Vol. 4, No. 7, July 2007
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Local Legends
At the Jersey shore, every surfing spot has its own locals. Amid the wetsuits, wax, beers and boards, a combination of family and fraternity is formed. While the Atlantic Ocean may not be known for its outstanding surfers like those frequenting the Hawaiian Pipeline or California coast, this area is home to many surfing greats who double as casino managers, officials and lawyers.
Jack Placter,
Fox Rothschild
Age: 57
A Margate native, Jack Placter began surfing at age 14, but found a real passion for rowing, pushing the surf scene to the back burner. Eleven years ago, his son, Rick, wanted to learn to surf, forcing Placter back into the waves and leaving him wondering whatever made him stop.
Now an environmental lawyer, Placter starts every day with a dawn surf session.
“I wake up at 5 a.m. and surf until I need to be at work at 9 a.m. It’s a great way to relax and start the day,” says Placter. “It’s a great way to live life. It’s just incredible.”
Placter, whose office is on South Carolina Avenue, keeps three of his 11 surfboards handy in the office in case some good waves form around his lunch break. He isn’t the only surfer at Fox Rothschild. His associates Jake Perskie and Peter Sarkos also have caught the wave-riding fever.
“Peter just bought a longboard and I am teaching him to surf. It is such great exercise, and an excellent way to relax, no matter what your line of work is,” says Placter.
Bob McClay
,
Tropicana Pit Manager
Age: 47
Bob McClay is a veteran of the Jersey shore surfing scene. He began surfing 37 years ago at the Ventnor Pier, and his passion for the water continues to grow.
“When you have a great surf session, it’s like you are bulletproof,” he says. “Nothing can stop you for the day—it’s a special feeling.”
Surfing is more than a hobby for McClay. It is a lifestyle, from the clothes he wears to the artwork around his house. He joined the casino industry in 1978 and currently works as a pit manager at Tropicana.
“There have been times where I have surfed until 11:07 a.m. in Atlantic City, driven back to Brigantine to shower and throw on a suit, and been back at the Tropicana by my 11:45 a.m. shift,” says McClay. “Sometimes the waves are just that great; you want to get every minute of it.”
McClay spread his love for surfing as the cofounder of the Brigantine Waveriders Association. For 15 years under McClay, the association held an annual Surfest including a surf contest, music, barbecue and various other events. While he no longer runs the group, McClay is still active in the surfing community and reminds his fellow surfers to “be good to one another, keep surfing and wear sunscreen.”
Mike May
, VP of Table Games, Bally’s
Age: 51
Mike May started surfing at 11 years old, when his best friend Glenn got him started on a 9’6” longboard. Today, the Margate resident gets out into the water with his shortboard any opportunity he can get.
May has surfboards strategically placed throughout the country in Florida, California and Hawaii to take a quick surf trip if the work schedule allows, although Atlantic City beach is his home spot.
A 28-year veteran of Bally’s, May, who is vice president of table games, uses the varying casino schedule to his advantage.
“I can get in the water early in the morning and report to work after a good surf session,” says May. “It’s funny—the other surfers thought I didn’t work because I was out there. I always have a surfboard in my car, and any opportunity to get out in the water I take, no matter if it is before or after work.”
May says surfing really is his life, and he cherishes the experiences he has had surfing with his sons and the Eastern Surfing Association over the years. Last September, he claimed first place in the Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation contest in the 40-and-over division.
