Well-known Huntington Beach surfer Casey Wheat was all about community – especially the tribe in the waters who shared his passion for the ocean.

Wheat, co-founder of the West Coast Board Riders club, died last year at age 49. He will be honored June 4 by the community he loved, in the place he called home, during a special induction into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach.

“Few people found as much happiness and peace in the ocean as Wheat. It was his refuge and his place to connect with other surfers,” the induction’s organizers said in an announcement. “He loved surfing and hanging out on the north side of the Huntington Beach Pier. Wheat played a big role in the revival of the West Coast Board Riders Club and other clubs along the California coast.  Wheat coordinated surf contests, while competing in those contests, as well as coaching groms.”

Wheat was born and raised in Huntington Beach. His great grandfather was one of the original owners of the Golden Bear nightclub and his grandparents owned and operated the snack shack and rental shops that are now Zack’s and Zack’s Too.

Wheat’s father, Steve, taught him to surf at a young age. In his senior year at Huntington Beach High School, Wheat helped the team win the surfing national championship, while inspiring younger surfers with his competitiveness and leadership.

Wheat, in 2015, teamed up with two lifelong friends, Ziggy Williams and Chris Moreno, to co-found the apparel brand SOKFY, which stands for “Sport of Kings, Forever Young.”

The following year, the same trio created a Huntington Beach Board Riders club, a way of bringing local surfers from Wheat’s hometown together. Word spread of the club and other cities wanted to create their own, and soon the West Coast Board Riders Club was formed, paving the way for surf clubs in beach towns up and down the coast.

Wheat in 2017 said he had been inspired by the 200 or so surf clubs around Australia that held friendly, but fierce, competitions – mostly for bragging rights.

“Basically, what we did was spark the movement and started calling out other cities. Anytime you call someone out, it’s going to tap into their ego,” Wheat said in a 2017 article. “It brought together the community, and that brotherhood from people from the same city.”

Soon events were held at various beaches from Santa Cruz to San Diego.

The clubs are tasked not only with proving their worth in the water, but also helping to give back in their local communities, from holding beach cleanups to movie nights to scholarship fundraisers.

Part of Wheat’s passion was passing along his knowledge to younger surfers, with pre-contest workouts led by experienced surfers and board members learning about life saving skills so they could help if there’s trouble in the water.

The Surfers’ Hall of Fame, held in front of Huntington Surf and Sport where surfing legends have put their hands and feet into cement for years, is the community’s way of giving back to Wheat.

“Casey Wheat was an amazing son of Huntington Beach and a Northside legend. We are honored and stoked to induct Casey into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame,” said Aaron Pai, founder of the event.

A day after the induction, on June 5, a surf contest in his honor, the WCBR Wheat Cup Championships, will be held, bringing together the top two clubs from around the state in each division to compete.

More information or to share memories about Wheat, go to: caseywheat.com.

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