Photo: InnerlightSurf.com
Gulf Coast surfing legend Yancy Spencer III died on Monday from a heart attack after surfing Malibu in California.
“He was very healthy, very fit,” his brother and partner, J.B. Schluter, told PNJ.com. “He surfed every day and paddled every day. That’s what we’re all shocked about.”
Spencer was well known as a pioneer for Gulf Coast surfing. As a competitor, he won Gulf Coast Championships, East Coast Championships, the U.S. Pro Longboard Championships, and the U.S. National Senior Mens Surfing Championships. Spencer also founded Innerlight Surf and Skate Shop in 1969, which currently has locations in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Destin, Florida as well as in Gulf Shores, Alabama. In 1996, Spencer was inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall Of Fame.
