Cocoa Beach Surf Museum Pays Tribute To “The Godfather”
Dick Catri Honored at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum
- April 8, 2010
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- By Story/Photos By Patircia Light
“If you stay in the same place long enough, you become a legend no matter what you do,” laughs Dick Catri, acknowledging his legendary status in a self-deprecating manner as he addressed a rapt audience at the opening of the annual Easter Extravaganza at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum April 3. The event, which is a annual fund-raiser and a “friend raiser” focuses attention on the organization and was attended by numerous surfing royalty and hall of fame members, including Cecil Lear, the founder of the ESA and co-founder of the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame
“We have so many choices for exhibitions,” says Tony Sasso, Executive Director of the Museum, which has been developing over the past decade with the mission of preserving, educating and sharing the history of Cocoa Beach’s surfing heritage. “But Dick is the Godfather of East Coast Surfing, and we feel it’s time for him to get the recognition he deserves.”
Along with being a quintessential surfer himself, Catri coached the Surfboards Hawaii and later the Hobie Surf Teams, which cleaned up everywhere they went in the ‘60s. And how could they not, with a roster that included Gary Propper, Mimi Munro, Joe Twombly, Fletcher Sharpe, Mike Tabeling. The teams put Cocoa Beach and East Coast surfing on the world map, consistently walking away with close to 100% of the titles at any given heat. (At one point, according to Twombly, they actually had to rent a U-haul to carry the trophies.)
The exhibit, on display through summer, features archival photographs, vintage Catri boards, documentary footage, and surfboards from the world-class collection of Roy and Pam Scafiti. Don’t miss this chance to view some true surfing history, up close and personal.
For more information:
www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org