Pictured above is a
Surfing Museum volunteer
holding a skim board
next to the Duke Shrine.
On the left is a board
with autographs from
well known artists such
as surf music great Dick
Dale.
Huntington Beach
International Surfing
Museum contains
collections of surfing
memorabilia and the
culture surrounding this
time honored sport
believed to be imported
to Huntington Beach and
California nearly a
century ago. Duke
Kahanamoku, the Father
of Surfing, frequented
Huntington Beach,
California from Hawaii,
introducing surfboards
and surfing to the local
audience.
Surfing has taken off
and grown into a
multi-billion dollar
sports industry with
products, competitions
and clothing. There are
over 50 surfing
competitions each year
in Huntington Beach,
plus a Surfing Walk of
Fame, Surfers' Hall of
Fame and public art
honoring surfing.
The
Huntington Beach
International Surfing
Museum is considered one
of the best
internationally and
receives visitors from
around the world. The
museum is very
affordable and includes
rotating exhibits (one
of our all-time
favorites is an electric
surfboard.)
When
visiting Huntington
Beach, stop by the
downtown museum just off
Main Street at Olive.
The shop contains great
surfing items and CDs.
You will not be sorry
you made the effort to
check it out and
discover the heritage,
the culture and the
current vibe of surfing
in California and the
world.
Shrine
to Duke: The
International Surfing
Museum in Huntington
Beach, California, built
a shrine to honor the
Father of Surfing, Duke
Kahanamoku. A statue
which used to stand at the
base of the Huntington Beach
Pier has been relocated and
sits inside the museum
entrance, surrounded by
tropical flowers. Beneath a
life-size bust of Duke's smiling face
is a plaque. Here is
what it says:
DUKE KAHANAMOKU -OLYMPIC
SWIMMER, PUBLIC SERVANT,
GOOD WILL AMBASSADOR OF
THE STATE OF HAWAII, AND
CONSIDERED BY
MANY TO BE FATHER OF THE
UNITED STATE SURFING MOVEMENT, IN THE
EARLY 20'S, THE DUKE
SURFED UNDER THIS
VERY PIER. SOME FIFTY
YEARS LATER HE RETURNED
TO THIS COMMUNITY
TO HELP PROMOTE THE
UNITED STATES SURFBOARD
CHAMPIONSHIPS. FOR
FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS
UNTIL HIS DEATH, THE
CHAMPIONSHIPS WERE
DEDICATED IN HONOR OF
THIS MAN'S GREAT
CONTRIBUTION TO THE
SPORT OF SURFING. THE CITIZENS OF
HUNTINGTON BEACH HAVE
ERECTED THIS MONUMENT AS
A TRIBUTE TO THE
CHAMPION OF
CHAMPION SURFERS. THE
IMAGE HE CREATED, THE
PRINCIPLE OF FAIR
PLAY, AND GOOD
SPORTSMANSHIP HE
ADVOCATED SHOULD BE PRESERVED FOR ALL
TIME. ALTHOUGH MORTAL
MAN HAS LOST THIS
RARE HUMAN BEING, HE
WILL ALWAYS BE
REMEMBERED FOR HIS
LOVE. ALOHA
