Because Nick would go. Lining up the day’s festivities in La Jolla. Photo: Nick Would Surf Jam
We all know what Eddie Aikau would do. The Hawaiian surf legend was known for “going” when no one else would, whether it was saving lives or riding massive waves — epitomized when, after his voyaging canoe, the Hokulea, capsized in 1978, he picked up a few oranges, hopped on his board and paddled toward Lanai for help, never to be seen again. Well, Nick Would, too.
On Oct. 27, 2022, longtime California surfer and Cal Poly graduate Nick Simon was killed at age 25 while on a six-week, van life surf safari to New Zealand with his girlfriend, Brooke Buchanan, when an oncoming car careened into his lane (Brooke survived the accident). A lifelong surfer, big mountain skier, mountain biker, and paddler who grew up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Nick’s spirit of selflessness, adventure, and helping others now lives on in the Nick Would Foundation, a donor-advised endowment fund created by is family to help people explore and preserve the outdoors and develop their artistic talent “to extend and expand the light and love Nick brought to our world.”
It’s a mission that’s resonating with donors. With a goal of raising $1 million and impacting at least 1,000 people every year, in two short years the fund has grown to $500,000, giving away $32,000 in 2025 and $29,000 in 2024 to various organizations. Recipients include everything from nonprofit ski programs for youth to adaptive surf camps and La Jolla’s Windansea Club, which last year hosted a paddle-out ceremony in Nick’s honor.
Joining such sponsors as Dom Fish Designs, Buena Vista, Layday, Creatures of Leisure, Moon Doggies, Otis Eye Wear, 805 and more, the venerable Windansea Club was also in full display as a supporter of this year’s second annual Nick Would Surf Jam fundraiser held in La Jolla on Saturday, Sept. 13.
In all, more than 70 competitors, from pros to newbies, descended upon Kellogg Park on San Diego County’s La Jolla Shores Beach to celebrate Nick’s spirit in a low-key surf comp awarding style, steeze, enthusiasm, and fun more than technical performance. With a variety of age categories for everyone from youngsters to legends and the surf gods serving up a user-friendly three-foot swell, entrants performed everything from headstands to board swapping in front of spectators and judges, all in the name of a good time, helping others, celebrating Nick’s spirit, and cherishing this short time we all have on this planet. And in the name of having fun in the sun, perhaps no one embodied his spirit more than women’s winner Bella Mattera, who donned ski poles and even snow pants to pole her way onto the podium.
Photo: NW Surf Jam
“Her performance was epic,” says head judge Matt White. “She paddled out in bright blue ski pants and ski poles and rode a wave in a ski stance, pushing along the water — it was super classic and creative, and the crowd went absolutely nuts. Then she tore the ski pants off and got about six well-ridden waves.”
In the Men’s division, he adds the board transfers were a thing of beauty, complete with party waves and surfers riding tandem. “That’s what the event is all about — pure enjoyment, inclusion, and creativity, and not to mention some totally legit surfing. Men’s winner Liam Casey threw some huge airs and stylish turns on a fish similar to Nick’s favorite board he rode at Cal Poly.”
A few pants also likely came off revelers at the raging awards party afterward at the Beaumont, where the stoke pulsated like the day’s swell.
“It’s all about having fun and sharing the love,” says Nick’s father Dan, touting his son’s surf safaris to Central America, to a solo bike-packing trip on the Continental Divide Trail. “Nick never missed an opportunity to get out and enjoy nature, and he loved getting others out there as well. He did it all and encouraged others to do the same — if he wasn’t skiing or surfing, he was mountain biking, rock climbing, or kayaking. He was also a gifted musician and songwriter, so that’s a big component of the fund’s grants as well. He inspired countless people in his short life, and this is the best way we can think of to keep that moving forward.”
Pretty good spot for an expression session built on fun. Photo: NW Surf Jam
While his life might’ve come to a screeching halt way too soon, the fund is ensuring Nick Simon’s legacy lives on while helping others enjoy life as much as he did. “Funds like these go a long way in helping smaller nonprofits, providing a much-needed source of funding for a variety of causes,” says Tim Wohlgenant, executive director of the Yampa Valley Community Foundation (YVCF), which manages the Nick Would Foundation. “Wherever accidents and other manners of passing claim the lives of cherished locals, they’re a great way for loved ones to generate funding mechanisms to keep their legacies alive while supporting an array of causes, from helping people pursue their dreams to preserving the environment.”
So, if you’re ever thinking about doing that thing, remember Nick and Eddie would…and you definitely should, too.
Nick Would Foundation Second Annual Surf Jam Results:
Men:
1. Liam Casey
2. Gary Griffis
3. Doug Cromar
Women:
1. Bella Mattera
2. Brooke Buchanan
3. Natalie Simon
Legends:
1. Nathan Jernigan
2. Brian White
3. Dan Simon
Info: Nickwould.com
