The Interview Nick Matousch interviews Chip Miller Surf Fest Founder Nick Bricker
The Chip Miller Surf Fest was cancelled this year, but you can still make a donation at www.chipmiller.org
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HE Chip Miller Surf Festival is about more than just surfing. It's about raising awareness and research funds for amyloidosis, the disease that took the festival namesake’s life. To Nick Bricker – the event founder, current board member of the festival and realtor in his day-to-day life – this is a very personal matter. Having looked up to Chip Miller as a father figure for most of his life, Nick spends the majority of his year organizing the annual Ocean City event and acting on the lessons of fatherhood Chip and his own father taught him. What goes into the planning process of the festival? We start planning for the event the day after the current one. We have to pick a date because [Chip’s son] Lance Miller, my best friend, has a demanding work schedule. We talk to the city for permitting, the water park for the after party. We have meetings bi-monthly in the winter, and then as Memorial Day comes, we try to meet every other week, just to iron everything out. There are judges, tabulators, online registration and heats. We have a lot of local reps who set up tents. There is more to a surf contest than everyone sees. What has resulted from the event? It's raised a lot of money and it's done an amazing job getting word out about the disease. We had Bethany Hamilton come for years and talk about it. It has done an incredible job raising awareness. I care about the awareness. When (Chip) passed away I'd never heard of the disease he had passed from. I thought if I could just do something, and surfing was what I knew, this could raise awareness of the disease. Why's it important to get involved in community through charity work? Without local businesses, supporting fundraising efforts, we would not have a community.
How did you meet Lance? I was probably eight or nine years old on 16th Street. One day we saw this kid riding with this really killer bike and we stopped him. Was Chip always involved in Lance’s activities? Chip always a big supporter of whatever Lance and all his friends were into. He was the dad that if we wanted to go surfing he would drive us. He would load up the van and sit on the beach until we were done. He would make sure we had food and went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of. What have you taken from Chip and your own father? They always supported us with enthusiasm. My dad always supported me because that's what made me happy. I'm trying to do that with my son. Let him be happy, but make sure he makes the right decisions. How did you get started in surfing? I used to go to the beach at 15th Street when I was six or seven years old. I used to see these kids, the Brown brothers. They had these banana boards and would surf all the time. I started hanging out with them and they taught me how to surf. The first time I stood up I was hooked and never looked back. How has surfing changed since then? When we were kids it was fend for yourself. There weren't surf lessons or camps. It was 'go figure it out yourself.' Now you see parents take their kids all over to support surfing. My dad said, “We live on 17th. Go ride your bike to the beach and surf there.” Favorite place to eat in Ocean City? Hula, Red’s, Sandwich Bar, and Uncle Bill's. They are all in a rotation and I go to them as much as I can. 11
