Pepperdine University’s Nick Rodionoff is celebrated for his contributions as swimming and diving coach.
By Leslie Wade / Special to The Malibu Times
On Saturday, past and present prodigies of Nick Rodionoff, Pepperdine University’s head swimming and diving coach, gathered for a surprise celebration in his honor at Duke’s Malibu Restaurant, an event referred to as NICKFEST.
One by one, former and present athletes showed their appreciation for the man who has become an icon in the community, both as a coach and as a photographer. They shared anecdotes about the coach who influenced their lives in many ways, in and out of the pool.
“I grew up here in Malibu and I was the king of going down the wrong road,” David Anawalt, owner of Malibu Hardware and Masonry Supply said. “And this man came to me and told me I needed to swim. That was a big turn in my life. If I continued down the road I was on, I might not be here today.”
Some shared stories of championships won, and the sweat and tears that went into them, in addition to lessons learned.
“He taught me to be competitive,” said Bonnie Adair, head swimming coach of Rodionoff’s rival team, Loyola Marymount University. “I’ve interacted with his girls at Pepperdine and he does for them what he did for me. I think we are all the people we are in large part because of Nick.”
Others told stories of lifelong connections made because of Rodionoff.
“It’s been my honor to have met everyone in this room through Nick and I hold him in high regard,” television film producer Greg Bonann said.
The highly esteemed local icon is in his 12th season as Pepperdine University swimming and diving head coach and has lived in Malibu for more than 38 years with his wife of 43 years, Carrie. In his tenure as swim coach, Rodionoff has received numerous coaching honors, including being named to the U.S. Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association and receiving the Fred A. Cady Memorial Coaches Diving Award for his outstanding contribution to the sport.
In addition to his expertise as a coach, Rodionoff has devoted his spare time to photographing Malibu’s natural beauty. He and local Marion Hall collaborated on the book, “Malibu: California’s Most Famous Seaside Community,” and his work has appeared in publications like Outdoor and Surfer magazines.
During Saturday’s celebrations, the accolades continued.
“The point is that we all have a common thread. We are the people we are today because of Nick and the discipline he instilled,” Lucky Linder, a former swimmer at Birmingham High School, said of the gathering on Saturday.
Toward the end of the ceremony, everyone in the room was on their feet, from members of the recent graduating class at Pepperdine, to former swimmers and divers now in their late ‘60s, hooting and hollering in celebration and congratulations.
After receiving the standing ovation with a smile, the quiet and reserved coach addressed the room: “You go through all of this coaching stuff, and everyday is a new challenge,” said Rodionoff, who has coaching experience at high school, collegiate, national and international levels. “But you look back and say, ‘Wow, it’s all been worth it,’ and what a wonderful life it has been.”