Tom Morey received a proclamation from the city of Oceanside for the invention of the bodyboard.
On October 6, 2021, at 5 pm, the Mayor of Oceanside, Esther Sanchez, and city council members welcomed Morey at Oceanside City Hall.
The ceremony and proclamation honored the surfer, engineer, musician, inventor, and philosopher's work in developing and creating a water sport.
A proclamation is a formal, ceremonial, solemn document issued and signed by the Mayor stating, recognizing, or paying tribute to individuals and organizations and their outstanding achievements or actions.
In most cases, the document features the Mayor's seal and is presented to the honoree in person.
Tom Morey's proclamation was attended by city officials, friends, family, and bodyboarding enthusiasts.
Marchia Morey, bodyboarding's First Lady, and industry veteran Patti Serrano were among the attendees.
The event and formality also honored and celebrated the importance of the invention of the boogie board to California and sports participation.
Tom Morey was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA, on August 15, 1935. He rode his first wave on a surf mat aged nine and earned his bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of Southern California in 1957.
More Doors Opened To Riding Waves
But the Oceanside proclamation goes a little bit further.
It clearly states that Thomas Hugh Morey opened more doors for people to ride waves worldwide than any other person in history.
For the special and emotional occasion, the honoree brought the first and original boogie board shaped on July 7, 1971.
In 2021, the bodyboard celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The California Surf Museum commemorated bodyboarding's Golden Jubilee with "Let's Boogie! Tom Morey and the Evolution of the Boogie Board."
The exhibit on display at Oceanside features the story, photos, and objects that help understand the sport's popularity across the planet.
The California Surf Museum named Tom Morey its yearly "Silver Surfer Honoree" for 2021.
The impact bodyboarding had in water sports and surf culture has already been officially acknowledged by American states and cities.
The State of Hawaii and Imperial Beach, California, have passed proclamations declaring July 9 the "Day of the Boogie."
In the 1970s, the bodyboard pioneer ran a factory at Roosevelt Street in Carlsbad, just a couple of miles south of Oceanside.