Mike Downey – A consummate waterman for the past 30 years, Mike has charged hard up and down the coast, including a near-death experience surfing Morro Bay harbor several years ago when it was closing out across the channel. M.D. is a Pilates trainer and surfing coach in Huntington Beach, announces contests and works with people in the surf industry to advance the Society’s goal of “sharing the stoke of surfing.”
Matt Hagemann – Secretary of the Board and the man who keeps us in line with the I.R.S. as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. A surfer going back to the Mickey Dora years at Santa Monica State Beach, Matt has also been a U.S. EPA regulator and is a leading expert on soil contamination from toxic chemicals. He’s married with two children, and third on the way… and just bought a new windsurfing rig to replace the ones he’s worn out over the years.
Maggie Hood – Started the Surf Safety Alliance in response to some gnarly barnacle-encrusted local running over her daughter at C-street — and only thanks to a rescue performed by another surfer and a fast trip to the emergency room, her daughter’s life was saved and she’s surfing more than ever. But Maggie was not going to let the whole thing slide — if it could happen to a young lady just trying to have some fun, it could happen to anyone. Go to our Surf Safety Alliance page to learn how you can be a part of the Surf Safety Alliance, now involving surf schools and new surfers up and down the coast.
Rob Woods – A main man behind the Rincon Invitational, Rob has worked for Patagonia for years and is a true pillar of the surfing community in Ventura County. A former Coast Guard serviceman, he’s traveled all over the South Pacific and can be found in the water any time the waves are good at C-street. If there is one guy who exemplifies the true spirit of “sharing the stoke of surfing” it is indeed Rob Woods.