There have been several notable local surf photographers over the past decades – Dave Skelton, Tony Caruso, Mike Whitehead, Dave West, Barrett McClean, John Russell, Alex Dantin, Chance Wallis, Bert Pittman, David Stone, David Faison, Freddy Esposito (I’m sure I’m forgetting a few). But, the guy who got the first significant image of Pensacola surfing published was the guy pictured here: John Hollingshead. John captured an incredible image of Yancy Spencer III in 1969 that Surfer Magazine printed as a two page spread. In my opinion that image helped establish a young Pensacola surfer as someone that the surfing world took notice of.