HB's Chuck Linnen--A Surf City Icon

By Chris MacDonald, HB Ambassador/The Local News Columnist

If you go to the Huntington Beach Pier as regularly as I do, chances are you'll see a whistling, muscular, jovial Surfing Icon, who looks no where near his 80+ years. As he strolls down the pier, he tells tourists and old friends stories about the old pier, the Big Red Car that stopped at the pier, the Pavallon Ballroom, Plunge and other attractions that made Huntington Beach a magnet for locals and visitors.

Chuck Linnen fascinates you with tales about the sharks, 20-foot waves and the thrill of being a Lifeguard in Huntington as well as Long Beach. He's an invaluable walking, talking resource about our unique past, who also just happens to be a darn good Surfer, one honored on both sides of Main Street at the Surfing Walk and Surfing Hall of Fame.

The smiling ambassador rode his first wave here in 1954, honed his technique and skills, then traveled to the North Shore of Hawaii to surf in the early 1960's. Competition has always been his forte. He competed in the '58 Oceanside Invitational, the first U.S. Championship at Huntington Beach Pier in '59, and the '61 World Contest at Makaha. He surfed at the 1964 World Contest in Peru and was runner-up at the Malibu Masters event in 1973. He held the National Scholastic Surfing Association Senior Champ and WSA Grand Master titles.

For Chuck, the best thing about surfing was the friends he made and they feel the same way about him. They offered me some insights into this living legend's multiple skills. Fr. Christian Mondor of Sts. Simon & Jude, said Chuck's mother was a classically-trained singer and pianist who saw to it that Chuck got proper piano lessons. "She brought him to concerts, and on one occasion took him backstage to meet Arturo Rubenstein," Mondor said. "The great Maestro advised him to 'Learn to play Bach! If you can play Bach, you can play anything!'" Chuck did and he became a superb concert pianist. Just ask him to play sometime and you'll definitely be wowed!

Gary Sahagen, President of The Huntington Beach Longboard Crew, said Chuck once played piano with the President of Peru in his Presidential Palace during a visit there for the World Surf Competition.

Marcus Barrera, a well-known Surfing Instructor, said, "What I remember about Chuck is that when I was 16 and surfed off the HB Pier on big wave days, if I saw Chuck out in the water, I would feel safe surfing there because I knew if I ever needed help--because of potential drowning--Chuck would come to my rescue. That being said, I was a fearless big wave surfer as long as Chuck was around, and he always had great surf stories to share. I always remember him wearing his red lifeguard trunks and surfing his red gun surfboard. He had and still has incredible, enthusiastic energy both in and out of the water."

In July of 2016, the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum had a birthday party honoring Chuck on his 80th Birthday. It's people like Chuck who made Surf City what it is today. The retired local teacher is still helping people as a substitute in the Huntington Beach Union High School District. He and his wife also help their youngest son operate a local sandwich shop. Chuck is always boosting people's morale, lifting them up, enthusiastically encouraging all he meets. I'm proud to call him my friend and appreciate his local knowledge and all he has done and is doing to make our community great.

You can see old photos of Chuck at: http://www.surfingwalkoffame.com/local_hero/Linnen.html .

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