Paddle Out for Tayden Tomblin on December 10

Tayden Tomblin’s classmates will honor the life of their 17-year-old friend — who died following a skateboarding accident on Thanksgiving Day — with a paddle out on Wednesday, December 10, 4 p.m., at East Beach on the Santa Barbara shoreline. Tomblin, who was a senior at San Marcos High and played on the water polo team, was an avid outdoorsman and especially fond of the Pacific Ocean, where he loved to fish by hook and spear.

There will be more gatherings to come, according to Tomblin’s family, but this will be the first public event to honor him, and it’s all being put on by his peers and teammates. 

“Tayden had the biggest heart, and he only ever had good intentions,” said his friend Kate Crowder, who is helping to organize the paddle out. “He was passionate about many things, including the ocean, water polo, swim, culinary, science, animals, and his friends. He was so smart, and he accomplished so much during his limited time. My favorite memory of Tayden was when he caught a fish in the ocean, built a fire, and then cooked the fish on a rusty shovel and gave it to us to eat. Tayden, I will forever miss you.”

Crowder asked Tayden’s friends for their own memories. Here’s what they had to say.

“He was so adventurous and fearless, catching wild snakes and iguanas and catching fish to cook for his friends; he was so good at climbing trees and making bonfires, and just everything he did involved nature. He loved the outdoors.” —Lucia Mognis

“Tayden was just an amazing person. He brought so much joy and life to us. He was a great friend, son, brother, neighbor, and more to all. He lived a fulfilling life doing everything he loved with amazing people who surrounded him with love and affection. I’ll miss lots of things involving that boy. Seeing his face around, having him next door, spending Fourth of Julys together, parties we had, and so much more.

“He used to mess around a bunch when we had sleepovers with his sister. I’ll never forget when he stole our cookie dough while baking or when he first got his license. We made many memories, and I’m glad we grew up together. Side by side. We will all be here for the family, Tayden. Always loved. Rest well, crazy T.” —Isha Rajbanshi

“Tayden brought such energy into culinary every morning and wherever he was on campus. He was very passionate about the ocean, and everyone knew it. He would always bring in whatever he had caught and show it off, and his eyes would light up. What most people didn’t know was that he also made delicious sourdough bread, and every day, he tried to make it better, even though it was already delicious. I will miss the times when we would go to the beach or his comments on what we were making. He will truly be greatly missed by me and our entire community; I hope he rests well.” — Alexandra Shinn

“One of the goofiest, fun, and friendly teammates and friends you could have. He was the most excited, had the best energy, loudest laugh, happiest smile, and always looked for an adventure. He always gave spontaneous mini lessons and lectures about random topics (especially the ocean and biology) that were super specific, informative, and funny, of course. He would climb as many trees as possible and catch as many animals as he could find. He truly lived life to the fullest, making everything fun and everyone laugh, showing how much he loved and cared about everyone around him.” —Ryah M.

“Tayden motivated me and others through our team’s ‘Hell week’ and just anything anywhere.” — Cayden Smith 

“He would stay true to himself and talk about his passion for nature, no matter what anyone else thought.” — Kainan Gray

“You would never catch him without a smile on his face. He also always made sure to share his love and knowledge for the ocean with everyone around him.” — Alexandra Nocker

“He made everyone laugh no matter how bad the situation was.” — Ben Smith

“He was one of the most authentically kind people that I’ve ever known. He had so much genuine passion for everything that he did that just lifted everyone up around him.” — McKenna Stuart

“He was always so genuine about everything, and he was always focused on having the best time.” — Amelia Blouin

“Tayden was a great friend and teammate. I miss him so much, but I’m happy for the time I got to spend with him. He was always happy, I can barely remember a time when he was sad, and he always brought a smile to people’s faces, whether by telling a joke, or giving them food he made, or just being his goofy self. He was always in a tree or holding a snake or lizard or some other creature he found, and he loved nature and the ocean so much. Every time I go to the beach, I’ll think of him. We all loved him so much, and his loss has left such a big hole in our hearts.” — Loen McKenzie

“Tayden was so full of life. Every time I saw him at games, the beach, or just around school, he was smiling and enjoying every moment to the fullest. I will forever miss his smile and how adventurous he was.” — Fiona Johnston