Yancy Spencer III statue and appreciative fan.
Surfer Dude Statue
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Yancy Spencer III, aka "The Duke of the Gulf Coast," was so passionate about surfing that he opened a Florida surf shop when he was just a teenager. That surf shop was still in business when The Duke, age 60, dropped dead of a heart attack while surfing in Malibu, California.
Several hundred people attended the dedication of a beachside statue of Yancy on February 16, 2013, two years and two days after his final ride. Sculpted by Randy New, it depicts The Duke in middle age, with spray-slicked hair, board shorts, and a surfboard under his arm, gazing toward the water, looking for his next wave.
Spectators tossed rose petals at Yancy's feet, and his widow sang a song "Ride, Yancy, Ride," which ended:
Ride Yancy Ride, surf the winds of the heavens
From this earth you did depart, with a champion's heart!