"The only clubs that last are the ones with purpose."
Mike Martin, Founding Member
Where It All began
New Smyrna Beach has Deep Surf Community Roots
Long before the Smyrna Surfari Club was founded, local surfers were building a culture that would help shape one of Florida's most recognized surf communities. The area's first organized surf club, the Smyrna Surf Club, was formed in 1963 and was later followed by the Coronado Surf Club.
As surfing continued to grow along our coastline, a group of local surfers believed they could do more than simply share waves. They believed surfing could strengthen the community, create opportunities for young people, and leave a lasting impact beyond the beach.
Thirteen Founders. One Purpose.
their vision remains the foundation of everything the Club does
On April 1, 1979, thirteen local surfers came together with a shared vision. They wanted to build something greater than another social surf club.
Their goal was simple: support the sport they loved while giving back to the community that had shaped them.
Charlie Lyons
Marty Concannon
Charlie Hall
Charlie Baldwin
Bud Wright
Pat Altes
Skipper Eppelin
Mike Lary
Jim Smith
Mike Martin
Gordon Smith
Art Christensen
Tom Wright
In 1980, just one year after the Club was founded, members organized a surf contest, sold raffle tickets, and raised enough money to award the first Surfari Scholarship.
The scholarship totaled $500 and was awarded to Brian Millard, a New Smyrna Beach High School senior. Brian later founded his own CPA firm and continues to give back to the community as a member of the Smyrna Surfari Club Board of Directors.
That first scholarship established a tradition that continues today.
For decades, the Club has awarded scholarships to deserving New Smyrna Beach High School seniors while encouraging academic achievement, community involvement, and a commitment to the values that define our surf community.
Building a Legacy
Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond, the Smyrna Surfari Club became known for hosting well-run amateur and professional surf contests while supporting environmental stewardship, beach access, and community service.
The Club earned a reputation for bringing people together through competition, camaraderie, and a shared love of the ocean.
Of the original thirteen founders, eleven went on to earn college degrees, while the remaining two built successful careers of their own.
Their success helped prove what they had believed from the beginning: surfers could be dedicated students, business leaders, professionals, and community advocates.
fourty-seven years later
Nearly five decades after its founding, the Smyrna Surfari Club remains committed to the same principles that inspired its original members.
Today, the Club includes approximately 120 members, continues to meet monthly, hosts surf events, supports local students through scholarships, and remains actively involved in preserving the unique surf culture of New Smyrna Beach.
Many founding members still participate in Club activities, creating a rare connection between generations of surfers who share a common purpose.
The waves may change, but the mission remains the same.
To support surfing, serve our community, and leave the next generation with something even better than what we inherited.