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George Freeth
Statue Bust was stolen from the Redondo Beach Pier overlook
location.
A fixture next to the Redondo Beach Pier since 1977, the bronze
sculpture of George Freeth was stolen in the Summer 2008. While some
consider such activities as pranks, this bust has historic value as
well as a sentimental value to locals and tourists who come to
remember and pay tribute to a man who brought surfing to the
mainland USA.
Sculptor Terry
O'Donnell, an El Camino College teacher who died in January 2008,
created the bust for the City of Redondo Beach as a way of
honoring the historic figure who popularized surfing both as a sport
and a culture in the South Bay but more importantly, as a lifeguard
saving 78 lives before his young death from overwork. Freeth
came to California in 1907 at the age of 23.
Weighing approx.
100 pounds, the bust was knocked loose from its concrete pedestal in
the middle of the night. Body Glove founder Bob Meistrell offered
$5,000 for information leading to the return of the George Freeth
bust and the arrest and conviction of those responsible for stealing
it. While the reward offer holds several conditions, youngsters or
young adult pranksters are encouraged to anonymously return the
bust, with the main goal of getting it back. Call: Bob Meistrell at
Body Glove, 310-374-3441, Ext. 292 or 277, 201 Herondo St., Redondo
Beach, CA. bodyglove.com.
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