Huntington Beach
International Surfing Museum in HB!
Huntington Beach -- There's been somewhat of a tussle over who's the
surfing capital and who lays claim to the best
surfing museum in California. We've visited
three of them in Calif. and aren't taking sides.
With different locations and different names,
they all are run by locals who absolutely love
the sport of surfing. With that, Huntington
Beach takes no exception.
Huntington
Beach International Surfing Museum was founded
several decades ago by a woman who's never
surfed. In fact, Natalie Kotsch (pictured with a
rare electric surfboard) came from a spot in
Canada where there really wasn't any surfing.
She recognized this incredible beach vibe and a
welcoming spirit that made her feel happy in
Huntington Beach, and she got caught in a fever
that snags many who live in beach areas around
the globe. You don't have to surf to love
watching the sport, said Kotsch. And the over
90% of residents who do not surf agree.
Thanks to her efforts, many of the great
surfboards and local history have an opportunity
to be preserved in a huge, catalogued collection
that rotates in the museum. Tourists and locals
can visit this surfing museum for a very small
fee. Especially popular with surfers from around
the globe, they visit the museum to share
stories and find out where some of their
favorite local surfers are surfing these days.
The museum
includes over 100 years of surfing history in
displays, artifacts and information. Guests such
as Dean Torrence of
Jan &
Dean band, who unveiled a special exhibit
about Torrence's friends, the Beach Boys, and
the original Gidget have helped launch events at
the Huntington Beach International Surfing
Museum.
From surf
fins to Beach Boys, Dick Dale to The Greek,
you'll find out all kinds of trivia and see some
information about shaping and what boards are
made of when you visit this small museum space
in the heart of downtown Huntington Beach.
Located just three blocks from the beach, the
store sells awesome surf music CDs, Tshirts and
sponsors free
Surfing Sunday concerts all summer with
famous musicians and some younger talent that
bring that bring energy to this intensely
syncopated music with a beat.
