
Former professional surfer and Hermosa Surfing Walk of Fame inductee Mike Purpus emerged from retirement to compete in the South Bay Boardriders Club contest in Manhattan Beach last Saturday. It was Purpus’ first serious competition since he was sidelined by bad hips in the early 1990s. “I was blown away by how well he surfed,” said SBBC co-founder Mike Balzer, who began his surf photography career when Purpus was a top ranked pro.