Surf Culture & Capitola
The Wave Riders of the Central Coast · Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz's relationship with surfing goes back to 1885, when three Hawaiian princes surfed the San Lorenzo River on redwood boards — making Santa Cruz the documented birthplace of mainland U.S. surfing. Today the city is one of the premier surf destinations in the world.
Timeline
Capitola — California's First Beach Resort Town
Capitola is established as a resort campground in 1869 by F.A. Hihn, making it California's oldest beach resort. The colorful village with its painted cottages along the beach becomes a beloved destination for Santa Cruz County residents and visitors from across the Bay Area.[3]
Surfing Comes to the Mainland
Three Hawaiian princes — David Kawananakoa, Edward Abner Keliiahonui, and Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole — studying at a military academy in San Mateo, visit Santa Cruz and ride redwood boards at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River on July 20, 1885. A historical marker on Cowells Beach commemorates the first recorded surfing in the continental United States.[1],[2]
Visit these historical sites
Real places in our directory connected to Surf Culture & Capitola.
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Sources
Citations behind the dates, names, and numbers on this page.
- 1Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
Primary museum source for the 1885 visit of the three Hawaiian princes and the birth of mainland American surfing.
- 2Santa Cruz County Museums — Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
David Kawananakoa, Edward Keliʻiahonui and Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole surfing at the San Lorenzo rivermouth in 1885.
- 3Wikipedia — Capitola, California
Capitola’s 1869 founding as California’s first seaside resort town (Camp Capitola).