50 years at Huntington Beach Pier - Califorina's surfing history

That was excellent, thank you

Learned to surf just up the coast at the cliffs (end of Goldenwest) in '70-'71. Surfed the north and south sides of the pier for much of the '70s. Then we'd go catch a movie at The Surf Theater, or concert at The Golden Bear. So glad I'm old enough to have enjoyed it before HB was ruined with over-development.

Blacky August and my uncle David Francey were long time friends. Got to meet Blacky at San Miguel beach Baja. Blacky and his wife were really nice to me. Never forget them.

I moved to HB in 63 and never gave it a lot of thought. Surfing was just something we did. The contest was just something to go watch, a couple friends competed. I was never that good at it, just a fun hobby. After high school in 66 other things in my life became important. Great video and it brought back old memories. Surf shops? I rode a Jacks with a Vardaman fin. Down the road was Hawaii. There were shops all over the area, just not down town HB.

Having grown up there in the 70's I have to disagree with you. I don't think it was the "Dark Ages" of surfing in HB. IT WAS GREAT ! No glitz and glam, just real down to earth surfing for the joy of it. She was right in saying Mr. Toads wild ride. Shootin the pier, strips, lunch at Ruby's, long boards, boggie boards, the Golden Bear and Jack's Surf shop. No big hotels, no big camera's...just sand and water. To those of us that grew up there then, we think of it as the BEST years of surfing. I am sure each surfer feels their time was the best. That is the wonder of surfing and the salt water...it is the magic of Huntington Beach.

HB surf museum 40 anniversary OP pro. Nov to. 2022. Great displays remember those op shorts and other great memories. Enjoy..

Great memories from the old days!!! The original gang from the 40's and 50's led the way..... grenache rose by the fire ring!!

I grew up in HB in the early 70's and surfed non stop. I certianly would not call those years "Dead Years". There was still Jacks surf shop, some hot just made strips with salsa, Baby oil tans and string bikini's while we waxed our boards waiting for the perfect set. Nothing was dead in those years. Great Times to be had, and even greater memories

Nice vid, but you totally forgot the early '60s music of Jan and Dean and Beach Boys with their contribution to the Surfing craze.....they helped put it in the world's spotlight. I grew up back then and never heard of surfing until they brought it out in the open (even though I think only Dennis Wilson actually surfed).

So Linda benson was the first female west coast champion and also the only female in the event? ...man, she really defied the odds! 😂

Nice to see the interviewed first US OPEN surfer interviewed I love watching the surfer on those awesome waves, are water seems to be getting bluer the last few years. This gives a nice history! Check out the tall and skinny's in Downtown Huntington Beach at my blog

What an awesome place. Fantastic you remembered the old guys/gals from the first contests. One day Im gonna visit you at Surf City. My knees are wrecked but I can soak in the essence of the memories. By the way who sang the first backing track?

surfs up hit the waves dudes

Wish I was American. So hard to live there without being American.

I broke my first board in half trying to shoot the pier at HB in the summer of '63. The barnacles on the pilings ate me alive.

My Son David Jr. took the footage of the Monster Big Surf hitting the pier on Jan 18, 1988, when the End Cafe was wiped out. His shot is 50 sec. into the movie. He took a couple of hundred pictures that morning, but they used one of his less desirable shots in this movie.

Home...

just was there !!!

Everyone went to Maui!

there was globes of oil in the surf way back in the 1950,s