Big News! ECSHOF Class Of ’26 Announced ! |

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The East Coast Surfing Hall Of Fame ( ECSHOF ) has announced today the names of the 11 surfers to be inducted into the Hall on the eve of it’s 30th anniversary.

Floridas Todd “Morc” Morcom charging huge Pasquales in Central Mexico circa early 2000’s. Photo: Nicola Lugo @nicolalugo

The Class of 2026 will be honored at a special celebration at the January Surf Expo trade show in Orlando, Florida that is open to the public.

Florida’s Lisa Carulli ripping one off the top during the 1985 ESA Championships, Buxton, North Carolina. Photo Dick “Mez” Meseroll @mezapixels

Additionally, the Cecil Lear Presidents Award ( also affectionately known as ‘The Ceece ” ) will be given to New York’s Mike Angiulo for his decades of dedication to the Eastern Surfing Association and as Executive Director of the United States Surfing Federation.

“The Ceece” Presidents Award winner from New York Mike Anguilo with a couple of handfuls of grand daughter. Photo courtesy Anguilo

The Inductees and categories are are as follows :

1 ) Surfers : Lisa Carulli, Scotty Duerr, Bryan “Hewi” Hewitson, Todd “Morc” Morom.

2 ) Industry : Tony “Tony G” Giordano

3 ) Media : Matt Pruett

4 ) Culture : Bill Finnegan

5 ) Legends : Bernie Crouch, Jay Reale

6 ) Pioneers : Richard Price, Carl “Tinker” West

7 ) Cecil Lear Presidents Award : Mike Angiulo

New Jersey’s Scott Duerr had a recent, very close call with death due to heart failure while surfing. SD will no doubt be a crowd favorite at the 2026 induction for his surfing prowess, the deep impact of being one of the earliest successful, working pro’s from Jersey and for his fighting spirit as he continues to come back from a near drowning. Photo: Bruce “Hari” Chrisner brucechrisner1

“There’s no better event to launch the Hall of Fame’s 30th Anniversary Year than with an Induction Ceremony for these well deserving surfers, who represent exactly what the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame is all about – honoring forever those individuals who have made significant contributions to East Coast Surfing,” said Hall of Fame President Gary Germain.

Former ECSHOF President Cecil Lear ( RIP ) and current HOF leader, Gary Germain at the 2017 ESA Northeast Regionals in Belmar, New Jersey. If you did not know already Cecil was not only a co-founder of the East Coast Surfing Hall Of Fame but the Eastern Surfing Association as well. Legends legend. Photo : Dick “Mez” Meseroll @mezapixels

“Since 1996 when Cecil Lear held the Hall’s first induction ceremony, fulfilling the dream that Greg “Da Bull” Noll shared with Cecil the year before, the Hall of Fame has inducted 188 surfers into the institution. It will be an honor to present these 12 surfers with their awards in January”.

Former decade long ESM Editor, top shelf international surf journalist and Surfline mainstay from North Carolina, Matt Pruett right where he likes to be on his beloved Outer Banks. Photo: Matt Lusk @mattlusk

The East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame is dedicated to the preservation of the history and heritage of East Coast Surfing by enshrining forever the people who have been responsible for surfing’s development and growth on the US East Coast. The ECSHOF was founded in 1996 by one of surfing’s truly great watermen, Greg Noll, along with East Coast legend, Cecil Lear. Every two years, the ECSHOF conducts a public candidate submission process, followed by a thorough nomination and selection process to determine the next ECSHOF Inductees.

For all info on the ECSHOF please visit https://eastcoastsurfinghalloffame.org/

Longtime EC legend and shaper / shop owner, Florida’s Bernie Crouch between surfs on the Outer Banks circa early 80’s. Photo: Tom Dugan @tomduganphotos

Florida’s Bryan “Hewi” Hewitson’s heavy rail work at Larry’s Lefts, Sebastian Inlet, Florida. Photo Dick “Mez” Meseroll @mezapixels

New Jersey’s legendary board builder, and the man who mentored and hired Bruce Springsteen as a shop rat before he hit it big, Carl “Tinker” West ( RIP ). Photo: Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots