George Freeth – America’s First Surfer
Sunny
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Freeth
Surfs Huntington Beach Pier – June 21, 1914
Written
by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
Long before Huntington Beach became Surf City...
Long before the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean came on the
scene…
Even before the legendary Duke Kahanamoku popularized
surfing in the mid-1900s…
There was one remarkable person who stood above all the
rest:
George
Freeth, the first surfer in the United States.
If you haven’t heard of Freeth and how he put Huntington
Beach on the map in 1914, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel would
like to introduce you.
Billed as The Man
Who Can Walk on Water, George Freeth, who was born in Hawaii on November 8,
1883, was invited to California by railroad tycoon Henry E. Huntington to demonstrate the sport of surfing.
Huntington read about Freeth’s ability to ride the waves
in an article by Jack London, the
renowned author of Call of the Wild, White Fang, and other adventure stories…
and thought that Freeth could spark interest in his Los
Angeles to Redondo Beach rail line. So, he asked him to put on a surfing show
at the Redondo Beach Pier in 1907.
The crowd was amazed by Freeth's exploits. Indeed, he lived up
to London’s description: “He is a Mercury. His heels are winged, and in them is
the swiftness of the sea.”
In 1914 when
the Huntington Beach Pier was built,
Freeth was first to surf it, too – on an 8’ wooden longboard – marking HB’s start
to becoming the world’s surfing capital.
Along with surfing, Freeth did many more things,
including:
Promoting the aquatic sports of swimming, diving and
water polo;
Becoming the first official lifeguard in SoCal and
forming an organization that was the forerunner of today’s Lifeguard Services;
Inventing the torpedo
rescue can preserver used by lifeguards;
Saving seven Japanese fishermen from drowning when their
boats were pummeled by a storm in Venice Beach December 16, 1908, and helping rescue
others;
Receiving the U.S. Life
Saving Corps Gold Medal and other awards.
Freeth, often in the limelight for his surfing derring-do,
was more interested in water safety and training lifeguards. Sadly, he died
April 7, 1919, at age 35, from lung damage due to his lifesaving efforts and contracting
the Spanish Flu.
SurfWriter Girls talked to Tony Jones, who owns Coral Reef Wetsuits, and is working to get Freeth’s achievements recognized. Jones
said, “I would like the community to create a memorial for Freeth and a fund in
his name. The fund could help inner city kids get to the beach to discover
another kind of life and become junior lifeguards.”
As for the memorial, Jones and SurfWriter Girls discussed
one that would benefit locals and tourists alike – a drinking fountain honoring
Freeth on the HB Pier. It’s definitely something to think about!
Celeste Hamil, HB’s 100 Years of Surfing project manager, has been working with the City and local groups to
ensure that June 21 is
a day to remember:
The 100 Years of Surfing committee is staging a When
Men Were Men and Boards Were Wood competition at the HB Pier (from 10 am –
2 pm) with the surfers riding vintage or recreated wooden longboards.
The International Surfing Museum opens Century of Stoke,
curated by surfing champion Peter Townend and exhibition director Dave
Reynolds, showcasing HB surfing history. The Museum is the beneficiary of HB’s 100 Years of Surfing.
The Surfrider Foundation, which helps protect the world’s oceans and beaches, is hosting a beach event (at Sixth Street; 8 am – 1 pm) to salute Freeth and celebrate International Surfing Day, a day devoted to the joy of surfing,
with paddle-outs, yoga, beach cleanups, surf industry displays, education and
entertainment activities.
On this momentous day – that coincides with the summer
solstice – there’ll be a lot going on in Surf City. So, c’mon! Join SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti at the
HB Pier on Saturday and let’s all celebrate the stoke!
To be continued – Look
for more SurfWriter Girls coverage of HB’s summer events!
Please post your comment below.
Comments will appear the next day.
Great job as usual girls!!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed learning about George Freeth and his contributions to surfing, water safety and Huntington Beach.
ReplyDeleteBarbara