?? THE POWER of ?RT?CULTURE: ??CITY Of ANGELS ?? Pt. 2 Surfs Up??

SOCAL is PERCEIVED as SOULLESS ??

Time to continue Our Journey and We will Head far West to The Pacific Ocean with focus on The “SOCAL BOARD-LIFE”.

Many may not be aware but CALIFORNIA’s Official State Sport is SURFING .

And Although it may be One of The Oldest Sports on Earth - it Became a CULTURE in SOCAL.

Today, The SURFING Industry is also One of the Fastest-Growing Action Sports Entities in the World - and is?worth approximately $10 Billion with over 34 million active?SURFERs.?

SURFING officially became an OLYMPIC Sport last - taking The Industry in a New Zone of opportunity - but this has no impact on The Soul Riders.

With 220 Miles of Coastline and 100s of WORLD CLASS Beaches, Stretching from SANTA BARBARA to SAN DIEGO - SOCAL is a SURFING Paradise.??

So Grab Your Shades, Towel and Favorite Shorts as We Take A Ride Through The History, Sport and Culture of SOCAL SURFING.

“Home is where the WAVES are at”

??THE ORGIN of SURFING

SOCAL may be the CAPITAL of US SURFING but The Origin of WAVE RISING lives in a much Deeper Place.

SURFING began as a Religious + Cultural Tradition but transformed into a Water Sport and a Global Culture.

SURFING Originated in POLYNESIA in 2000 B.C. but?was brought to CALIFORNIA by a trio of HAWAIIAN Princes, who created their SURF Boards out of local Redwood Trees in?1885.

These marked the First but not the last Rides in the SUNSHINE STATE.

??In 1906, THOMAS EDISON’s captured early SURFERS in WAIKIKI, HAWAII.

??EARLY SOCAL SURF LIFE: George Freeth

Initially, in SOCAL Most Beaches were used solely for Oil Drilling .

But GEORGE FREETH & DUKE KAHANAMAKU would Pioneer a New SURF CULTURE in SOCAL that still lives today.

FREETH earned the reputation as the “HAWAIIAN WONDER” who could??WALK ON WATER in the early 1900’s as he put his SURFING Skills on display at SOCAL’s REDONDO BEACH.

GEORGE learned the Sport while growing up in HAWAII in the late 1800s.

In 1908, GEORGE would establish the First LifeGuard Training Program on that same Beach launching the US Volunteer Life Saving??Corp as well as inventing the Rescue Paddle Board,?still used today.

The HAWAIIAN and half IRISH’s Program included a SWIMMING, SURFING & RESCUE?curriculum.??

This proved to be valuable for the health of SURFING but also for the development of The BEACH Communities as drowning was an early concern and issue for must during this era.

And although DUKE KAHANAMUKU receives most of the SURF Pioneering Credit - it was GEORGE FREETH who mentored as well as taught Him the Sport.

??EARLY SOCAL SURF LIFE: Duke Kahanamuku

DUKE was one of the Most Accomplished Athletes of Early AMERICA.

A prized SWIMMER, He was Awarded 3 Gold Medals while representing the USA in 5 Olympics.

An Elite Athlete, Later Elected to both The Swimming & SURFING Hall of Fame.

DUKE KAHANAMUKU started coming to CALI in?1916 as a supplement to his unique ocean training for the OLYMPICS since there were no pools in HAWAII.

Earning the title as the “Human Fish”, he brought Boards with him from HAWAII and put on SURFING Exhibition.

These sessions inspired as well as elevated SURFING in SOCAL.

DUKE would travel up and down SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’s BEACH Communities and throughout The World spreading The SURFING Gospel.?

DUKE is without any doubt “The GODFATHER of Modern-Day SURFING” - and served a major role in shaping The Culture in SOCAL as well as around The Globe.

??SOCAL SURFING: 30’s & 40’s

The 1930s saw a boast in SURF CULTURE with the increased accessibility to Automobiles - allowing SURFERs to load their BOARDs in the back of their Cars and Chase Waves, Up & Down The SOCAL COAST.

Typically, SURF BOARDS were 12 Feet Long & Weight-in at 100+ pounds.

SURF Clubs as well as Contests began to emerge - BEFORE the area even landed its First Traditional Professional Sports Team.

But the SURF Movement experienced a break during WWll.

??SOCAL SURFING: 50’s & 60’s

But during?1950s & 1960s, SURFING experienced a huge spike with the exposure gained in Movies, Music & Media - as well as advancements in innovation with the introduction of lighter Foam + Fiberglass SURF Boards.

The GIDGET Franchise of Books, Movies and Eventually a Television Show deserves most of the credit for propelled SURFING to unpredictable heights.?

Some purest perceived GIDGET phenomena of diluting the Culture and did not welcome the floodgate of SURF Posers creating unnecessary crowds at scarlet SURF Location and a LOCALS ONLY Movement would build.

But from another vantage point, GIDGET?and the other "Beach Movies" that followed afforded SURFING to extend it’s reach, allowing all to be apart of the Culture.

Even BATMAN was catching Waves.

??SOCAL SURFING: OG Media

In 1960, JOHN SEVERSON countered all this commercial voodoo and introduced the SURFER Magazine - the First SURF Magazine devoted to SURFING and The Greater Culture, authentically.

??SOCAL SURFING: Sound

The SURF Sound or ROCK was driven by The BEACH BOYS and their First Chart Hit, "Surfin' ", which peaked at number 75 on the?Billboard?Hot 100 .

They would drop numerous Chart Climbers including: SURFIN’ SAFARI, SURFER GIRL & SURFIN’ USA which was co-Wriiten by CHUCK BERRY.

In 1966, They released “GOOD VIBRATIONS” , eventually becoming a No. 1 Hit in the United States & UK - considered one of the most influential pop songs ever Written.

Prior and simultaneous to the vocal success of BEACH BOYs there was a SOCAL SURF INSTRUMENTAL Movement led by:

DICK DALE & The DEL-TONES Hit: “MISERLOU”

JAN & DEAN Track, “OLD LADY FROM PASADENA”

THE CHATAYS’ “PIPELINE”

SAFARIS’ “WIPEOUT” which was recorded at Pal Recording Studi o near my High School.

??SOCAL SURFING: Sound Part 2

Then The British Invasion & The BEATLES Landed in The USA Creating A New Music Movement and SURF ROCK expired.

But SURF PUNK would bust on the scene in 1981 from a CALI perspective led by?Agent Orange , from Orange County, who recorded punk cover versions of many of the aforementioned SURF ROCK Classics including “MISIRLOU”, “PIPELINE” as well as “MR MOTO”

SURF had & has Sound?that Allowed Teens Throughout The Globe to Join The SURF MOVEMENT and Many Were SOCAL Notes,

??SOCAL SURFING: Style

SURF Culture was in rave of the country - even to those who didn’t have access to coastal waters and even outside the U.S. - so access not only to Sound and Attitude - BUT The STYLE.?

SURFING started carving out a LOOK with SURF Brands entering The Scene.?

Before the mid-30s, the laws required Men to cover their chest in public and even after this periods SURFER wore Cut-Offs or basic Swim Shorts - so there was no real look.

In 1960 , HANG TEN , a SOCAL SEAL Beach Brand entered the market as the First SURF Brand and introduced the original Board Short.

??SOCAL SURFING: Style Part 2

The SOCAL Brands of this era include: SEX WAX, HANG TEN, VANS, OP & HOBIE’s - who’s founder and I attended the same High School my first two year, CHAFFEY HS.

Additionally, there were the non-Local Brands including: Rip Curl, Town & Country, Stubbies, Lightening, Maui & Son, Levi and O’Neil to name a few.

And Non-Brand Go to Silhouettes such as the classic Ponchos, Straw Hats, Hawaiian Shirt and Flip-Flops.

And a Second Wave of Brands hitting the scene including Quiksilver, Gotcha, Stüssy, Hurley & Roxy to name a few.

And although, Graphic T-SHIRT and TEE Printing were introduced in the 1950s & 1960s, it wasn’t until the 1970s it were to make its Cultural Mark - SURFING was one of lead sub-CULTURES to Champion and propel The Graphic TEE.

T-Shirts display allegiance to one’s favorite SURF Brand as well as confirms one’s Cultural Membership on some level.

The SURF Uniform was equally Functional and Fashionable evolving into an essential component of not only the SUFERs’ casual everyday wardrobe but of the wider society as as a whole

This created a multi-million dollar industry and served as the Pioneers of what is called Streetwear today.

??SOCAL SURFING: Birth of SkateBoarding ?

SURFING may be the Official Sport of California, but??SKATEBOARDING was Born?in L.A.?

“Sidewalk Surfing” aka SKATEBOARDING emerged in the 40s & 50s as a hobby of SURFERS when the Waves weren’t up to Par.?

Early SKATEBOARDS were primitive - as simple as Wood 2 x 4’s with Roller-Skate Wheels Fastened to the Bottom.

SOCAL SURFERs invented SKATEBOARDING and today it is one of the Most Influential Cultures Of The Century.

We will take a Deep Ride Through Movement in Our Next Journey aka Part 3.

?? CLOSE

So many may ask why does this interest You? And you aren’t a SURFER - so is this credible.

As a SOCAL Native, One is exposed to SURF Culture on some level. My experience was up close as I moved to the suburbs of The Inland Empire aka IE in the 6th grade - and My Classmates were about that LIFE.

Not LOCALS as we were 55 minute drive from the closes Beach, Surf & Skate was most of their identities.

They repped The Culture to The Fullest, Always Down to Head to The Beach as well as the area having produced some of the Athletes, Designers and Leaders of the industry.

So I don’t SURF and this begins with most Black Folks Hair (when I had it) and Salt Water don’t rock together but I was Influenced by & Respect The Culture.

My BOARD LIFE consist of Soulful Kick & Push-Mentality on a Skateboard and/or taking on a Black Diamond Mountains, Domestically & Internationally in Fresh Powder on a Dope Board.

SURF Brands are True Godfathers of STREETWEAR and Influenced The GLOBE - and Me Too!

And They Say WE have No CULTURE.

??THE POWER of ?RT?CULTURE: ??CITY Of ANGELS:

?? PART 1: BROWN POWER