Humble. Loving. Spiritual. A friend to the countless lives he touched.
Those were just some of the accolades spoken about San Diego surf icon Larry Gordon at a paddle-out celebration of his life attended by about 400 people at Tourmaline Surf Park on Jan. 18.
Gordon, co-founder of Gordon & Smith surf and clothing company, died New Year’s day of Parkinson’s disease at age 76. He built the internationally renowned company into a custom surfboard, skateboard and clothing conglomerate that is known by surfers worldwide.
Gordon and his partner, surf buddy Floyd Smith, were among the first people to make surfboards out of foam, designs that were first crafted in Floyd’s garage when Gordon was a college chemistry student.
Many local surfers and board shapers like Skip Frye, learned their craft at Gordon’s side.
“To me he was very special in so many ways,” said Frye, of the master surfboard shaper. “He was a mentor, who not only showed me the basic steps of shaping a surfboard, but allowed me to hone my craft in his company surrounded by craftsmen, a lot of whom have their own successful businesses now.”
But Frye said Gordon’s personal friendship and love transcended the workplace.
“He was a spiritual mentor to me,” he said. “I had some pretty dire times in my life and I know his prayers got me through. To me that was the most important thing.”
At the paddle-out, Gary Adams described Gordon as a “legend.” Asked why, he replied, “Because he developed the first foam surf boards in San Diego.”
Kevin Connelly concurred.
“He just had love for everyone in the surf industry,” said Connelly, noting he worked with Gordon as a board shaper at age 17 before recently returning to his employ many years later.
“The whole surf industry has been impacted by him,” Connelly said, adding, “He was just a great person — the love he had for people.”
Stephen (The Cowboy) Benson who lives 50 miles away in Ramona, said he wouldn’t have missed Gordon’s paddle-out.
“He helped my father 50 years ago,” Benson said. “He helped me.”
Dessa Kirk related a personal story about Gordon.
“It was 7 a.m. Saturday morning and I noticed a circle of of men standing at Tourmaline,” she said. “They were praying. I asked if I could join. They welcomed me. After they were finished praying they introduced themselves. One of them was Larry … Larry encouraged me to explore shaping and follow my own path … He, like Skip (Frye), thought it was important to give what’s been given, to teach others … His suggestions about shaping were also about life. Larry was a channel and his craft, I think, was in service of sharing his faith.”
Reed Mayne praised Gordon for his “kindness,” adding he truly left his mark in the surf industry.
“He provided top-of-the-line equipment for us to compete in an era when surfboards were changing almost weekly,” Mayne said. “We were kind of the leading-edge in San Diego.”
Introducing speakers prior to the paddle-out, Hawaiian minister Ricky Ryan described Gordon’s life as “amazing,” noting “the mark of a great man is not so much what he accomplishes in life — but the lives he touches. He touched so many of us. With Larry, there was another dimension that made him great: That was the faith he had that sustained him through his life.”
Ryan read a scriptural verse that applies to Gordon.
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. … Larry has fought the good fight. He has kept the faith. We are going to celebrate his life. Until we meet again.”