© 2010 California Surf Museum Timeline of Surfing: A Glimpse of 100 Years of Surfing Culture in Southern California. This exhibit traces the broad cultural influence surfing has had on our idyllic lifestyle over the last century, beginning with the talented waterman Freeth, and ending with one of today’s international idols, Kelly Slater. Jack London, a popular author, wrote about George Freeth after receiving surfing lessons from him at Waikiki in 1907. “He is a Mercury -- a brown Mercury. His heels are winged, and in them is the swiftness of the sea. In truth, from out of the sea he has leaped upon the back of the sea, and he is riding the sea that roars and bellows and cannot shake him from its back. But no frantic outreaching and balancing is his. He is impassive, motionless as a statue carved suddenly by some miracle out of the sea’s depth from which he rose. And straight on toward shore he flies on his winged heels and the white crest of the breaker.” 1907 was the same year that Freeth moved to California to pursue a career in swimming and high diving, his expertise. He also brought along his surfboard wave riding skills. Arthur C. Verge, a professor of history, writes in George Freeth: King of the Surfers and California’s Forgotten Hero: “In an age when the ocean was to be feared and avoided, George Freeth introduced surfing to southern California. It was from these warm California coastal waters that surfing would ultimately gain its greatest appeal amongst the American masses.” Duke Kahanamoku followed Freeth to California, teamed up with the iron men surfing Corona del Mar in the 1920s, and they, in turn, passed their knowledge and skill on to the likes of Matt Kivlin, who then taught Gidget to surf in the 1950s, and the rest, as they say, is history. From the explosion of surf movies, music, magazines and clothing in the ’60s to the innovative mind of Tom Morey and the Zen-like Gerry Lopez in the ’70s. The 1980s brings Tom Curren, son of the legendary Pat Curren, to the pages of the magazines. Almost 40 years after Gidget popularized surfing, the 1990s see Lisa Andersen winning four world titles. The ’90s also see Kelly Slater start his winning streak of eight world titles, his eighth coming in 2006 -- 99 years after George Freeth was first seen surfing at Venice, California.   Side Walk Surfers The featured opening exhibit “Sidewalk Surfers” displays a historic look at the roots of skateboarding. The skateboard evolved as a method of enjoying the feeling of surfing while the waves were flat or inaccessible. It was immediately apparent that skateboarding was not only fun but also an activity in and of itself. Skateboarders were able to crank turns and slides that they could only dream of pulling off on their surfboards. Forty years later skateboard aerial maneuvers are actually being pulled off on waves! The exhibit, curated by skater/surfer Dale Smith focuses on surfboard shapers, manufacturers and professional riders from the 1930s to the 1980s and their skateboard models over the years. Skateboarding and its unique subculture is part of what makes this exhibit so cool. See how surfers influenced skate moves and come full circle to skaters influencing surf style.