Kem McNair
Kem McNair was a pioneer 1960s-1970s standout and junior member of the legendary Surfboards Hawaii and Hobie Surf Teams of the 60s. He was known by everyone for his radical cutting edge surfing well into the 1980s. He won numerous Junior Division titles including a Florida State Championship in 1968, the ECSC in 1969, and the Atlantic States Championship the same year. McNair became one of the top performers, one everyone looked to for the most progressive surfing.
In paddle racing he was untouchable winning every event he entered and was the #1 rated ESA paddler. McNair also represented the ESA in the ISA World Championship (aka, the World Contest) in 1972 in San Diego. During those early years McNair surfed for many of the most recognized surfboard companies at the time including the aforementioned Surfboards Hawaii and Hobie, as well as Design One, Weber, Dyno, and David Nu’uhiwa Surfboards. From 1971 to 1975 McNair owned and operated MCC Sun and Surf Shop in New Smyrna Beach and built MCG Surfboards. He later went on in the surfboard industry as an airbrusher and glasser at CB Surfboards in New Smyrna Beach contributing his incredible hand craftsmanship on thousands of surfboards. Today McNair is a professional artist and award winning photographer and is published in magazines and on numerous electronic and social media sites.
Photos by Pat Altes, Darin Back, Charley Hajek, Jason Obenauer, Eric Olsen, Larry Pope, John Rappold, Chad Shindoll, and Bob Whittemore
