Four at the Core of Huntington Beach Vibe
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
Huntington Beach (Surf City), host to the U.S. Open of Surfing (July 26 - August 3), is a magical, mythical place in surfing lore and premiere destination for all who celebrate surf and sand. With a stunning pier jutting into the Pacific Ocean, expansive beach, and main street of colorful surfboard shops, stores and restaurants, it can't be beat.
In addition to its jewel of a setting, HB is fortunate to have had visionary community leaders who helped turn it into an ohana (family) welcoming to all. Four at the core of Surf City’s vibe – gone, but never forgotten – are Natalie Kotsch, Pastor Sumo Sato, Rick "Rockin' Fig" Fignetti, and Tony Soriano.
Natalie Kotsch (a transplanted Canadian who never surfed) came up with the idea of having a special place to showcase surfing, with photos, art, mementos, boards, books, and more. In 1987 she launched the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, a labor of love created with support from the surfing community. "I founded the museum to preserve what used to be," Kotsch told SurfWriter Girls. “I didn't want surfing's history to be lost.” An HB Citizen of the Year, Key to the City recipient, and inductee into the Surfing Walk of Fame, Kotsch lobbied for surfing and her adopted city until her death on February 20, 2014.
Pastor Sumo Sato, "the Surfing Pastor," was pastor of the H20 Community Church of Huntington Beach and served as HB’s Marine Safety Department lifeguard chaplain. After struggling with hard times during his early years in Hawaii, Sato's life turned around when a missionary brought religion into it. Sato studied theology, received a Master of Divinity Degree and opened churches in Hawaii and SoCal. In HB he found a spiritual and physical home, officiating at paddle-out ceremonies when a surfer died and the annual Blessing of the Waves interfaith event honoring the ocean and its ability to bring people together. Inducted into the Surfers' Hall of Fame, Sato passed away on March 11, 2018.
Rick "Rockin' Fig" Fignetti was part of the fabric of Huntington Beach. The owner of Rockin' Fig Surf Headquarters on Main Street, he was front and center, helping people find the right board and equipment, sharing surf stories, and mentoring groms just learning to surf. Literally the voice of surfing in HB, Fig hosted KROQ radio’s morning Surf Report and was the longtime announcer for the U.S. Open of Surfing. A winner of multiple surfing championships, he sponsored the Fig Team Riders surf team and was inducted into both the Surfers' Hall of Fame and Surfing Walk of Fame. Fig passed away July 16, 2021.
Tony Soriano was the ultimate waterman, who always made time to catch waves or cast a fishing line early in the morning and after work. As longtime chair of the Surfrider Foundation’s Huntington/Seal Beach chapter (now North Orange County chapter), Tony could be seen everywhere, setting up booths on the sand for beach cleanups, hosting environmental events, speaking to organizations about pollution, and getting people involved in HB’s beach community.
Tony was a recipient of the Angel Light Academy service and leadership award. After his passing on April 6, 2022, the Surfrider tribe honored him with a paddle-out at his home surf break at River’s End Park beach.
With many eyes on Huntington Beach for the U.S. Open of Surfing, SurfWriter Girls are excited to highlight the work these four did to help make Surf City what it is today and to salute all the current leaders continuing to make a difference.
Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.
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