“I probably have thousands of trophies,” says Pam Hill. “And now I can add in a ring.” Often, surfing fades in and out of the lives of many, even some Hall of Famers, like Pam’s friend and fellow Floridian Mimi Munro. But for Pam, surfing has been a constant, and, by the sound of her voice, a sport that is as nourishing and exciting for her today as it was in 1965, when she caught her first wave at Harvard Drive, in Jacksonville. It was not long after, in 1967, when she picked up her first trophy—at the Daytona Beach Junior Championships. She, of course, still has the trophy. Although she remained a regular competitor until 1997, Pam began contest directing in the 1980s, and these days she is the ESA’s Southeast Regional director. But her busy role hasn’t stopped her from helping out—or, more precisely, from being sought out by—other events around Florida, like the National Kidney Foundation’s surf festival. Though her commitment has been to ensuring contests are run smoothly and fairly, her passion has always been fostering the careers of young female surfers. “It’s cool,” says Pam. “Sometimes there are more girls out in the water than boys.” She gives a revelatory, deserving laugh here. “I never quit,” she continues. “To be acknowledged for all my hard work, all these years, is awesome. Surfing has been my life.”