Surf community mourns for Bay Cities Surf founder ‘Griff’ Houston

obit houston

Tom “Griff” Houston took up the ukulele after an injury forced him to give up flamenco guitar. Photo courtesy of Sparky Hudson.

Bay Cities Surf Club founding member and former Jacobs Surf Team rider Tommy “Griff” Houston passed away from an apparent heart attack at his Hermosa Beach apartment last Saturday night. He was discovered by his landlord Bob Reinhart, collapsed inside his apartment. He was 67.

In the early ‘60s, Houston was a smooth, but radical junior division goofy footer, placing in surf contests up and down the coast and appearing in ads for Catalina Swimwear.

After graduating from Hermosa’s Pier Avenue Junior High School, Houston went to Redondo Beach High School, where he competed on the water polo and swim teams, before transferring to Bishop Montgomery High School.

When he was 14 he spent the summer in France surfing La Bar in Biarritz. He lived in Hawaii for a short time in ‘63, returning several times in the ‘70s and ‘80s on sailboats. He and friend Pat Cahill owned three sailboats over the years and once brought Errol Flynn’s former, 75-foot Ketch Sirocco from Lahaina to Marina Del Rey.”

In 1995,  Houston revived the Bay Cities Surf Club with Tyler Hatzikian, Daryl Dickie, Chris Bredesen, Richie Short Davidson, Pat Cahill, John Witherspoon and Vince Ray.

He played flamenco guitar in local clubs until he he pinched a nerve in his neck that paralyzed two of his fingers. He then switched to the ukulele and often played for everyone’s enjoyment on the Strand, at Longfellow Avenue.

He worked as a boat and house painter and varnisher and acted in local plays. He was a regular  at the Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes libraries.

Houston had just celebrated 33 years of sobriety and was always helping people find their way. A Memorial paddleout will take place at 9 a.m. on August 22 in front of the Torrance Beach Lifeguard headquarters. A reception will follow. ER

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