There is nothing unusual about surfers gathered in the predawn morning, but today they weren’t just looking for the next set. They were looking back at the life of a man who touched them all with his passion for surfing and love of the community.

Thursday marked the First Annual Morgan's Wave of the Day Paddle Out Fundraiser in honor local surfing legend Mike Morgan. A native of the area, Morgan worked at Harbour Surfboards, went pro and turned surf announcer and was known as the  “Chuck Hearn of Surfing."  Rick “Rockin’ Fig” Fignetti, Morgan's announcing partner and friend, paddled Morgan's board during the paddle out by a few dozen surfers.

According to the Mike Morgan’s Wave of the Day website in his honor, “Mike, better known to all as “Morgan,” was a nationally ranked surfer in the early eighties. His talent landed him a coveted spot on the prestigious NSSA National Team. He moved on from his amateur career and became a world-class longboarder. From there, he went on to become an integral part of Chuck Dent Surfboards as well as a coach and overall proponent of youth surfing.
However, Morgan’s popularity in the sport was not generated from contest results. In the mid nineties, he started announcing the NSSA Jr. events, and became the official “Voice” of the Nationals. Morgan became a fixture at NSSA events every weekend either judging or calling the play by play.”

Morgan died in 2005 in his sleep. He was just 44-years-old.

In honor of his love for the community, Funds raised from donations and the sale of t-shirts at today’s paddleout will be donated to the Seal Beach Victim's Fund.