OCEANSIDE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) – Surfing had a long journey before reaching San Diego, dating back more than 600 years before European contact.
A new exhibit at the California Surf Museum is showcasing how key Hawaiian figures brought the sport from royal Hawaiian shores to breaks around the globe, specifically in Europe, Australia and the United States.
On Sunday, the museum hosted its 40th anniversary celebration, including a grand opening of the exhibit, “Surfing: Hawaiian Royalty’s Gift to the World.”
“This exhibit presents the seminal period of surfing’s development and captures the essence of a moment in cross-cultural exchange,” museum officials said. “It is also a story of fascinating Hawaiian personalities in a world now almost forgotten.”
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It features exact replicas of historic wooden surfboards, alongside original images and detailed information.
The surfboards were recreated by renowned surfboard shaper Bob Pearson. To ensure accuracy, he visited the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii several times, carefully measuring the original boards to recreate them precisely.
To learn more, visit the museum’s website. Plus, watch the “Breaking Surf” episode attached for a conversation with surfer, surf historian and the California Surf Museum’s executive director, Jim Kempton.
The California Surf Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 312 Pier View Way in Oceanside.
Admission is $7-$10 for adults and $5-$8 for seniors, military and students. Members and children aged 11 and under can enter for free.
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