Event Artist

2026 Featured Artist: Tim Bessell

At a young age, Tim Bessell was exposed to the infectious world of art by his mother. Over time, the interest and appreciation for the subculture would soon shape his future to come.

By the age of thirteen, Tim began shaping surfboards from La Jolla, California. Within several years, he had established himself as a professional shaper; working with legendary board companies including Lightning Bolt of Hawaii and Caster Surfboards of San Diego.

After fine-tuning his craftsmanship, Tim started his own company, Bessell Surf Boards. Throughout his career, Tim has managed to produce over 48,000 boards that can be found in the hands of surfers around the world.

Tim has perfected his work as a surfboard shaper, but more importantly defined himself as an artist. With extensive shaping experience and sincere passion for contemporary art, it was only a matter of time before he would merge the two together to form the Artist Series.

The Queen and The Prince

Created exclusively for this year’s Legends of Science and Surfing, “The Queen and The Prince” is a one-of-a-kind artwork that honors his mother, close friends Rell Sunn and Chris O’Rourke, and all those impacted by cancer. The piece will be featured in this year’s luncheon auction.

Past Event Artists

*In remembrance of artists we’ve lost.