Surf culture stops and honors Sean Collins

They paddled out Sunday by the hundreds in Huntington Beach to chill for a few moments of silence in memory of pioneering wave forecaster Sean Collins — followed by a ritual splashing of water and cheering that could be heard from shore. It looked like several hundred more watched from the Huntington Beach Pier or the sand, where a memorial service was held first. The event was delayed a day by a very large swell out of the Pacific — predicted, no doubt, by Surfline.com, the web company Collins founded. Collins died in Orange County of a heart attack on the day after Christmas.

There was a small gathering earlier on the north shore of Oahu in Hawaii. Events were also scheduled on the coast of China and on Tavarua Island in Fiji.

OC Register
Coverage at Surfline
Video from Huntington Beach pier

Upper photo: Screengrab at Huntington Beach from YouTube. Lower: Oahu gathering, Pete Hodgson, Surfline.com