Dick Metz Founder and Board Member

Dick Metz, Board Member and Founder of Surfing Heritage Foundation, has supplied the vision for the SHF and the initial funding. Central to the mission, Dick is donating his extensive surfboard collection, and bequeathed his estate to the Foundation. Dick, who grew up in Laguna Beach as a buddy of such notables as Hobie Alter, Reynolds Yater, and Hevs McClelland, is himself a pioneering figure in our sport and industry. As the driving force behind Surfline Hawaii and the Hobie Sports retail chain, and as the traveling surfer who cross-pollinated a fledgling South African surf scene with Hobie and Gordon Clark in California, and suggested to Bruce Brown that he film for The Endless Summer in South Africa, Metz has changed the course of surf history. Now, his goal is to preserve it.

Spencer Croul Co-Founder and Board Member

Spencer Croul, Co-Founder and Board Member of Surfing Heritage Foundation, grew up surfing in Newport Beach, California in the early 1970's, bicycling to the beach with surfboard in tow. A San Diego State University graduate in Recreation Administration Management, he earned his Associate of Arts degree at Orange Coast College after graduating from Newport Harbor High School in 1974. He worked 15 years in the private sector as a foam packaging designer and later in the family paint manufacturing business before finding and pursuing his passion as a Surf Culture Preservationist. Bringing foundation management experience to the Surfing Heritage Foundation, he also serves on the board of his family's Foundation. He has amassed his own private collection of historical surfing artifacts, and brings not only his collection to the Surfing Heritage Foundation but also his vast knowledge in surfing collectibles and surfing history. Presently residing in Newport Beach, California, he is remarried, has two children and continues to surf whenever possible.

Robert C. Mardian President

Robert C. Mardian, President of Surfing Heritage Foundation, is a graduate of Stanford University and earned his M.B.A. at Pepperdine University. Mr. Mardian operates restaurants in California, Hawaii, and Texas and has surfed the coasts of all three states. He has finished in the top 30% of the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. He served on the Finance Committee for the 1988 U.S. Olympic Committee. Bob is a lifelong surfer and member of the San Onofre Surfing Club since 1954. Like his father before him and his son and daughters now, he continues to surf at San Onofre and on occasion, all three generations are in the water at the same time. 

Steve Pezman Vice President

Steve Pezman, Vice President of Surfing Heritage Foundation, began surfing in 1957 in Orange County, CA. Surfed the 1962-’63 winter season on the North Shore, then returned to California to lifeguard, sail in the merchant marine, build surfboards and co-own Creative Design Surfboards, a Huntington Beach surf shop through the late 1960s. In 1967, Steve began freelance writing for surf magazines, in 1969 becoming associate editor at Petersen’s International Surfing magazine. Moved to Surfer magazine as Assoc. Editor in 1970, later that year becoming Publisher and serving in that capacity through 1991. Currently Co- founder and publisher of The Surfer's Journal, various surfing books, and executive producer of The Surfer's Journal on Outdoor Life Network. Steve has helped found various surfing organs, currently serves on the advisory boards of the Surfrider Foundation and the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association.

Jerome Hall Board Member

Jerome Hall, Surfing Heritage Foundation Board Member,  is tale teller, dog lover, prolific reader, and bon vivant are just a few words Jerome Lynn Hall uses to describe himself.  Born in La Jolla, California, Jerome spent his formative years in the Pacific Ocean swimming, diving, sailing, and surfing.  He received his training as an underwater archaeologist in the Nautical Archaeology Program at Texas A&M University and is presently an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of San Diego, where he instructs a variety of courses, among them ANTH 364: Surf Culture and History. He is currently researching the construction of a first-century wooden boat extracted from the Yam Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) in Israel, as well as continuing his study of a seventeenth-century merchant shipwreck off the north coast of the Dominican Republic.  On any given day you can find him at Dog Beach, with his canine cohorts “Jack” and “Lehua.”

Keith Maynard Eshelman Board Member

Keith Maynard Eshelman, Surfing Heritage Foundation Board Member and Founding Partner, grew up in Palos Verdes and starting surfing in 1960. Keith moved to San Diego in 1966 to attend San Diego State University, became a CPA and worked in public accounting for 12 years. For the past 28 years, he has been the Chief Financial Officer for the Brady Companies, a large multi-office construction company in San Diego. As a major collector of surf memorabilia, Keith has a website of surf movie posters, the Gallery of Surf Classics. His collections have been featured in various books and magazines and he has been an expert appraiser at the Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auctions and the Sacred Craft Consumer Surf Expos. Keith is married with three grown children, and can be found surfing at San Diego North County beaches.

Denny Michael Board Member

Denny Michael, Surfing Heritage Foundation Board Member, was born in Dana Point, California and grew up on the beaches of Southern California. Mr. Michael is a technology industry marketing professional and is currently the Vice President of Marketing for AVST (Applied Voice and Speech Technologies) a software company specializing in communications.   For the past 25 years he has held a variety of executive positions at Borland, Starbase, NQL, Alpha Microsystems and AST where he has launched global brands and raised funding.   Denny received his B.A in Communications from California State University, Fullerton. He has served as a board member for the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association and is a Docent at the Surfing Heritage Foundation.  Mr. Michael is married with two children.  His wife and children share his passion and love of the ocean.