Bikini Turns 75

 

Va, Va, Va Boom!

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The bikini bathing suit turns 75 this July – a groundbreaking design statement that rocked the fashion world. Scandalous to some and essential to others, this skimpy bathing suit, that leaves little to the imagination, made its first appearance in Paris on July 5, 1946, which is now National Bikini Day. 

 

Designed by French auto engineer/fashion designer Louis Reard, the bikini was introduced at the Piscine Molitar public swimming pool in Paris just four days after the first test of an atomic bomb at the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

 

The bikini was modeled by Micheline Bernardini, a dancer from the Casino de Paris.

Like the bomb itself, the bikini generated an explosive reaction.

From the French Riviera to Malibu, CA, the new minimalist swimsuit turned heads on beaches around the world.

 

Among the movie stars to immortalize the fashion over the years have been Brigitte Bardot - wearing a bikini and a pout and little more – Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, and Gina Lollabrigida.

Bond Girls Ursula Andress and Halle Berry added a lethal twist to the provocative swimsuit.

 A staple in beach movies of the 50s and 60s, the bikini became part of the West Coast surfing culture.

 

Brian Hyland got even more people on board for the bikini with his Itsy, Bitsy, Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini song in 1960 – a record that made it to number one on the Billboard Chart.  

 

Not for the shy or modest, a true bikini, said Reard, was made with no more material than could be “pulled through a wedding ring.” Drawing on his engineering skills, Reard configured his creation out of just four triangles of fabric precariously held together with string. 

In the years since its introduction the bikini has proven to have amazing staying power, its popularity fueled by those daring enough to wear it and the many appreciative onlookers who enjoy seeing it.   

       

 SurfWriter Girls

 Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

 Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given. 

 

Dana Point – Whale of an Inspiration

 

Home of Iconic Doheny Beach

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Southern California's Dana Point has been inspiring writers, sailors and surfers since acclaimed author Richard Henry Dana wrote about the port in his 1840 adventure novel Two Years Before the Mast.

 

Dana, a merchant seaman, described the picturesque locale as "the only romantic spot on the coast."

 

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti stopped by Dana’s statue, which overlooks the harbor, beckoning visitors to explore this treasure of a town where the streets are named after different colored lanterns – golden, violet, blue, etc. – 

 like the ones ships used 200 years ago to advertise their wares.

 

Dana Point, which calls itself the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World, was recently designated the first Whale Heritage Site in North America by the World Cetacean Alliance. 

 

In the nearby Waterman's Plaza, you can see statues of local surf legends, including Hobie Cat inventor Hobie Alter and Endless Summer filmmaker Bruce Brown.

 

While just across the street is the iconic surf spot Doheny Beach – one of the top spots on SoCal surfing bucket lists for surfers around the world.

 

With one of the best surf breaks in California and over 62 acres of beach, tidepools, nature exploration areas, and campgrounds, it's hard to beat.

 

Celebrated in vintage surf rock songs Surfin' Safari and Surfin' USA, Doheny Beach draws a million surfers a year to challenge the waves.

Set in a place where locals say surfing is in the DNA, Doheny Beach is part of an authentic beach town devoted to everything related to the ocean.  

 

With Dana Point’s high bluffs and sheltered coves, it's no wonder Richard Henry Dana was inspired when his ship the Pilgrim put into this tranquil port that would later bear his name.

 SurfWriter Girls

 Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.