Good ideas are hard to come by, that is, unless if you’re one of the Aguerre brothers. In 2004 Fernando and Santiago Aguerre, the co-founders of Reef, parlayed surfing’s fun-loving attitude into a catalyst for change when, of all things, they threw a party. Initially a fundraiser for malaria stricken children in the Mentawais, Liquid Nation Ball has expanded into one of the largest, charitable, surf-based, humanitarian endeavors the industry has seen to date. Now a Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) facilitated fundraiser benefiting the SIMA Humanitarian Fund, this year Liquid Nation Ball 4 raised over $250,000 that was divvied up amongst 13 groups in areas ranging from health education and awareness, urban youth outreach, global medical relief, and injury prevention and assistance. Now, once a year, Fernando’s palatial La Jolla residence plays host to a guest list decorated with surf celebs, industry power players, and media personalities. In a short, four-year window, Liquid Nation Ball, an idea for change that started with something as trivial as a party, has raised over $800,000 for humanitarian efforts attached to or rooted in surfing. Conceptually the event is about raising awareness, but more practically the event is about what Fernando Aguerre calls “the social responsibility of success,” conditioning a desire to give back as an element of surfing’s evolving business dynamic. Inciting change isn’t easy – it’s bigger than being green or buying blue – but there are few things more influential than a good idea and Liquid Nation Ball certainly is one. 

A-List BFF: For Liquid Nation Ball 4, Kelly Slater sat on the Party Committee as its Honorary Chairman, and the Honorary Committee read more like the Surfing Hall of Fame with names like Lisa Andersen, Tom Carroll, Tom Curren, Mick Fanning, Laird Hamilton, Rob Machado, Sofia Mulanovich, Greg Noll, and Shaun Tomson.

Big Corpo Connection: Again, I point to the Honorary Committee. Names like Hurley, McKnight, Naude, Baker, Priesendorfer and Woolcott perk up the ears. Can you imagine what a meeting, if they actually had one, would be like? Everyone rolling in from their respective camps, passive aggressiveness spilling over, feigned compliments and determined handshakes abound. In my head I have it playing out a little, okay maybe a lot, like something out of The Godfather. I’ve seen who shows up to these things, and I’m not wrong, these guys are connected like the freakin’ mob. 

Arch Rival: Apathy. 

Greatest Hits: Reef.

Master of This Domain: Surf memorabilia. Not only could Fernando’s home double as, among other things, a surf museum, but he has amassed one of the most impressive collections of rare surfboards, rivaled only by one other of its kind in the world.  

Bling Factor: I’d pay to stay at Fernando’s house. 

Red Carpet Moment: Everything can be bought for the right price, even Fernando’s pants, which he auctioned off at this year’s event. He didn’t pocket the money. It went to charity.

California Roots: These Argentine transplants have homes in La Jolla and both have made their homes in California since ’84.