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!
CSM Pitch Booklet
Design by: Tara Torburn
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
Jeff Duclos
President
Jeff Duclos grew up in San Diego and began his surfing journey in 1962. After graduating from San Diego State, pursuit of an advanced degree at UCLA’s film school brought him to Los Angeles and, in time, a more than 40 year stay in Hermosa Beach. He has enjoyed a long career in entertainment public relations, working for both NBC and ABC Television Networks, and eventually starting his own company.
He also served as two-term Mayor of Hermosa Beach and is a recently retired instructor in journalism and public relations at Cal State Northridge and UCLA. In 2013, he was honored to be named as the California Coastal Commission’s South Coast alternate appointee, representing Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Beyond his career, creative writing and exploring surfing history has always been his passion and shadow work. Beginning in the 1980s, his stories have appeared in Surfer and Longboard, as well as other publications. His account of early women surfers in California is included in Andrea Gabbard’s anthology, Girl in the Curl – A Century of Women in Surfing. Jeff is also a former senior editor and contributor to Marty Sugarman’s beach lifestyle literary magazine, H2O and currently serves as senior editor of the nationally syndicated health column, “C Force.”
Beginning in the 1990s, Jeff served as the chair of the Malibu Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and as a member of the Surfrider Foundation’s Board of Directors, working to secure coastal access and reduce ocean pollution. For his many years of service in protecting the coastal environment, he received the Surfrider Foundation’s 2006 Board of Directors Award. He is also a two-time recipient of VOICE's (Volunteers and Organizations Improving the Communities Environment) Environmental Hero Award and, in 2013, was named as one the Wyland Foundation’s “Earth Month Heroes.” As a young man, he served more than six years with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, where one of his responsibilities was patrolling San Diego Harbor to protect against water pollution violations. Jeff currently lives with his wife Christine in Carlsbad.
Tom Gibbons
Vice President
Tom joined the CSM Board of Directors in September of this year and brings a strong surfing and academic component to our Board. He retired after 46 years of diverse teaching experiences from middle school through the university level with proven administrative and staff development experiences. When he retired, he was serving as the History/Social Science Consultant serving 81 public school districts, 1.5 million students and over 70,000 certificated staff in Los Angeles County. Prior to that he was the Director of History/Social Science education at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
Tom’s academic area of expertise is South Asia and has been a member of U.S. delegations to India and the Czech Republic. He has served on several state and national boards relating to history education and has been president of many professional organizations, as well as serving as the director of a number of grant-funded projects. He has received national recognition for his efforts. Tom has also published or produced 45 articles and satellite television productions.
Surfing and the ocean have been an integral part of Tom’s life. He is the son of a career Navy Master Chief and first mat surfed in Seal Beach in 1950. In 1955, he purchased his first balsa Dick Barrymore surfboard and was hooked. He started teaching surfing at Orange Coast College and Cal State Long Beach and did so until 2018, becoming the first and only Professor Emeritus of Surfing connected to the college/university level. Tom was also a co-founder and first president of the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA), a founding director of the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum and has served in several educational/surfing capacities with other surfing organizations. He has taught thousands of students how to surf as well as coaching a world champion.
Tom’s lifelong goal for surfing has been to preserve the heritage of surfing and improve its image by bringing together the educational and surfing communities. He currently shares his time between Seal Beach and Palm Desert with his wife, Barbara (a retired elementary school principal) and their Labrador retriever Avalon.
Parry Payne
Secretary
Parry grew up in Long Beach, California and began surfing in 1963. He glassed surfboards in his teens to finance surf trips along the California coastline and Mexico. 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.
Danny Quisenberry
Treasurer
Danny Quisenberry grew up surfing North County San Diego, and has had consistent opportunities to live near dream breaks around the world, and to travel to many others, to feed his lifelong surf passion. 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).
John Bishop
John Bishop has been affiliated with the CSM since its inception and has served on the Board of Directors since (YEAR). 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.
Louise Balma
Louise Ravera Balma is an artist and architect who designed and supervised the build-out of CSM’s building. 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.
Shea Roney
A retired professional longboard surfer Shea serves as President for the Swami’s Surfing Association. Along with three Rob Machado Festival wins under his belt, he is a three-time CSF champion, a two-time NSSA College Nationals finalist and the 2019 United States Senior Men's Longboard Champion. Shea has successfully coached two ISA champion longboarders and four California State champion high school competitors and is now Torrey Pines High School Surf Club coach. Born and raised in Cardiff, California, he attended MiraCosta College studying Art History of Oceana and Small Business Management. He has a human resources background and currently works as an advisor/auditor in the hospitality industry. His focus is on bringing the younger surfing generation to the museum as well with promoting and organizing special events.
Eric Munoz
A native of coastal Southern California, Eric has a degree in Physical Geography (SDSU) and was trained in Baja California for surf travels around the world. Career experience includes planning staff for the cities of Del Mar and Carlsbad, and private sector land use consultant with a focus on coastal planning. Community service includes president for the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation and board member for the California Shore and Beach Preservation Association. Other roles include writer, public speaker, author, and TED Educator for coastal issues (including Caulerpa taxifolia). With a passion for ocean health, surfing, and coastal communities worldwide, Eric is honored to be on the leadership team for the California Surf Museum and to advance the goals of our Mission.
Brian Logan
Brian originally grew up in Hermosa Beach (The original surf city) in the 50's and 60's and 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.
Severino Ricci
Severino was born and raised in the south of Italy then he moved to Milan, where he currently lives. 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.
VOLUNTEERS
Tara Lee Torburn
Creative Director
Intensely involved since its inception, Tara Torburn joined the California Surf Museum Board of Directors in 1991. 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.
Kevin O'Keefe
Jim Marmack
Rick Matthews
Dave Sheils
Jim Veltman
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.
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)
Jeff Warner
Web Guru
Web guru, graphic designer, surfer, most important job - Dad.
Lucky to be part of such a great organization and fantastic people!
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
Jean Keller
Gary Linden
Steve Pezman
LJ Richards
Nat Young
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)
