RESOURCES
RESOURCES & CREDITS
Huntington Beach International
Surfing Museum
(714) 465-4350
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
(831) 420-6289
Surfing Heritage & Culture Center
(949) 388-0313
Surfer’s Journal
(ISBN 1062-3892)
Long Beach magazine
(out of print)
Surfer Magazine
Surfing Magazine
Encyclopedia of Surfing (Matt Warshaw)
The History of Surfing (Matt Warshaw)
Encyclopedia of the Oceans (Dorrick Stow)
Longboarder’s Start-Up: A Guide to Longboard Surfing (Doug Werner)
Surfs Up: The Girl’s Guide to Surfing (Louise Southernden)
Surfer’s Start-Up: A Beginner’s Guide to Surfing (Doug Werner)
Surfing Fundamentals (Nat Young)
History of Surfing (Nat Young)
The Surfing Handbook (Ben Marcus)
Surfing: An Illustrated History of the Coolest Sport of All Time (Ben Marcus and Steve Penman)
Hawaiian Surfriders (Tom Blake)
Stoked: A History of Surf Culture (Drew Kampion)
Surf Culture: The Art History of Surfing (Bolton Colburn)
100 Best Surf Spots in the World: The World’s Best Breaks for Surfers in Search of the Perfect Wave (Rod Sumpter)
Legends of Surfing: The Greatest Surfriders from Duke Kahanamoku to Kelly Slater (Duke Boyd)
Surf Craft: Design and the Culture of Board Riding (Richard Keavin)
Surfboards (Surfing Series) (Guy Motil)
Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku (David Davis)
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman (Yvon Chouinard)
SURF ETIQUETTE
SURF ETIQUETTE PICK UP THE RIGHT SPOTS FOR YOUR ABILITY AND ATTITUDE.
We need to be honest with ourselves about our ability and our intention.
If you are a long boarder or a kayaker,
Respect the short boarders and body boarders who are trying to catch waves further down in the break zone;
let them catch more than “few”, waves.
Right of way:
The surfer closest to the peak of the wave has the right of way.
Call it.
If a wave’s going to peel both ways, you can call “left” or “right” so people know which way you’re heading.
Don’t drop in.
Dropping in means that someone with the right of way is either about to take off on a wave or is already riding.
Don’t snake.
Don’t be a wave hog.
Don’t ditch your board.
This is important, especially when it gets crowded.
Beginners, don’t paddle out in the middle of a packed lineup.
Try to go out to a less crowded beginner break.
Paddling:
When paddling back out, do NOT paddle in front of surfers riding a wave unless you are well, well in front of them.
NOSE GUARD.
If you surf a short board, fit a nose guard just incase you hit someone. Use a good leash and don’t
go unless it’s really necessary.
If you mess up:
A quick apology is appreciated if you drop in or mess up someone else’s wave.
Thanks to the Surfrider foundation
If possible, surf at beaches with lifeguards.
Never surf alone; use the buddy system.
Observe ocean conditions for at least 20 minutes before entering the water.
Look for and observe any warning signs. A red flag means it’s unsafe to enter the water.
Don’t fight if you get caught up in a rip current.
•Stay calm - panic will only tire you out.
•Swim “with” (across or perpendicular to) the current.
•Wait for the current to release you - it will.
•Swim parallel to the shore and then make your way in.
Never turn your back on the ocean near breaking waves.
•Enter the water gradually and remember the waves comes in “sets” separated by deceptive period of calm.
•Duck under breaking waves.
•Be careful when standing near the shoreline or on rocks near breaking surf - waves can wash you onto the ocean.
If you see someone in trouble, alert a lifeguard or call 911. Unless you are an excellent swimmer.
Don’t go into the ocean to assist the victim.
Everything that enters a storm drain goes directly to the ocean (litter, used oil, anti-freeze,
Sewage, toxic chemicals, pesticides, etc.)
Dumping one quart of motor oil down a storm drain contaminates 250,000 gallons of water.
Urban storm water is the number one source of pollution of our nation’s rivers, lakes, oceans and estuaries.
Over 16 million gallons of oil enter the oceans of the world each year from run-off.
Nearly 60% of the world’s coral reefs are threatened by pollution, sedimentation and over-harvesting.
Billions of pounds of garage are dumped into the world’s oceans every year,
Most of it in the northern hemisphere.
An overage of over 300,000 pieces of plastic per square mile can be found in the middle of the
North Pacific Ocean. Broken, degraded plastic pieces outweigh plankton by a factor of
6-1. That means six pounds of plastic for every single pound of plankton. About 80% has
Washed out to sea from land-based sources.
There are 100 million tons of plastic floating in the world’s oceans.
44% of sea birds mistakenly eat plastic.
267 species of marine creatures are affected by plastic.
At 86 degrees, plastic degrades in the ocean, releasing toxic compounds.
HOW LONG DOES YOUR TRASH LAST IN THE SEA?
Special thanks to my anonymous funding donor for their contribution and administrations of this project as it proceeded from a paper print poster timeline concept to the electronic version.
Many outstanding individuals contributed including my university student researchers, surf historians, friends, techies, and artists. Special thanks goes to Guy Motil and Kirsten Pederson without whom this project would not have happened.
TOM GIBBONS
Thanks to my 61 years of Surf buddies, student, and the great surfing community who give back to improving and preserving our sport, and the marine environment for future generations. This website is dedicated to my life love and partner Barbara who has done so much to this endeavor.
STUDENT RESEARCHERS
Tim Garfin, B.S.
Bill Hammond, B.S., M.S., MD
Heather Schotter, B.A., M.A.
Jessica Solomon, B.A., M.A.
Mike Sopena, B.A.
Elizabeth Recharte, B.A.
Elizabeth Strely, B.A., M.A.
Melissa Wheeler, B.S., MS, PHd
Huntington Beach International
Surfing Museum-
Jodi McKay, Gary Sahagan, Dave Reynolds, Natalie Kotsch
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum-
Sally Heine, Jennifer Lienau Thompson and
Dan Young
Surfing Hertiage and Cultural Center-
Tom Pezman, Mike Marshall and
Cheryl Brier
Anyone studying the sport of surfing knows the diffuculty of achieving 100 perfect accuracy or consense. Sometimes there isn’t a lot of primary sources, multiple eye witness, or documentation available, and sometimes they are in conflict. I assure you every effort of this project has been to provide accurate information by consulting multiple sources. If you find errors or would like to contribute postively as we expand the website.
Please do not hestitate to contact me at
Kirsten Pederson is a graphic designer with years of experience. She received B.F.A. in Art and B.F.A. in Graphic Design from California State University Long Beach and while there supplemented her education at Art Center in Pasadena. She also interned at Evenson Design Group (EDG) in Culver City, with entertainment industry corporate clients such as Disney, 20th Century Fox and Universal, creating J-cards, logos and brochures for blockbuster films and other design work for large and small corporate clients.
In her own graphic design business, she has had various clients over the years who come to her for her love for design, and her creativity, aesthetic and work ethic in executing endless creative projects including corporate identities, website design, brochures, flyers, business cards, tickets, posters and banners. For one client, a pharmacist and author. Kirsten has designed a book, ‘Off Balance, the American Way of Health, a Pharmacist’s Perspective on Why Drugs Don’t Work’, a pamphlet on diabetes, and medical information flyers. Currently working again with one of her favorite clients, Tom Gibbons, she has collaborated with him for many years on many projects including this Surfing Timeline website.
Kirsten does whatever design work her clients need done: corporate identities, logos, web and book design layouts. This Surf Museum work has been another opportunity for her to work with one of her most favorite clients - Tom Gibbons.
In her free time she loves to paint, travel, try new restaurants, and spend time with friends and family.
Guy Motil is a n internationally acclaimed photo-journalist, surf historian and former publisher of Longboard Magazine. Guy started surfing in 1962 at the age of 11 - surfing and surfboards have been part of his life ever since. He has found each surfboard design to have a personality and temperament all its own. Even surfboards that appear remarkably similar can be remarkably dissimilar when ridden, and for at least the last 100 years or so (and probably much longer), surfers have been trying to make sense of it all. To date Guy has photographed private collections (few public collections have existed) in all parts of the world from South Africa to Australia, from New York to Hawaii, and now has a photo collection of over 2,000 historically significant surfboards. In 2007 Guy published Surfboards - The Book, the first true history of the surfboard.
Guy has been married over 35 years to his wife. Gail Motil. Guy is currently authoring books on the histories of his three other passions, Surfing, Auto-Racing and Aviation.
1992-2009
longboard magazine ceo/publisher/editior-in-chief
Guy conceived, created, and designed a bi-monthly magazine about longboard surfing.
1998-2009
grand prix of long beach (independent)
Official Photographer for the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
1987-1991
transworld snowboarding magazine
Founding Photo-Editor/Senior Photographer.
1986-1989
breakout magazine
Editorial and Design Director/Photo-Editor/Consultant.
1980-1985
breakout magazine
Editorial and Design Director/Photo-Editor/Consultant
Directed the Editorial and design strategies for a small regional surf magazine with an emphasis on California, Hawaii and Baja, Mexico.
Tom graduated from the Huntington Beach Union High School District and went on to become both a teacher and aschool administrator in the district. He left the HBUHSD to become a consultant for the Orange County and Los Angeles County Offices of Education as well as serving as a Director in the UCLA Graduate School of Education. Once he retired, Tom continued to teach part-time at National University, and UCLA as well as at California State University-Long Beach. Through the years. Tom also worked with Disney, National Geographic, Proctor and Gamble, Newsweek, various museums and others to develop educational programs and partnerships with schools. He has traveled worldwide and served as part of United States delegations to the Czech Republic, Japan and India. South Asia and History/Social Science Education are his academic areas of expertise. Tom has 34 publications and/or productions to his credit.
As the son of a career Navy man, Tom's passion and love for the ocean has been life-long, and he began surfing in 1955 at Ray Bay in Seal Beach. Tom's primary goal in surfing has been to improve the image of surfing through bringing together the educational community with the sport of surfing while preserving the sport's rich history and its contributions to society.
SOME OF HIS SURFING CREDITS INCLUDE:
FOUNDER AND FIRST PRESIDENT OF NSSA.
FOUNDER AND ORGANIZER OF TODAY'S SEVEN SCHOOL SUNSET LEAGUE FOR SURFING IN HUNTINGTON BEACH.
ALONG WITH TOM PRATTE WAS A FOUNDING DIRECTOR AND HELPED WRITE THE BY-LAWS FOR THE HUNTINGTON BEACH INTERNATIONAL SURFING MUSEUM.
WAS A FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES SURFING FEDERATION.
TAUGHT SURFING AS A UNIVERSITY COURSE AT CSULB FOR 34 YEARS AND IS THE ONLY PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SURFING IN THE WORLD.
SERVED AS THE SURF COACH FOR ONE HIGH SCHOOL AND THREE UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING COACHING ONE AMATEUR WORLD CHAMPION.
PRODUCED AND HOSTED A TELEVISION SERIES CALLED, "INSIDE SURFING."
HELPED CSULB STUDENTS ESTABLISH THE FIRST UNIVERSITY CLUB OF THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION ON THE WEST COAST.
THROUGH FUND RAISING, WAS THE FIRST TO OFFER, IN 1972, SURFER ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIPS.
Presently. Tom had his wife Barb (a retired Elementary School Principal) live in Seal Beach with their yellow lab.
Yoko. He is currently working on two major projects in conjunction with California's four surfing museums. Tom
also loves rowing and boating and has cruised worldwide, including the Black Sea.
