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Mostly Cloudy Remembering George Geiser
L.B. resident, avid surfer left an indelible mark on community
“I remember George surfing when he was eight or nine,” said Long Beach resident Elisa Gerber of her close friend, the late George Geiser. “It was his life — that was his yoga.”
Geiser, a Long Beach resident considered by many to be a local surfing legend, died in an auto-related incident in Puerto Rico on Nov. 7, 2009 at the age of 29.
“He was passionate about anything he did,” Gerber said. “He made sure he would be the best at anything he would do.”
Recently, family and friends of Geiser, better known as “Geeza,” united to honor his memory. The second annual George “Geeza” Geiser memorial paddle-out and surf contest was held at National Boulevard beach on July 14, a part of the second annual Surf Week event in Long Beach.
In the years since his death, the memorial paddle-out has become a prominent event in Long Beach, where many come together to share memories and stories of Geiser with one another, and to ultimately honor a man who left an indelible mark in the community.
An after-party was held in Geiser’s honor at the Beach House, where people flooded the restaurant to celebrate his memory. Many remember Geiser as someone who was adventurous, fun, fearless, and passionate for surfing.
Local surfer Cliff Skudin said that Geiser was well respected in the community, and described him as a “fearless” surfer. “He was pushing surfing to the next level,” he said. “George was a special person—he touched a lot of lives.”
Will Skudin, brother of Cliff, said that though Geiser is “greatly missed,” those in the community continue to remember and honor him. “We lost a good friend, and an amazing person,” he said. “It makes sense to get together once a year and do a contest in his name.”
Born on July 14, 1980, Geiser graduated from Long Beach High School, and eventually went on to attend college at the University of Hawaii, where he earned a degree in Biology. According to family, though Geiser originally aspired to be a doctor, when he graduated, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do next. He made the decision, family said, to come back to Long Beach. Later, Geiser decided on a career path, and worked as an insurance broker for the Edwin J. O’Toole Insurance Agency in Rockville Centre.
