WOW, thank you so much for this priceless Treasure! Don used to stay with us at Laniakea 60's ... remember when he lost his camera and was so happy to get it back! He was a very quiet guy who was always very focused on his Hawaiian trips ... getting best winter shots that he could. He was one of the first to build his own waterproof housing for a camera and it was extremely heavy ... but he kept himself in excellent shape so could swim out with it. I think he might have added some kind of floatation to it. My family first met him when we lived Malibu 50's through Pete & Alice Peterson whom got my mom surfing first. And my fondest memories are all of us down for a weekend at San'O, where I got started as a kid. The kid in me wants to get back there, as it was the best times. Anyways, everyone remembers him as just a real kind sweetheart of a guy.
Don James was my dentist from early childhood till 1972. His office walls were decorated with his amazing surfing photos. I took up surfing in 1959 because of him, not because of "Gidget."
WOW! Thanks so much for posting this. Just an absolute GEM of documented surf history. 13:40 -“The Bel Air Bay Club” Are you kidding me? THAT is the stuff of a Hollywood movie: College students in the 1930’s working as surfing lifeguards in the infant stages of the Southern California surf culture. Just amazing. Please, please, please, pass as many of these stories along for future generations as you can. Such an amazing untold period of time in the history of our sport here in Southern California. My father graduated from Long Beach Wilson High School in 1945. The stories he used to tell us about the “Surfriders” riding the “breakers” at Palos Verdes Cove and all along the stretch of Long Beach proper. Before the breakwater went up, my father described waves to us that (based on what I remember…) broke from basically outside Seal Beach river jetties all the way through Belmont Shores. Him and his bros would drive to Crescent Bay in the summers of the early 1940’s to go body surfing. Can you just imagine Laguna in the 1940’s? All the kids from Wilson High would camp out overnight at “Scotchman’s Cove”…. California Surfing in the 1930’s and 40’s. Those dudes would surf all day and either spearfish or dive for bugs and abalone in the afternoons. It’s been almost 25 years for me NOT hearing those California surf stories anymore from my dad. Your video brought him and those great memories all right back to me today. So….THANKS AGAIN so much for posting this ! --Aloha ! “Call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye….” D. Henley ‘76
Thanks, I didn't come along until the late 60's in Huntington and Newport, but we did hear stories, and Loren Harrison was still around. You lived the best life in a charmed era and place, thanks for sharing. San-O became my Mecca for many years.
I can remember seeing guys surfing at the Seal Beach Jetty around 1962 or 3 when I was fishing with my Dad. I told him that I would never do that! A couple years later I was in the water thanks to some neighbor boys I went to the beach with! My board weighed more than me! Lol
Fred gave me rides with my board hitch hiking on kahala ave. Heading to alamoana the day the surf broke the outside bouy fist stopped by at daimond lookout Fred wanted to check out to see if brown was breaking sure nuff its just about to it usually wouldn't unless it could get up to 18ft.
1960's - nobody else out but the whole gang takes off on the same wave 2000's - 500 surfers in the water and only one surfer allowed per wave When did the "one surfer per wave" rule start? With the advent of the short board?
Nicely done Don. Thank you for a great lesson in surfing history. 🤙
WOW, thank you so much for this priceless Treasure! Don used to stay with us at Laniakea 60's ... remember when he lost his camera and was so happy to get it back! He was a very quiet guy who was always very focused on his Hawaiian trips ... getting best winter shots that he could. He was one of the first to build his own waterproof housing for a camera and it was extremely heavy ... but he kept himself in excellent shape so could swim out with it. I think he might have added some kind of floatation to it. My family first met him when we lived Malibu 50's through Pete & Alice Peterson whom got my mom surfing first. And my fondest memories are all of us down for a weekend at San'O, where I got started as a kid. The kid in me wants to get back there, as it was the best times. Anyways, everyone remembers him as just a real kind sweetheart of a guy.
Don James was my dentist from early childhood till 1972. His office walls were decorated with his amazing surfing photos. I took up surfing in 1959 because of him, not because of "Gidget."
WOW! Thanks so much for posting this. Just an absolute GEM of documented surf history.
13:40 -“The Bel Air Bay Club” Are you kidding me? THAT is the stuff of a Hollywood movie: College students in the 1930’s working as surfing lifeguards in the infant stages of the Southern California surf culture. Just amazing. Please, please, please, pass as many of these stories along for future generations as you can. Such an amazing untold period of time in the history of our sport here in Southern California.
My father graduated from Long Beach Wilson High School in 1945. The stories he used to tell us about the “Surfriders” riding the “breakers” at Palos Verdes Cove and all along the stretch of Long Beach proper. Before the breakwater went up, my father described waves to us that (based on what I remember…) broke from basically outside Seal Beach river jetties all the way through Belmont Shores.
Him and his bros would drive to Crescent Bay in the summers of the early 1940’s to go body surfing. Can you just imagine Laguna in the 1940’s? All the kids from Wilson High would camp out overnight at “Scotchman’s Cove”….
California Surfing in the 1930’s and 40’s. Those dudes would surf all day and either spearfish or dive for bugs and abalone in the afternoons.
It’s been almost 25 years for me NOT hearing those California surf stories anymore from my dad. Your video brought him and those great memories all right back to me today.
So….THANKS AGAIN so much for posting this !
--Aloha !
“Call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye….” D. Henley ‘76
Very cool Love the old Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu hustory!!
I had one of those huge hollow plywood boards, the thing was a BEAST.
Thanks, I didn't come along until the late 60's in Huntington and Newport, but we did hear stories, and Loren Harrison was still around. You lived the best life in a charmed era and place, thanks for sharing. San-O became my Mecca for many years.
Those Boards are Huge and Life Style was Amazing… Beautiful Thank You…
That was awesome.
Great Dr. Don! Reminds me of going to Bruce Brown movies at the school in the 60's with Bruce giving the talk. Seems he followed in your footsteps.
I had a few boards EXACTLY LIKE those redwoods, except being 5'10" , made of foam and weighing 6 lbs.
I can remember seeing guys surfing at the Seal Beach Jetty around 1962 or 3 when I was fishing with my Dad. I told him that I would never do that! A couple years later I was in the water thanks to some neighbor boys I went to the beach with! My board weighed more than me! Lol
Thank you Don James!
Amazing! Thank you!!
🙌🥳🙌thank you🤙
Don shot the photo of Fred Hemmings at Sunset for Hamm's Beer. It appeared in billboards everywhere.
Fred gave me rides with my board hitch hiking on kahala ave. Heading to alamoana the day the surf broke the outside bouy fist stopped by at daimond lookout Fred wanted to check out to see if brown was breaking sure nuff its just about to it usually wouldn't unless it could get up to 18ft.
Anyone know what that big metal cage was in the Santa Monica surf footage?
This is the type of guy that says “if you drink enough water it can kill you”
1960's - nobody else out but the whole gang takes off on the same wave
2000's - 500 surfers in the water and only one surfer allowed per wave
When did the "one surfer per wave" rule start? With the advent of the short board?
👍😎
Does anybody out there remember a surfer/carpenter from the 30s and 40s named Bud or Ed Caughlin?
What was the shark impact like back in those years ? I'm 68 now.
🌴✌🏄♂️🏄♂️🏄♂️✌🌴
You can't even buy an old use car for 25 bucks now. Only in your dreams.
Very cool 🙏I'm very early 70z elporto local 😮aka surf na.iz before we knew the terrible history of that crap just meant go big 🎉