Surfing legend and inventor of the bodyboard, Tom Morey, made a special appearance at the 2020 Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational.
The man who helped shape the sport of bodyboarding was invited to make the opening speech of the iconic contest held at Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
Surrounded by his wife, Marchia, and son, Sky, Morey delivered a witty, philosophical, and historical discourse that will surely be remembered for years to come.
"There's one thing I want to tell you," Tom Morey started saying.
"You are more than dick draggers. You are more than boogers. You are the hope of this freaking planet because you care about surfing. You care about enjoying the planet for the benefit it gives."
Stand United
The bodyboarding genius, 84, praised the wave riding community but also urged the water sports enthusiasts to unite and work together to make the Earth a better place.
"I'm telling you: you are the hope of the world. One day, a Jew was walking along the beach one day at Malibu," revealed Morey.
"It was a foggy day. He stopped, and he said: 'I'm from Israel. They make me think that we Jews hate the Arabs. We don't give a s--t. We just want to windsurf - that's all we want to do.' And that's what you guys do."
"You've got here a guy riding a foil, a windsurfer, someone kitesurfing, and we are the frontier of this place. The sky is the limit, and you are the future of space flight and pollination of our culture in the universe."
"Your children and grandchildren are part of the continuation. I love you all so much. Let's start the contest. Thank you very much."