PT Townend shows off some historic wooden surfboards that are part of a new exhibit exploring California surf breaks and the history of how they were discovered at the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach, CA, on Tuesday, November 30, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By LAYLAN CONNELLY | [email protected] | Orange County Register
They were adventurers who set out with one goal, to find new waves to ride.
It didn’t matter that their big wooden boards weighed 100 pounds or that there wasn’t another soul out in the water. They’d paddle the ocean for miles to discover perfect peaks, traverse cliffs to hidden surf spots and brave cold water in a time before wetsuits, all in the name of finding new waves to ride.
A newly launched exhibit at the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, “Finding California Surf,” highlights how early day surfers discovered the state’s wave-rich coastline, detailing how many of the spots were found and grew in popularity only to be wiped out of existence as developments altered the ocean.