California Surfing, the State Sport

Surfing in California traces back to the 1800s, when three Hawaiian princes arrived in the popular coastal city of Santa Cruz. From there, surfing spread to other mainland U.S. beaches. The sport became popular after a local icon named Jack O’Neill pioneered the industry with his wetsuit brand. He was the first to create a wetsuit made of neoprene (synthetic rubber) so surfers can stay warm in the winter and surf year-round. Jim Kempton, executive director of the California Surf Museum in Oceanside, California, met O’Neill while working as the editor for Surfer Magazine. “He was one of the most friendly, most generous, most welcoming guys in the world,” Kempton told The Epoch Times....