Creating the Wave
How influential is San Diegan surf culture
By Ryan Hurst
By Ryan Hurst
At a young age, I was introduced to the art of "walking on water". When I first stood up and was able to turn in the direction I wanted to go I was a surfer. Surfer? This is a word that more people consider themselves as, yet really are not. Surf culture goes beyond the paddling and pop-ups. It goes beyond getting the best gear and getting big surf. Being a Surfer is a lifestyle, and being a San Diego surfer has a culture all its own.
Walking into Bird's Surf Shed was inspiring to say the least. The walls are covered with boards, from old to new. It’s the epitome of surf history through surfboards packed into a single surf shop. I see Bird in the back of the shop talking to a customer who he seemed to know really well. The smile on his face he says: "Well if I wanted to make money, I would say the racks can hold a SUP (a large, heavy stand-up paddle board), but I wouldn't trust them. We have some free wood ones in the back." He prides himself in what he does and wants the best for his customers. After he's done talking I walk over and introduce myself. I considered fortunate to be able to interview a so-called San Diego “surf legend,” although he prefers not to be called that. He's been working in surf shops since age 12, was the manager of the well-known South Coast surf shop for awhile, and now is the owner of “The Shed” his own surf shop. He talks about his place with passion and can't imagine a better job than selling surfboards. To him its not about the money; in fact, he was making more money as the manager at South Coast, but the lifestyle of surfing isn't about only making money. San Diego has roughly 75 miles of glistening beautiful coast. A lot of the main things San Diego has going for it are directly correlated to the coast, such as the military, tourism, and the fishing industry. San Diego’s beaches have been key factors in developing San Diego's Surf culture; but how has San Diego impacted the world’s surf culture? San Diego has contributed more to the sport and culture of surfing more than any other place. San Diego is a testing grounds for many different aspects of surf culture. Part of the reason San Diego is so influential is because of all the different types of waves we have here. We have everything from long point breaks to rocky reefs beach breaks. Boards can be shaped for varying size waves and conditions, then tested by some of the best shapers and surfers. The first surfers that conquered the massive barrels of Hawaii first came to San Diego, specifically Windansea. Their time in San Diego was just a test to see if they could prove themselves as surfers in smaller barreling waves before moving on to the bigger, heavier waves on the North Shore of Oahu. In many ways the Hawaiian surf culture that is most prominently known originated in San Diego. San Diego shapers have built up a reputation of being some of the best in the world. A shaper is a craftsman by trade. They are the ones to take a seemingly dull piece of foam and turn it into a work of art. A surfboard. We have had some of the best shapers ever in the history of the sport, names heard worldwide. In 1946 Bob Simmons took hydrodynamics to a new level. He is one of the godfathers to hydrodynamic board design and is a La Jolla native. Surfboards did not have concaves in the bottom before him, something that is now a standard design feature. He revolutionized the performance of boards in a way that is still seen today. In January of 1967 Steve Lis revolutionized board design with a flat, wide, two-finned surfboard known as "the fish" in Point Loma, which led to new, increased speeds on almost any type of wave. A generation later in San Diego, Rich Pavel added two more fins to the fish, changed the concaves and broke performance barriers once again. What defines a San Diego surf craftsman? For many years Skip Frye has been the greatest example of a surfer/shaper and representation of San Diegan surf culture. Not only has he perfected the fish, the glider (a extra long board modeled on Hawaiian ideas, but perfected for the reefs of San Diego), and many others, but he has influenced almost all of the other San Diego shapers along the way with a lifetime of experience and an encyclopedic knowledge of all aspects of surfboard design and surf culture. People from around the world view his boards as a piece of history and a piece of art. As a testament to SD's significance in global surf culture, shapers and companies such as Bing Surfboards, Xanadu, Reef, Hansens, and many more have relocated to San Diego to work among the world’s best craftsman. "San Diego is all inclusive, it doesn't follow the trends, but sets them," Bird stated. Is it coincidence that San Diego produces the best in the sport? I think not. San Diego creates the best producers of boards and products in the industry, and it is because San Diego has access to all different types of waves and all different types of materials to create such things. In my interview with Bird we talked about how San Diego sets trends and doesn't give a damn about what other people in the industry are doing. San Diego has a certain vibe that is contributes to the surf culture, there is almost no way to get around it. This vibe permeates through all of San Diego and throughout the rest of the world. San Diego remains consistent through all the years although according to Bird, "Some things have been lost due to the pure mass of people."
San Diego did not create surfing, but it has greatly contributed to it. As the immortal Jeff Spicoli proclaimed, “Surfing’s not a sport, it’s a way of life.” Although this quote comes from a comedy, comedy has a way of revealing the truth. Over three thousand years ago, in Western Polynesia surfing was discovered by fishermen as an efficient way to get their boats on the shore. The kings and queens quickly grew entertained to it. Eventually catching waves developed into a pastime, which was the start of the sport and lifestyle. San Diego has also contributed to surf culture in a bad way. Because there are no regulations in the water, and there are so many beaches with waves that are easy to ride, crowds have gotten out of control. This has led to major issues such as people running over each other resulting in injuries and fights breaking out in the water and on land. Eric "Bird" Huffman doesn't like to be called a legend. He's been around a long time doesn't shape but all the shapers like him. Bird doesn't surf professionally but know a lot of the big name surfers. How is this so? He’s been working surf shops since he was 12, to be exact 3 surf shops before his surf shed, along with being the manager of a big shop South Coast. He is and always will be considered a San Diego surf legend because he stays true to himself and is passionate about what he does. He knows what San Diego is and what its about, and is certain about what it isn't. The world has a debt to San Diego in my opinion. Some of the best things to come out of the sport come from San Diego. The fact that San Diego is the only stop the mainland US on professional surfing’s world tour says a lot about this region. There are a lot of other breaks that might deserve to be on the world tour, but why chose Trestles, in north San Diego county? Maybe its because of the influence or maybe its because of how much pull San Diego has with the companies and manufacturers distributing from stores. Perhaps it is because San Diego has so much of everything right alongside each other, with the premier shapers, next to the best manufacturers, next to the premier surf spots. Jane Schmauss a historian and co-founder of the California Surf Museum in Oceanside says "Take away the beach from San Diego, and what do you have? You wouldn’t have San Diego.” Take away San Diego from the picture of world wide surf and it loses some of its most interesting assets. As our conversation was coming to an end, I pointed up to a spot in the rafters and asked, “How can I get up there for a picture.” Bird pointed to a sketchy ladder and said, “If you want to.” As I climb the ladder, I see hundreds more surfboards, some in great condition, others not so much, not even on display. I realize that Bird’s collection accurately represents surf culture and San Diego’s significance in it—there’s a lot more to see that’s not on display. |