Surfers Get Sentimental: 2012 SIMA Waterman’s Ball
The SIMA Waterman’s Ball brings out a different side of surfers—they put on suits and they get sentimental. The annual fundraiser held at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Nigel pushed the final tally past $6 million raised for the SIMA Environmental Fund over the course of its 23 year history.
During the silent auction reception and pre-awards happy hour, surf industry execs, athletes and the rank and file all toasted glasses while browsing art, surfboards, food wine and surf goodies for sale. It was the live auction when the five-digit dollar amounts rolled in. A private party for 500 guests at the House of Blues in Anaheim sold twice for $25,000 a pop and a week-long “Dream Trip for 2” to dive in the French Polynesia with Jean-Michel Cousteau rang in at $13,000. The live auction’s most unexpected big ticket item was an appearance in the band Switchfoot’s new film, which sold five times for $20,000 each.
Resident ostentatious dresser and International Surfing Association president, Fernando Aguerre (left) with SIMA Environmental Fund President and Billabong’s President of the Americas, Paul Nadue (right). photo by Brent Hilleman.
Left, world champion surfer Stephanie Gilmore. photo by Brent Hilleman.
From left, Danielle Beck of Roxy and Lisa Anderson, the first woman to be on the cover of Surfer magazine in 1995. photo by Jon Steele.
A surprise award was given to SIMA Environmental Fund President and Billabong’s President of the Americas, Paul Naude for his fundraising work throughout the years. Naude simply said, “I love to surf more than anything else. This is why I do this.”
Kelly Slater summed it up best before his presentation of the award for Waterman of the Year to friend and big wave surfer, Shane Dorian—there was a theme of fathers and sons to the night.
Big wave surfer Mike Parsons introduced the Lifetime Achievement Award to the late surf forecaster and Surfline.com founder, Sean Collins. The film clips and stories shared about Collins’ passion and character pulled on the heartstrings. For surfers, Collins’ influence is a pretty big deal. Learning the science and developing technology to forecast when waves are going to hit which breaks is kind of like predicting the stock market. Sons Tyler and Aj who remembered their dad recording the dawn patrol report for the surf forecast hotline while they were growing up, accepted the award.
Intellectual face, French accent, environmental activist Jean-Michel Cousteau made a convincing call to action to save our oceans. photo by Brent Hilleman.
International Surfing association president, Fernando Aguerre—in his usual colorful splendor, this one from Liberia—presented Jean-Michel Cousteau with the Environmentalist of the Year award. Jean-Michel is son of famous diver and ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau and talked about his early experiences “being thrown overboard” at 7-years-old by his father. “I cannot show you what I used to see,” Jean-Michel said. “Things have changed, not for the better.” He made a call to action for divers and surfers to appeal to “decision makers” to take care of the ocean.
Bro hugs. Big wave surfer Shane Dorian and Kelly Slater. photo by Brent Hilleman.
To conclude the night, Dorian accepted the Waterman of the Year Award. Dorian has surfed 58-foot waves, but what really sets him apart from other big wave surfers was his development of the special V1 wetsuit with Billabong after he nearly died at the notoriously brutal Mavericks wave. The V1 wetsuit has a ripcord and inflatable bladder that lifts the surfer to the surface faster against the power of huge crashing waves. Keeping with the theme of the night, Dorian recalled the very first wave he remembers, holding on to his father’s back while body surfing in Hawaii.
Big wave surfer Greg Long and legendary South African surfer Shaun Tomson, who won the SIMA Environmentalist of the Year Award in 2002.photo by Jon Steele.
