounded
trying to get though the sets.
***
Reviewing my tape while
I was surfing and getting to hear the commentary
that I am a geek for wearing a helmet - I know
who you are my pretties!!!
***
Sam Iacobellis from SIO
who does sooooo much work for this event finally
getting to kick back and relax. I think he slept
for two days afterwards.
***
Having
wonderful UCSD supporters
Peggy and Peter Preuss come with their
"daughter" ie. their dog Natasha
to watch me surf and cheer /bark me on. The
Preuss Family Foundation supports many aspects
of UCSD very generously including the UCSD Cancer
Center. Thank you Peggy,
Peter & Natasha!!!
***
Getting all my waves without falling off and
doing a few arabesques and cha cha chas along
the way. Those dance classes had to pay off
somewhere.
***
Having Mike
Doyle tell me my surfing is much better
- thanks Mike!!
***
getting emails from awesome
Bones aka Brian of www.sandog.com
that he almost got to say hello except
he saw me bombarded with people. .....check
out my profile on sandog.com and find out my
nicknames.
***
Getting
interviewed by Dana Brown,
son of Bruce Brown the Producer of the Endless
Summer movies. Dana interviewed me for
his project with Top Secret Productions.
***
Watching Qualcomm "Captain
my Captain" Bill Andrews run around
fretting for perfection.
***Watching
Charles McDermott of Pacifica
Trust start to breathe with relief when
he sees me readying for the final heat. Charles,
I only miss awards' ceremonies by mistake.
***Hearing
the commentary by the judges about my switchfoots
and one legged moves.
***
Listening
to a very young and cute Bettina
Borrelli take over the microphones for
jokes during the surf contest.
***
Watching
legendary surfers surf. Pause - think about
it, they are legends, not only for skill but
for generosity!
***Watching
legendary surfers endlessly sign autographs
for eager fans.
***
At
the Borrelli's after luau gathering watching
two year old Helena Holleran
deliver flowers to everyone there including
a meditating John Peck.
***
Watching
Helena Holleran
make a beeline for Wingnut
and Janice's cutie pie son Cameron.
***
Having
my parents Shirley and
Paul Schwab faithfully come cheer me
on this year and every year.
***
Watching
Wingnut's son Cameron
doing crossover steps on the beach at
about age 4 - 5.
***
Having a quiet moment
remembering another UCSD Cancer Center supporter,
Harriet Levi who was always gentle, kind
and thoughtful to others.
***Thinking
of luau surf contest judge Bart
O'Rourke who gives endlessly to this
event in fond memory of his late brother Chris
O'Rourke.
*****GOOFS
& Ow EEES!*****
***Me
missing the award ceremony because I was at
the Dana Brown interview.
Duh. So I am still trying
to thank the wonderful Jessica and Charles McDermott,
Tom McDermott and legend Henry Ford for inviting
me to surf on their Pacifica Trust Team - Second
Place - Yeah!!!!
***
Robert
August's wife
Grace's daughter slipping away from her at the
patron party taking a tumble down the Borrelli
stairs and then (thank god not hurt) looking
at everyone's panicked faces. I think she started
to cry because of everyone else......She is
perfectly fine thank god.
More
mahalos and kudos go to the incredible behind
the scenes force
including but not limited to Laura Blank, contributing
artist John Severson of
surferart.com,
Jason Foster, Jennifer Whitelaw and Peter Anderson.
The
2001 ASR Show
**The
2001 ASR Show was full of familiar faces, Robert
August, Wingnut, Greg Noll, Pat O'Neill, Aaron
Chang - his cool photos and his cool surf wear
line, Corky Carroll, who has better humour and
those famous cheeks on the Reef Brazil Girls.
And
it's always fun catching up with Leah Butler
from Smith Sunglasses
ASR
also had alot of new intriguing products with
new faces on the scene behind them.
**Dawn
Caylor for Slipurrs. Cool new sandals, slipurrs
and cute wedgy shoes. Not to forget Reef Brazil
* which always cool functional and fun sandals
and shoes ** all made for surfers and made by
surfers **
**Tikae's
Todd Beer and Jared Christensen bringing to
the USA a cool new hip jewelry line made in
Australia. Check out www.tikae.com.
This was one of the find's of the show. I really
like Amigaz Accessories, always fun. Tikae was
just fun and different.
**Todd
Gordon's totally cool SEA VIXXEN line of femme
vixxen wear for the water sportif. Todd's got
cutting edge design which has been so lacking
in surf wear for girls, all sexy, all ready
to surf in!
** ......
more to come
Copyright
Margo Schwab 2002 All rights protected.
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