The museum has grown into a major attraction for Oceanside, San Diego County and Southern California.
The California Surf Museum’s history is defined by the multitudes of passionate volunteers who have given thousands of hours of time since before its founding in 1986 to make CSM what it is today. Many businesses have also supported CSM through its growth and transformation. The City of Oceanside has welcomed CSM by providing affordable space since 1996.
Enthusiasts have donated many valuable treasures and artifacts to CSM — including significant surfboards, trophies, magazines, rare photographs and more — in order to share and preserve them. Through 2018, nearly 650,000 visitors have entered CSM’s doors to see and read about the surf lifestyle and history. CSM’s top priority is sharing with you, the public — it is your interest, enthusiasm and support that keeps CSM going!
Meet Our Team
Jim Kempton
Executive Director
A former Editor and Publisher of Surfer Magazine, Billabong USA’s Director of Media, and Marketing Director for TransWorld Publishing, Jim Kempton wrote Surfing the Manual, a book on the history of surfing told through the performance techniques of the world’s best surfers. He served as the Manager of the Surfrider Foundation Advisory Board, as well as the board of directors for the San Onofre Foundation and Surfing America, the National Governing Body of the sport. A world traveler who has surfed in over 20 countries, he wrote and edited a book on the history of surfing at San Onofre. His career includes stints as the Director of the Quiksilver Crossing, Vice President of Content for Hard Cloud Boardsports internet portal, and President of the San Clemente Historical Society.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Danny was educated at UCSD (surfing Blacks) and UCLA Law School (surfing Malibu and Leo Carillo), and served as a founding member of the Association of Surfing Lawyers. Danny works as hard as he plays, and has always balanced intellectual pursuits and service with time in, on, and under the water. He has had the honor of serving as IP and litigation counsel for various surfing entities and for many art/music/entertainment clients, along with serving on the boards of the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce, several Rotary Clubs, and several think tanks. Known as "the Honey Badger" trial attorney, Danny enjoys serving and using his legal knowledge for good as much as for pay. He also enjoys using elbow grease, and jumping in to help set up or take down displays (or whatever CSM needs).
She spent 25 years in marketing/promotions and events, notably for TransWorld Media working in the action sports industry of surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. Born into a conservative Italian farming family in Southern California, Louise started surfing while in high school. After college she took up windsurfing, outrigger canoe paddling and snowboarding. Louise’s career includes 15 years in the architectural field, designing and project managing for many restaurants, custom homes, and small commercial projects. Serving currently as a City of Oceanside Planning Commissioner, she lives with her entrepreneurial husband of 25 years on a beautiful 25-acre avocado farm in Oceanside.
Over the last 32 years she has served as both Secretary and Treasurer of the organization. Born in San Carlos, California, she attended UCSB, and later traveled with her late husband to Burleigh Heads, Australia where they lived and worked in the surf industry. Upon returning, she moved to Oceanside and became involved with the Oceanside Longboard Surfing Club, where she served as Secretary and Treasurer. In 1988 she was inducted as an honorary lifetime member and was awarded OLSC’s “Waterman’s Award” in 1997. She helped legendary woman’s surfer Rell Sunn run her annual Menehune Contest in Makaha Beach, Hawaii. Since 1987 she has been a self-employed graphic designer.
An Ocean Beach native, he grew up roaming Sunset Cliffs and fishing and diving in Mission Bay. John began surfing and working on fishing boats in the late 1950s and has been an avid waterman ever since. Professionally, he’s worked in the health and natural foods industry and general contracting, where since the 1970s he has been founder and owner of The Bishop Company. He helped build surf shops and manufacturing plants for Gordon & Smith and Joe Roper, and designed the beach-themed lobby of the former “W” Hotel in downtown San Diego. An avid surfboard connoisseur, he has an extensive personal board collection and is a noted broker and surf historian.
His PhD is in ethnomethodology from the University of California San Diego. Pierce has 30+ years’ experience in directing nonprofit, university and corporate organizations including as national executive director of the Surfrider Foundation.
His 1987 academic article “Waves of Semiosis: Surfing’s Iconic Progression” published in the American Journal of Semiotics is considered by cultural scholars to be a foundational text in the new sociology of sport and culture. It analyzes surfing culture as a “semiotic” (meaning making) system with unique cultural symbols, signs and meanings in its language, experience, history, film, music, publications, art, fashion and commercial culture. It is one of the first studies of surfing culture to be published in an international academic journal. His book, The Ethnomethodological Movement: Sociosemiotic Interpretations was published in the Approaches to Semiotics Series by Mouton de Gruyter.
Pierce’s roles have included being the national executive director of the Surfrider Foundation, Senior VP of Business Development at DUB Publishing, Events & Media, VP of Business Development and Partnerships at Surfdog Records and Entertainment, a founding Board of Director of the Tony Hawk Foundation, a Board of Director for the University of California San Diego’s Africa and African American Studies Research Center, and a staff and Board member for the Native American nonprofit Unci Intertribal. He has taught university students at UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, the University of Paris, Design Institute of San Diego, and at California State University San Marcos.
Pierce worked in the action sports industry at Breakout Surf Magazine, Transworld Skateboarding and Snowboarding Magazines, Burton Snowboards, and Best Buy’s Redline Entertainment action sports film division. He now consults for university, nonprofit and corporate sectors and has worked with many nonprofit, multicultural, and corporate companies including Patagonia, Dr. Bronner’s, DUB Magazine and the DUB national Music and Car Show Tour, Amazon, Microsoft, MTV, Xbox, Pepsi, GM, Harley Davidson, Toyota, Walmart, Target, other entertainment and music media companies, and international governmental agencies.
Pierce lives in San Marcos, California, with his artist wife Lindsey and their two dogs, and surfs, free dives and fly fishes regularly.
He was on the Bing and then the Rick Surf Team and Bay Cities Surf Club and is now on the Haggerty's Surfing Club. He moved to Encinitas in 1968 at 18 years old and in 1972 became partners with Donald Takayama under the label of Surfing's New Image. In 1975 he started a skateboard company called Logan Earth Ski and has become internationally known for making skateboards. He has had a total of 5 successful businesses in his life and he also was on the Board Of Directors for the Skateboarding Hall Of Fame.
Parry continues to surf and still makes the annual pilgrimage to the North Shore of Oahu each winter and surfs in California and Latin America.
Parry has a degree in Marine Science and Technology from Orange Coast College. He designed and manufactured the beachwear and women’s swimwear line Island Style in the mid 1970s. He opened the contemporary sportswear line Airtight in the early 80s. Shifting to a different career, Parry worked for several large insurance companies and became an employee benefits consultant for manufacturers, school districts and municipalities.
With years of experience in horticulture, Parry’s interests in botany and agriculture have continued for over 35 years. He maintained South Pacific Palms nursery and South Pacific Stone Supply in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Parry founded Pura Vida Del Sur, a nature preserve and bio research station in 1989 on the Osa peninsula in Southern Costa Rica. Now, he is president of Conibo Organics based in the Philippines, processing and distributing coconut based fertilizers and planting mediums for organic farming operations. Parry lives in Del Mar, CA with his wife Jaclyn. As an original founder and member of the first CSM Board of Directors, he looks forward to contributing to its future.
Parry has a degree in Marine Science and Technology from Orange Coast College. He designed and manufactured the beachwear and women’s swimwear line Island Style in the mid 1970s. He opened the contemporary sportswear line Airtight in the early 80s. Shifting to a different career, Parry worked for several large insurance companies and became an employee benefits consultant for manufacturers, school districts and municipalities.
With years of experience in horticulture, Parry’s interests in botany and agriculture have continued for over 35 years. He maintained South Pacific Palms nursery and South Pacific Stone Supply in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Parry founded Pura Vida Del Sur, a nature preserve and bio research station in 1989 on the Osa peninsula in Southern Costa Rica. Now, he is president of Conibo Organics based in the Philippines, processing and distributing coconut based fertilizers and planting mediums for organic farming operations. Parry lives in Del Mar, CA with his wife Jaclyn. As an original founder and member of the first CSM Board of Directors, he looks forward to contributing to its future.
Severino’s primary interests and passions are travel, the cultural nuances of the U.S., English language, social media, fitness, and sports. These interests encourage and motivate him to innovate and invigorate himself in his professional and personal pursuits.
He earned his Bachelor and Master’s Degree in the U.S. and has over 30 years of professional experience in the fields of Customer Service, Sales, Business Management, Supply Chain Management, and Brand Management. He participates in professional activities with the same energy and optimism as he does with all life situations. Within his professional experience, Severino has had opportunities to work for multinational organizations and keeps enhancing his professional assets in different industries like consumer goods, chemicals, direct marketing, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive marketing, and tourism.
Severino's love for traveling, sports and California have enabled him to cooperate as a tourism ambassador with Visit Oceanside and as a Board Member for the California Surf Museum. He comes back to Southern California and to his beloved Oceanside on a regular basis.
He earned his Bachelor and Master’s Degree in the U.S. and has over 30 years of professional experience in the fields of Customer Service, Sales, Business Management, Supply Chain Management, and Brand Management. He participates in professional activities with the same energy and optimism as he does with all life situations. Within his professional experience, Severino has had opportunities to work for multinational organizations and keeps enhancing his professional assets in different industries like consumer goods, chemicals, direct marketing, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive marketing, and tourism.
Severino's love for traveling, sports and California have enabled him to cooperate as a tourism ambassador with Visit Oceanside and as a Board Member for the California Surf Museum. He comes back to Southern California and to his beloved Oceanside on a regular basis.
He went to work for the family business for the first time. A surf rep gifted Joe and his brother Jeff film-to VHS transfers of movies like The Endless Summer, The Cosmic Children, Five Summer Stories, and his all-time favorite: Island Magic. As a result, the Willix boys embarked on a mission to see every surf movie ever made.
Joe graduated with a Philosophy degree from Gettysburg College and worked for
Metropolitan Sunday Newspapers and Bride's Magazine before leaving New York to work for the United Way in Danville, VA. He joined his family in Texas to start an
internet company together in 1999, and then SWG Energy in 2007, which he is
President of today.
In 2018 Joe joined CSM as a volunteer to catalog and digitize the Museum's
collection of surf movies...a free service he'd been happily providing people for
years. With a closet full of old VCRs, he has digitized well over 500 titles over the
past 15 years, and he remains on his quixotic quest.
Joe currently resides in Oceanside with his wife Curry, surfs or kneeboards as often
as possible, and wakes up every day grateful to call North County home.
VOLUNTEERS
Rick Wilson
Events and Exhibits
Rick Wilson is a 4th-generation Californian who has surfed in southern California since 1962. An Oceanside resident since 2007, he is a regular dawn patroller at San Onofre, Oceanside Harbor and a secret reef break in Carlsbad. His day job is working as a Senior Staff Scientist for Surfrider Foundation, where he has been employed since 2002. He works on water quality and coastal preservation issues for Surfrider and represents Surfrider on several technical advisory committees. With a chemical engineering degree from Stanford University Rick worked for 30 years as an environmental engineer, manager and consultant before “retiring” to devote his time to protecting the coast and preserving surfing.
Jim Marmack
Jim Marmack
Rick Matthews
Dave Sheils
Jim Veltman
OUR STAFF
Gabe Burris
Customer Service
One of our most valued staff members, Gabe Burris has been with the California Surf Museum for over 5 years. A lifelong surfer, Gabe uses his all-round multiple set of skills to assist with everything from exhibit mounting, store sales, repair and maintenance of the interior and exterior facilities, along with logistic operations for events and exhibits. A professional painter, he also works in the construction business when he is not talking care of California Surf Museum needs. His favorite surf break is South Rock, Oceanside, where he can be found when not at duty at the museum. Gabe is a native of Oceanside, where he has resided for over 30 years.
Camille Cacas
Store Manager
A highly experienced store manager Camille Cacas is an ocean lover who is active in long distance swimming. An enthusiastic observer of the surfing culture her whole life, Camille works at her “dream job” as the Retail Manager at the Museum. She was Captain of the Women’s Field Hockey team at UC San Diego where she graduated with a BA in Sociology. She owned and operated Camille’s Hallmark store in San Diego for 13 years where she won the gold crown status award. After the store closed she took a trip around the world starting in Turkey and ending in Tahiti. Camille has worked in the gift and home décor industry for most of her career.
Tom Dahnke
Customer Service
Newest staff member Tom Dahnke honed his surf skills at Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, and still drives up to Bolsa Chica to catch some waves when he can. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton with a degree in history, Tom had a successful career with BMW and also is an accomplished musician. He began as a volunteer docent and was hired in November. Asked why he wanted to be a part of the CSM team, he said: “Oh my gosh – history and surfing are my two passions. I feel so lucky to be in touch with both here at the museum.” Tom and his wife Patty live in Oceanside.
Jane Schmauss
Historian
Jane Schmauss is one of the founding members of the California Surf Museum and a major figure in its development. Over the past 30 years, Jane has served as a volunteer, Board Director and President, and now enjoys her position as Historian. A San Diego native and graduate of San Diego State University, she has helped edit Surfing San Diego, a book on the region’s surfing history. Schmauss heads the CSM docent program serving as one of the museum’s most knowledgeable tour guides. She loves spreading the stoke of surfing to people from all over the globe come into this unique museum. Jane credits her son with teaching her the remarkable impact surfing has had on the California lifestyle and the world.
Sam Teeple
Accountant (ex officio)
With a background in property and casualty insurance underwriting & operations, Sam Teeple has increasingly emphasized the accounting side over the years. Pulled into the orbit of the Surf Museum through his long association with the Del Mar Bodysurfing Club, Sam has done work off and on for the Museum since 2019, and has officially kept the books for CSM since the beginning of 2023. "I'm really pleased to work with such a great group of committed folks," He says. "It's satisfying to see a worthy enterprise like this continue to grow."
PAST PRESIDENT
Daryl Dick
Membership Chairman and President Emeritus
Daryl Dick grew up on the east coast and spent a lot of time body surfing the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina. He started board surfing after moving to California in 1982. In 1991, he began volunteering with the California Surf Museum and joined the Board of Directors later that year. Daryl served as the President of the institution for 14 years and helped oversee bringing CSM to its current location. His professional career was in the nuclear power industry where he monitored and managed environmental releases – important, since the San Onofre Nuclear Power Station overlooks one of California’s most famous surfing beaches.
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Fernando Aguerre
Santiago Aguerre
Larry Balma
Linda Benson
Royce Cansler
Carl Ekstrom
Jack (Woody) Ekstrom, R.I.P.
Herbie Fletcher
Donna Frye
Tom Keck
Nat Young
Gary Linden
Steve Pezman
LJ Richards
Sandy Ordille
FOUNDERS
Mike Cates
June Chocheles
Don Fine
Steve George
Kevin Kinnear
Parry Payne
Stuart Resor
Jane Schmauss
Ian Urquhart
Catherine Woolsey
Ed Nava
(Logo design)
