‘Joe was a legend:’ Jacksonville Beach surfing legend dies, identified as person pulled from ocean

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Having surfed since 13-years-old, competing in the 1968 Surfing World Championship in Puerto Rico, winning the East Coast Surfing Championship in 1969, and later inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame, Joe Rolland was nothing short of local surfing legend in Jacksonville Beach.

“You know, Joe was a legend around here. He was a phenomenal surfer, he had a long career in surfing, everybody knew him,” Garett Carmichael, manager at Sunrise Surf Shop in Jax Beach told Action News Jax Friday.

Rolland, 73, died after washing ashore, still tied to his surf board, in Ponte Vedra Beach Thursday.

His younger brother, Vincent Roland, told Action News Jax Friday he doesn’t yet know how his brother died.

Garrett Carmichael said Friday that Joe had been coming into the Sunrise Surf Shop for decades, and that his memory will not be forgotten.

“Joe was just a really good guy. He was a good human being, a kind man, and he’s gonna be very missed in the community,” Carmichael said.

Though unable to interview with Action News Friday morning, Vincent Roland did say over the phone that Joe was not just a great surfer, but also a great brother, and that he’ll be sorely missed, but far from forgotten.

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