Surf City's big kahunas

The pair don't only screen surfing, but most of their movies come from new action sports filmmakers looking to get their films shown in theaters. It's tough for a new director to get his action sports feature in front of an audience, especially with the whole genre being relegated to DVDs and videos.

Dave and Leslie provide an opportunity for young filmmakers to screen their movies at four theaters in Southern California, including the old Mann Pierside Cinema near Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street. And don't think this is any ballet experience ? the Carlos' love it when audiences hoot, holler and yell at the screen as up-and-comers shred some of the most brutal left and rights ever filmed.

10. Robert August

Favorite surf spot: Witch's Rock, Costa Rica

Influenced by: Surfing father Blackie August

He's one of the most famous longboarders in the world, but it was almost not meant to be.

Robert August, the king of California surfing and Mr. Cool Man in the 1960s, almost chose a different path as a youth and became a dentist. Thankfully for the surfing world, a friend talked him out of it, and instead he pursued his passion: longboarding.

August is best known for his starring role in "Endless Summer," the Bruce Brown film featuring August and Michal Hynson as they scour the globe in search of the perfect wave. The film was incredibly popular, exposing the country and the rest of the world to the sport of surfing, ushering in a crush of newcomers to beaches like Huntington, Malibu and Santa Cruz.