Surfing in Santa Cruz
“This monument is dedicated to all surfers, past, present, and future.”
“I could not help concluding this man had the most supreme pleasure while he was driven so fast and so smoothly by the sea.”
~Captain James Cook ~
We moved to California in the early 70’s, when the Beach Boys still filled the airwaves, and the after school movies included Gidget and all of the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello movies one could watch. I was a few years too young to have witnessed that surf culture in California, portrayed in the movies, but when we moved to Hawaii, I got my chance to ride a wave – unfortunately, I road it right into a massive wall of lava rock, which put an end to my hopes of surfing. However, my appreciation of surfing lingers on.
While driving down the Pacific Coast Highway, we made a point to stop in Santa Cruz to see the famed beach, where surfing was introduced to the “Mainland”.
“Surfing Was First Brought Here By Hawaiian Princes”
H.R.H Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana’ole
H.R.H Prince David Kawananakoa,
H.R.H Prince Edward Keliiahonui
“During the summer of 1895 three young Hawaiian princes rode the waves at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River on Redwood planks they ordered cut in the shape of old surfboards by the local timber mill.
While attending St. Matthews Hall Military School in San Mateo, they stayed during their vacations with the Swan Family in Santa Cruz and started a craze by bringing for the first time the Royal Hawaiian sport of surfing to the Pacific coast of the Americas.”
“I want to surf too.”
