TAILGATER HISTORY

Nestled in a narrow canyon that opens to the Pacific Ocean, Tourmaline Surfing Park is a haven for surfers from groms to the total waterman.  Among these are a loose-knit group of experienced surfers who banded together casually and call themselves the Tourmaline Tailgaters.
Their organization is casual—always has been—but their spirit is eternally Aloha.

The Early Days
The exact moment the group was formed is as vague as their organization chart—things just came together.  About 1993 the original members, many of whom had known each other for years, started staying at the beach after their surf sessions, sharing snacks and soda and regaling each other with stories of long-ago surf trips, surfers they’d known, and of families and friends.
First called the Donut Hole Gang, for the sweets one of the original members—Jack Hoog—brought to Tourmaline to share most weekends, they later became Tailgaters when their epicurean style more reflected the style of a football game parking lot..  the boxes of donuts grew to other foods, tables and folding chairs.  But the men in the chairs—Tom Davis, John Pruitt, Jeff Grant, Mike Neu, Hog, Pat Coronel, Bill Polick, Bob Wear, and Roger Cook remained a constant, and they shared their stories and laughter with everyone at the beach.
Occasionally the Tailgaters would travel together, to Mexico or the breaks of San Diego’s North County.  But their home was and is Tourmaline.

Let the Parties Begin
Sitting at the beach evolved into frequent parties at each other’s homes.  That led to discussions of a more formalized—well, “formal” probably isn’t the right word—group.  No one remembers exactly whose idea it was, but the Tailgaters decided to chip in $25 each per month to buy a surfboard and give it away to one of the members at the end of the year.
The idea caught on and it’s been a benefit of membership ever since.  Today, each member donates $300 a year toward the board.  But there’s always money left over so the community party was born.  This gave the members a chance to share more of their Aloha with their community.
For their first get-together about 1994, the Tailgaters rented a small room at Marina Village along Mission Bay.  The group hired a band, Hawaiian dancers and invited almost every surfer they knew.  If success is measured in sweat on the dance floor and a standing room only crowd, ‘Tailgater’s I’ was an overwhelming success.  Music and food were part of the party, but the highlights were the prize drawings for donated items such as gift certificates, t-shirts and the grand prize of a surfboard for the community.
With lessons learned from year one, the group chose a larger venue for party II, another success.  That tradition continues today.

Tailgater’s Today
Not content with being just the party guys, members came up with a way to honor Tourmaline’s surfers,the Tourmaline Memorial was built at the edge of the beach . 
In addition, members are quick to support Tourmaline surfers and their families in need.  They’ve helped raise funds for several people who found themselves with emergency and severe medical problems.
There are today 15 members of the Tourmaline Tailgaters Surfing Association and the group still has no officers, board of directors, advisors or formal organization.

Tailgater’s Future
Due to the popularity and the interest of the Tailgaters, this year we have undertaken to increase our membership. Each current member may invite a prospective member to join. We feel that The Tourmaline Tailgaters Surfing Association has become a valued and respected part of the surf community and therefore wanted to include other local surfers to see that our future as a group and the goodwill will continue on.