http://beach.freedomblogging.com/2007/08/25/honorees-speak-at-watermans-ball/Honorees speak at Waterman’s BallAugust 25th, 2007 · Post a Comment · posted by sprice
Friday night’s Waterman’s Ball featured the most star-studded lineup of honorees in the event’s 18-year history.
The annual surf industry fundraiser for the environment in Laguna Niguel raised an estimated $500,000 for 16 different local, regional and national environmental groups, but even the rock-star status of honorees Lisa Andersen and Kelly Slater were upstaged by real rock star Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.
Four-time world champ Andersen received the Waterman of the Year award; Shaper and long-time director of the Hawaiian Triple Crown Randy Rarick was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award and Vedder, who much of the sold out crowd came to see, was named Environmentalist of the Year.
Vedder pushed the envelop of decorum for the room, proclaiming the Bush administration’s environmental policies “criminal,” but also asking “Why this tolerance for deception? At some point we are responsible.” He also said environmentalism has changed. “I don’t think it’s about chaining yourself to trees anymore, it’s about doing business right. It’s about finding a better business model.”
And Vedder said the idea of being given an award for environmentalism was “like being given an award for breathing. It’s what you have to do to stay alive.”
But Vedder also had some fun, taking a surfer’s point of view of work.
“I had a choice to write a speech or go for a three-hour surf with Mark Richards. I went for a surf.”
He also poked fun at his coziness with the big names of surfing. “I never got to see Hendrix play, but it’s OK because I got to see Rob (Machado) and Kelly (Slater) surf Pipeline. I never got to see Perry Como or Andy Williams either, but when I watch Rob and Kelly play golf, I think it’s the same.”
Andersen joked that her achievements paled in comparison to the evening’s special achievement honorees Slater and Layne Beachley. “Four’s not even a number,” she said. “You gotta have eight to be cool now.”
She praised her mother, who was in the audience, and said that family and being a good mom was now her highest priorities, then acknowledged the show running late. “I know you guys are waiting to get some drinks, so thanks for being quiet.”
Rarick described the joy of shaping over 12,000 surfboards: For every person I made a board for, the thought that I improved their surfing is thrilling to me.”
Slater, who’s acceptance speech started the evening, corrected Quiksilver CEO Bob McKnight.
“Bob said I came to Quiksilver when I was 18, which was untrue. I came to them when I was 10 and they didn’t respond.”
He said of his friend Vedder, “Eddie called me one time and said, ‘I want to take this surf trip to Florida.’ I said ‘That’s no surf trip. What’s her name?’”
He also joked about leaving a surf trip to accept the award. “I was in Fiji yesterday and didn’t want to leave, but I knew this would be a good night,” he said. “But I’m afraid to get a call from Shane Dorian that it was 10 feet and I missed it.”
– Shawn Price
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