In 1907, the eclectic interests of the land baron Henry E. Huntington brought surfing to the California coast. While on vacation, Huntington had seen Hawaiian boys surfing the island waves. Looking for a way to entice visitors to the area of Redondo Beach, where he had heavily invested in real estate, he hired a young Hawaiian to ride surfboards. George Freeth decided to revive the art of surfing, but had little success with the huge 500 cm (16 ft) hardwood boards that were popular at that time. When he cut them in half to make them more manageable, he created the original "Long board", which made him the talk of the islands. To the delight of visitors, Freeth exhibited his surfing skills twice a day in front of the Hotel Redondo. Another native Hawaiian, Duke Kahanamoku, spread surfing to both the U.S. and Australia, riding the waves after displaying the swimming prowess that won him Olympic gold medals in 1912 and 1920.
What are the origins or surfing in California?
Surfing as a local pastime is a natural fit for most Californian's living near the coast. The rise in popularity of beach life in Southern California and especially the film "Gidget" exploded the desire to be a part of the rising surf culture. California was looked upon by most of the nation as trend setting and surfing served as the epitome of cool for most people looking from afar.