The Sportswalk to the Waterfront, San Pedro, California’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has announced the 2009 honorees to be inducted on October 12 in San Pedro’s historic downtown district.
This year’s inductees include:
George Allen, a Pro Football Hall of fame coach who holds the NFL’s third best winning percentage behind Vince Lombardi and John Madden. Allen never had a losing season in the NFL or USFL and his pinnacle coaching season came in 1972-73 when his Redskins team won the NFC title before losing to the unbeaten Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VII.
Mike Stamm, a world class swimmer who won two silver medals and one gold medal at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. Stamm was born in San Pedro and later moved to San Diego where he was a high school All-American swimmer and was later an NCAA champ at Indiana.
Greg Noll is considered by many to be the greatest big wave surfer ever. He grew up surfing in Palos Verdes and later became a surfing legend by conquering the huge surf in Hawaii. Surfboards designed by Noll are some of the most sought after in the world.
Tim Hovland and Mike Dodd formed one of the legendary two-man teams in the history of beach volleyball, competing in 163 tournaments together and winning 50 over a ten year career before splitting up in 1990.
Marty McSorley enjoyed a 19 year career in the National Hockey League with six teams, including the Los Angeles Kings. McSorley, considered one of the toughest guys to ever play in the NHL, won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers alongside teammate Wayne Gretzky before they were traded to the Kings in a multi-player deal.
Ashley Esparza, a San Pedro High standout softball player, was three times named the Los Angeles City Player of the Year. After graduating, Esparza attended Penn State on a softball scholarship where she was first team All-Big Ten and third team All-American.
San Pedro native, George Padovan led Harbor College to the 1956 California junior college basketball championship and continued his college career at Oregon before playing professionally in the old American Basketball Association for the Anaheim Amigos.
This year’s Trani Award winner, for contribution to local athletics, is Gene Vollnogle. A longtime high school football coach for Carson and Banning, Vollnogle had a 289-73-1 record over his 38 year career, including 10 Los Angeles City championships.
Ed Arnold, the voice of the Sportswalk, will receive a special Humanitarian Award for his achievements both inside and outside of sports. A legendary media figure in Los Angeles, Arnold has won many sportscaster awards, including an Emmy and the prestigious Golden Mike.
The induction ceremony, which takes place at 10am on October 12th, will recognize these great athletes with the installation of a bronze plaque for each honoree into the sidewalk of historic downtown San Pedro on Sixth Street between Palos Verdes and Centre Street. Immediately following at the same location is a noon luncheon at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Ticket reservations are $45 and can be made by calling the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce at 310-832-7272
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