(Film) Surfers from Long Beach, Ca
Donation protected
Growing up in Long Beach from a family heavily tied to the ocean and outdoors, surfing was a big part of my life. I remember hearing stories from my grandmother about jumping off of the Veteran's Pier when the waves were double overhead (12ft. faces) and body surfing to shore. The dream of riding waves that big along the beaches of Long Beach is something I have always longed for and, unfortunately, will probably never experience due to the construction of the Long Beach and San Pedro breakwalls. These early family stories of surfing in Long Beach sparked my curiosity-what was it like to be a surfer in Long Beach during its heyday, pre-break wall?
Through reading and research, I discovered how legendary this city really is in the surfing/lifesaving worlds. Labeled as the Aquatic Capital of America, Long Beach has been the home of many watermen/women for decades ranging from Olympic rowers and swimmers to legendary surfers, such as Robert August and Jericho Poppler-Bartlow.
Duke Kahanamoku brought surfing to the West Coast in the mid to late 1800’s. One of the places he visited was Long Beach, where in 1911 he left one of his solid wood surfboards. Duke’s arrival to Long Beach combined with surfing exhibitions produced by Henry Huntington planted the seeds of surf culture in the sandy soil of the city. In 1899, construction began on a three-piece barrier or break wall to harbor ships from the oceans ever-changing landscape and to house naval ships during WWII. The construction of this 8.5-mile-long rock wall destroyed the wave action on the shores of Long Beach creating conflict for the surfers who once frequented the city’s beaches. Prior to the construction of the break wall Long Beach, was commonly referred to as the “Queen of the Coast” or the “Waikiki of the West Coast” because of its vibrant and bustling beach scene.
My film aims highlight/address the evolution/adaptation of the Long Beach surf community. How did “old timers” deal with the loss of waves and growing up as a surfer? What was the beach scene like, and how has it changed? I hope my film will educate individuals about the role surfing played in Long Beach. It aims to capture the stories of individuals who lived here in the early 1900s to the present day. This is a time-sensitive issue, and if we are to record these stories we must begin now. No one has documented the history of surfing in this city. By doing so, I hope to help preserve this history for generations of surfers to come.
Any and all donations are appreciated and will be used to support me in my journey around the globe interviewing and recording individuals like Robert August, Bob "Ole" Olson, Bob Gravich, and many others. August and Olson have already voiced their interest in contributing stories to the film but plane tickets to Costa Rica (Robert August) and Maui (Bob "Ole" Olson) are not cheap. These donations will help me make a lifelong dream come true and to create the "document" (film) I have been hoping to see my entire life.
Thank you for your support. Feel free to share contacts with whom I can speak or meet as well as your own images, stories, and experiences as a Long Beach surfer.
Through reading and research, I discovered how legendary this city really is in the surfing/lifesaving worlds. Labeled as the Aquatic Capital of America, Long Beach has been the home of many watermen/women for decades ranging from Olympic rowers and swimmers to legendary surfers, such as Robert August and Jericho Poppler-Bartlow.
Duke Kahanamoku brought surfing to the West Coast in the mid to late 1800’s. One of the places he visited was Long Beach, where in 1911 he left one of his solid wood surfboards. Duke’s arrival to Long Beach combined with surfing exhibitions produced by Henry Huntington planted the seeds of surf culture in the sandy soil of the city. In 1899, construction began on a three-piece barrier or break wall to harbor ships from the oceans ever-changing landscape and to house naval ships during WWII. The construction of this 8.5-mile-long rock wall destroyed the wave action on the shores of Long Beach creating conflict for the surfers who once frequented the city’s beaches. Prior to the construction of the break wall Long Beach, was commonly referred to as the “Queen of the Coast” or the “Waikiki of the West Coast” because of its vibrant and bustling beach scene.
My film aims highlight/address the evolution/adaptation of the Long Beach surf community. How did “old timers” deal with the loss of waves and growing up as a surfer? What was the beach scene like, and how has it changed? I hope my film will educate individuals about the role surfing played in Long Beach. It aims to capture the stories of individuals who lived here in the early 1900s to the present day. This is a time-sensitive issue, and if we are to record these stories we must begin now. No one has documented the history of surfing in this city. By doing so, I hope to help preserve this history for generations of surfers to come.
Any and all donations are appreciated and will be used to support me in my journey around the globe interviewing and recording individuals like Robert August, Bob "Ole" Olson, Bob Gravich, and many others. August and Olson have already voiced their interest in contributing stories to the film but plane tickets to Costa Rica (Robert August) and Maui (Bob "Ole" Olson) are not cheap. These donations will help me make a lifelong dream come true and to create the "document" (film) I have been hoping to see my entire life.
Thank you for your support. Feel free to share contacts with whom I can speak or meet as well as your own images, stories, and experiences as a Long Beach surfer.
Organizer
Bryce Leisy
Organizer
Long Beach, CA
