On January 16, 2003, more than 220 Caymanians gathered at Grand Cayman's Harquail Theater to honor some of scuba diving's most important and impressive pioneers. The program led with a keynote speech by the Honorable W. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP, Minister for Tourism, Environment, Development & Commerce. He pointed out the importance of diving to the Caymanian economy and how the history of the Cayman Islands is interwoven with the history & development of diving. The Cayman Islands are regarded as the birthplace of diving tourism in the Caribbean. First on the evening's program was the presentation of a new MINISTRY OF TOURISM AWARD, in recognition of local Caymanian diving pioneers who have helped to build the Cayman Islands' worldwide reputation for diving hospitality and scuba service. Recently established by Minister Bush, the award program identified six well-known Caymanian residents as the first to be placed on the HONOR LIST: Left to right: Sam McCoy, Ron Kipp, Clint Ebanks, Minister McKeeva Bush, Arthle Evans, Adrien Briggs ADRIEN BRIGGS - As a teenager in the early 1960's he learned to dive with Bob Soto's Diving Ltd. He presently owns and operates the well known Sunset House Resort and Sunset Divers Ltd., which was founded in 1972. Adrien is also a shareholder in Red Sail Sports Ltd., a premiere watersports company in the Cayman Islands. ARTHLE EVANS - Arthle has owned and managed his own dive business - Quabo Dive Cayman - for the last 27 years, and has been in the scuba diving business for over 35 years. He is a SSI Platinum Card holder, a PADI Instructor and senior dive master. CAPT. CLINTON EBANKS - Capt. Clinton began diving and working part-time with Bob Soto's Diving, Ltd. from the age of 10. He started his own dive business in 1978 called Clint Ebanks Scuba Cayman. Capt. Clinton retired in 200, having served the Cayman Islands diving industry for over 43 years. RON KIPP - Former owner and manager of Bob Soto's Diving, Ltd. since 1980, Ron is an original member of the DEMA Board of Directors and a past President of the Cayman Islands Watersports Operators Association. He retired last year; however, Bob Soto's continues to be one of the foremost scuba diving companies in the world. SAM McCOY - A true tourism pioneer in the Sister Islands, Sam initiated fishing and diving services in Little Cayman in 1966. He opened the family business - Sam McCoy's Diving & Fishing Lodge - in 1982, which he still owns and operates. The main event for the evening program consisted of five video presentations, depicting the history of diving's prestigious pioneers that have been inducted into the INTERNATIONAL SCUBA DIVING HALL OF FAME for 2003. These men were being honored for their outstanding achievements in the development of recreational diving, dating back as far as the 1930s: JIM AUXIER & CHUCK BLAKELEE - Described as ''The Wright Brothers of Sport Diving in America,'' this pioneering team founded Skin Diver magazine in December 1951. Jim was the publication's first Editor and Chuck was the Advertising Manager. As America's ''Voice of Diving,'' their magazine sponsored the beginnings of underwater photography, encouraged women in diving and promoted scuba education. During its five decades of monthly publication, Skin Diver magazine became an international icon of the diving world. JORDAN KLEIN - Owner and operator of one of Miami's first dive stores, Underwater Sports; Jordan operated of Miami's first dive boat, the Arbalete. Eager to photograph his undersea world, Jordan built his own underwater camera systems and the founder of Mako underwater cameras & housings. He subsequently became the founder of Mako Air Compressors. Jordan went on to become underwater director/cameraman for more than 100 major motion pictures such as Thunderball, Flipper, Splash, Cocoon and Jaws. Jordan was also designer/builder of numerous submarines, underwater scooter, shipwrecks and other props used in these movie productions. JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU - Pioneer marine environmentalist worldwide; author of numerous books on diving exploration; prolific filmmaker and TV producer, prominent lecturer for the Cayman Islands; producer of film on the Russian Destroyer wreck sunk in Cayman Brac. Jean-Michel is the son of Captain Jacques Ives Cousteau and continues his father's work in communicating the importance of saving our oceans. Today, Jean-Michel is President of OCEAN FUTURES SOCIETY and travels the globe, meeting with world leaders and policymakers to help energize alliances for positive change. FREDERIC DUMAS - A French champion spearfisherman in the late 1930s, Frederic Dumas became a close friends with Jacques Cousteau and Phillipe Tailliez, and were known as the ''Three Sea Musketeers.'' Together they wrote The Complete Manual of Free Diving. Frederic was the first to test the ''Aqua Lung'' to 200 feet off Marseilles for fifteen minutes in October 1943 and went on to participate in the first 500 dives with this new underwater invention. From the logs of these dives, Frederic co-authored the diving classic, The Silent World, with Capt. Cousteau. A prolific writer, Frederic developed an intense interest in underwater archaeology and authored several books on ancient shipwreck discoveries in the Mediterranean Sea. FRANK SCALLI - Frank began diving in 1953 and graduated from the first YMCA Scuba Instructor Certification in 1959. He went on to become a pioneer of YMCA scuba training in the New England region. He eventually served as a Board of Director member for YMCA, NAUI and PADI. He established scuba instructor programs at 22 northeast colleges and universities, including Harvard, M.I.T., West Point and the Annapolis Naval Academy. Frank joined the Boston Sea Rovers in 1956 and later became the club's president and founder of the Boston Sea Rover's Underwater Symposium - now a prestigious annual event. Frank joined U.S. Divers in 1961 and rose to the position National Sales Manager until his retirement in 1985. The evening ceremony ended with a brief message by Lania Rittenhouse, Director of Tourism, acknowledging and thanking all of the Caymanian companies that contributed to the evening event. She gave special thanks to Jack & Sue Drafahl of Image Concepts, who collected all of the historical information and produced the video presentations of each inductee. The event was the 3rd annual induction ceremony. An official Diving Hall of Fame Board of Governors oversees the INTERNATIONAL SCUBA DIVING HALL OF FAME project. These Board Members are comprised of internationally recognized individuals that have contributed to the sport and are actively involved in the scuba diving industry and individual leaders of the local community.