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Pictured are scenes from HB, some featured in the book, Surfing in Huntington Beach

Surfing isn’t just a fun vacation activity, a sport and entertainment. It’s a way of life with cultural icons, legends, heroes and endless tales, as well as apparel, merchandise, movies and songs. The Beach Boys captured the spirit of the surfing craze in their hit song released initially as a single in 1963…

Surfin’ USA 

If everybody had an ocean
Across the U. S. A.
Then everybody’d be surfin’
Like Californi-a
You’d seem ’em wearing their baggies
Huarache sandals too
A bushy bushy blonde hairdo
Surfin’ U. S. A.

You’d catch ’em surfin’ at Del Mar
Ventura County line
Santa Cruz and Trestle
Australia’s Narrabeen
All over Manhattan
And down Doheny Way

Everybody’s gone surfin’
Surfin’ U.S.A.

Surfing in Huntington Beach

Mark Zambrano | Arcadia Publishing, book review by Chris & Craig MacDonald

The history of HB’s exciting growth as an international surfing mecca is documented in incredible photos and well-chosen words by a local historian.

Highlights include:

• U.S. Open of Surfing
• HB Surfing Walk of Fame
• Surfers’ Hall of Fame
• Surf City Surfing Dogs
• George Freeth, “The Man Who Walked on Water”
• Henry Huntington
• Duke Kahanamoku,  “The Father of Modern Surfing”
• Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum
• Natalie Kotsch, museum founder who never surfed
• Dean Torrence (Jan & Dean)
• Lifeguards Bob Higgins and Gene Belshe
• Dwight’s Beach Concession
• Gordie Duane
• Jack Hokanson, who opened Jack’s Surfboards
• Bob “The Greek” Bolen
• Jan Gaffney
• Lifeguard Chuck Linnen, who taught Corky Carroll how to “shoot the pier”
• Jericho Poppler
• The Golden Bear where Dick Dale, “King of the ‘Surf Guitar,” performed
• The Sugar Shack Cafe, a surfer hangout on Main Street
• The Hole in the Wall Gang
• Peter “PT” Townend