Mike and I were visiting my friend Paige in Dana Point, California and she introduced me to Doheny Beach. She said this is where she learned to surf.
I found out that in the 1950s, Dana Point's 6 miles of beach and surf breaks served as an oasis for young people growing up in Southern California. Teenagers came carrying their balsa wood boards in teams of two due to the weight of the equipment. They played guitar by the campfire and caught waves until it was too dark to see. I can see that this is still the trend.
It was here, at Doheny State Beach, that Hobie Surfboards had its first store along the Pacific Coast Highway. Hobie Alter became the first person to mass produce surfboards from foam, making them lighter and more accessible than ever before. Just up the street, Surfer Magazine got its start thanks to Jon Severson. In a nearby office, Bruce Brown produced the most iconic surf movie in history, The Endless Summer. And generations of surf legends got their start right here. Bottom line: U.S. surf culture was born here. So cool!
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