When DJ DIK is notified that he has nabbed the title of Best DJ for the sixth year in a row, he reacts genuinely surprised. “Every time, I’m like, I didn’t see it coming,” he says. Richard Podgurski, as he’s otherwise known, has had a busy year. He DJed for Facebook’s end of summer party on a yacht in Marina Del Rey and traveled cross-country for private and club events, while managing to continue his almost twice-monthly ragers at Sharkeez and American Junkie in the Hermosa pier plaza. “We’ve been working together for so long, it’s not even a residency — it’s a friendship,” he says of the two establishments. The South Bay 
native is simultaneously riding the wave of another passion: photography. Since one of his shots got picked up by Surfing Magazine, Podgurski says a constant stream of high-profile photography gigs has come his way. His daily schedule has become a “mesh” of the two, usually shooting by day and spinning beats by night. His recent sets have been ruled by hip hop, trap and deep house, with a dose of mellow “beachy” tunes. “You can’t force a vibe,” Podgurski says. “As they say, the best DJ is the one you don’t notice.” – EK
DJ DIK: DJDik.com
Runner up: DangerHouse, djdangerhouse.com
