Hundreds of people gathered in Pacific Beach Monday morning to celebrate the life of a man considered an icon in the local surfing community.
A ceremonial paddle out was held at Tourmaline Surf Park for Larry Gordon, co-founder of the surfing and clothing company Gordon & Smith. Gordon passed away on New Year's Day at age 76 due to Parkinson's disease.
Besides co-founding G&S with Floyd Smith, Gordon was one of the first people to make surfboards out of foam.
To those in the San Diego surfing community, Gordon was much more than a business owner -- he was a member of the family who would do anything for anyone.
"We're celebrating Larry's life … we're just happy for him that he's free from his disease that limited his ability to live his life to its fullest," said his wife, Gayle.
