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!

Surfer Dude Statue

Address:: 3 Casino Beach Boardwalk, Gulf Breeze, FL
Directions:: Look for the big water tower in the beachfront parking lot. The statue is on the beach in front of it, in a little grove of palm trees.

Nearby Offbeat Places

Indestructible Cross: First Catholic Mass, Pensacola Beach, FL - 1 mi.

Futuro - UFO House, Pensacola Beach, FL - 2 mi.

Graffiti Bridge, Pensacola, FL - 7 mi.

In the region:

Lady in the Bay, Elberta, AL - 26 mi.

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