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California Surf Museum - Oceanside California
Oceanside
California Surf Museum in Oceanside
was founded in 1986. It used to sit in a prominent and visible location on Coast
Highway that passes along the great California beach towns where surfing is
not a sport, but a way of life. See the photo below for the old building
location. California Surf
Museum, 312 Pier View Way, Oceanside, CA Call: 760-721-6876 www.surfmuseum.org
Relocated for the third time, the newest unveiling does this institution
proud. The California Surf Museum is now located near the famous Oceanside
Pier, offering visitors and local residents a glimpse at a culture that
looms large in this region. Surfing is a passion for locals and it only
takes a look at the newest facility to see that Oceanside loves surfing. The
building itself was designed to capture the spirit of surfing with its
wave-like edifice. The California Surf Museum is the first building built
specifically for a surf museum in the United States. The building with its
stunning façade, and the interior with its "WOW Wall," was designed by
Oceanside architect and CSM board member Louise Ravera Balma.
The new Museum provides an inspiring and hip backdrop for its permanent and
rotating exhibits. A mural of a perfect barrel caught just off the beach,
south of
Oceanside’s famous pier, is the focal point for tourist snapshots.
Known for its collection of surfboards dating back to the 1920s, the museum
offers rotating exhibits and year-round events that include an annual Surf
Festival in November.
Exhibits include an
interesting compilation of Great Surfer/Shapers that recognizes and honors
names through photos and memorabilia. Duke Kahanamoku, George Freeth, John
Kelly, Tom Blake, Steve Lis, Simon Anderson and Loren Whitey Harrison are
recognized names heralded through this tribute exhibit, one of many rotating
exhibits that grace the walls of this corner shop that enjoys great window
displays. Listed in travel guidebooks throughout the world, the California
Surf Museum brings in over 17,000 visitors each year, making it a top
tourist destination in downtown Oceanside. A trip to the museum is a
must for anyone curious about surfing.
In the spring 2006 California State
Senator Bill Morrow of Carlsbad introduced legislation to make the
California Surf Museum the official state surfing museum with a Senate
Resolution 69. The veteran Republican legislator from North San Diego
County, recently introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 69 in conjunction
with a 100-year anniversary of surfing in California in 2007. Morrow stated
that there's a need to preserve surfing-related artifacts and information in
a museum-quality manner because of the significance of surfing which has
become a crucial part of California’s culture and identity. He said surfing
and the California Surf Museum in North San Diego County's city of Oceanside
represent an essential part of tourism and commerce in the state of
California.
The California Surf
Museum of Oceanside, a 20-year non-profit organization receives
approximately 20,000 visitors annually. Morrow said that while there are
several other surfing museums in California, the California Surf Museum was
established as the pre-eminent repository for California surfing history and
memorabilia.
When driving along Coast Highway, be
sure to stop and take a look at the exhibits and gift store with great
posters, CDs and surf-themed gifts in Oceanside. You don't have to surf to
enjoy the culture of this exciting sport that some call a way of life.
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