A Wave of Treasures on Display
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
Visiting the California Surf Museum in Oceanside, CA, is like hanging out with friends at the beach. It’s a place to kick back and share the stoke of surfing. The paintings, displays, and memorabilia all pay tribute to the surf culture.
SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti recently caught up with the museum’s historian Jane Schmauss, who not only oversees the museum, but was one of its founders back in da day – when it took root in a corner of her Encinitas restaurant, George’s, in 1986.
Starting with just a few surf pieces, the museum, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, has grown and moved to its current spot at 312 Pier View Way, just steps from the ocean. On our visit the exhibit “Surf Art: Exploring California’s Coastal Culture” was just finishing its run.
Each artwork showcased the essence of surfing and its relationship to the ocean environment. “The ocean is the original connecting force,” Schmauss said. “That’s what we try to portray here.” She noted respect for the ocean dates to the early days of surfing. “The ancient Hawaiians used to go to the ocean and ask it if it was okay to surf today.”
You never know what you’ll see when you’re there. This 1931 painting Surfer, painted by Phil Dike and set in Corona del Mar, is one of the earliest depictions of surfing in California. Dike founded the California Watercolor Society in 1921 and was one of Walt Disney’s original animators.
John Severson, the founder of Surfer magazine and a renowned painter, had paintings on display, too, including Hawaiian Power.
Surfer in Residence Gabe Burris calls the museum “my happy place.” He’s been a docent for the past 14 years and enjoys all the positive vibes.
With the works of so many leading artists, including Andy Davis, Rick Griffin, Herbie Fletcher, Veronika Strachova, Nathan Paul Gibbs, and Damian Fulton, every time we turned a corner there was something that made us stop. Like this repurposed surfboard desk created by Makoto Fujimura that’s both futuristic and retro at the same time.
Central CA coast painter Colleen Gnos’ fantasy surfboard, The Kiss, is here. And another board with a reality-based message is nearby – shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton’s…with a big bite taken out of it.
Museum visitor Chris Cremer told SurfWriter Girls he’s a regular. He and his wife Jane (children’s book author of The Gratitude Meadow) stop by weekly as part of their beach routine.
The current exhibit, “Surfing: Hawaiian Royalty’s Gift to the World,” offers even more treasures to enjoy. It’s the perfect way for the museum to mark its 40th year of celebrating the stoke of surfing.
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