California's First Modern Surfer
George Freeth

      In 1907, it was the eclectic interests of land baron Henry Huntington that brought the ancient art of Hawaiian surfing to the California coast. Henry Huntington, the legendary land baron, owned most of the properties in Redondo Beach and was anxious to sell them to visiting Angelenos who wanted to escape the intense heat of the greater Los Angeles basin. Visitors flocked to Redondo Beach on Huntington's Pacific Electric Railway for a weekend or a day trip. The glamorous Hotel Redondo, right on the Pacific Ocean front, lured upscale visitors from throughout the State.
      Huntington had seen the Hawaiian beach boys surfing, and ever the savvy marketer, hired a young Hawaiian-English athlete, George Freeth, to demonstrate the ancient art of surfing for the entertainment of Redondo Beach visitors. What an attraction he thought, the crowds would flock down to see the "man who could walk on water"; those lot parcels would just fly out of his hands.
      As a child in Hawaii, George had seen an old Polynesian painting that showed his mothers' regal ancestors standing and riding surfboards. Captain Cook wrote in his journals in the mid 18th century, "the Hawaiians, including their lovely bare breasted women, came out on boards to meet his ships." Cook also recorded that riding the board standing up was reserved for chiefs and princes, and "they would wager great treasurer with each other on their prowess thereat." George decided he would try to revive the art, but had little success with the monstrous, 16-foot hardwood boards. But, when he cut them in half, he unwittingly created the original "long board", which worked exceedingly well and made him the talk of the islands.
      George exhibited his surfing prowess, twice a day, in front of the Hotel Redondo to the delight of visitors. His boundless energies soon led him to swimming, diving and water polo competitions. He was made the official Redondo Beach lifeguard--the first in fact, in Southern California. He organized and trained professional lifeguard corps and won a Carnegie and a Congressional medal for saving the lives of a boat of stranded fishermen in the Santa Monica Bay. He is also credited with inventing the "torpedo rescue can" used by modern lifeguards today.
      From 1907 to 1915, George promulgated a surfing revolution that would eventually become a stable phenomenon on the California Coast. New boards made of foam and fiberglass, shaped in garages, progressed to new industries. "Hanging ten" and "wiping out" became part of the common language of surfers. The pounding beat of surf music captured the imagination of restless adventure seekers worldwide.
      George was only 36 years old when he died in 1919. The great influenza epidemic which swept the nation ended the promising career of one of Southern California's most beloved, but lesser known heroes. A memorial bronze of George Freeth is in place on the Redondo Beach Pier, and the statue is often decorated with Hawaiian leis, as tribute from surfers who visit from around the world.

By Lois Drakewith source material obtained from Old Redondo; written by Dennis Shanahan, published by Legends Press (and unfortunately out of print.).