Dana Point Surf Legacy

In the 1950s, Dana Point wasn’t even a town. On the southern edge of Orange County, 7 miles of beach and surf breaks served as an oasis for young people growing up in Southern California. Teenagers escaped to Dana Point with their siblings, boyfriends and girlfriends, carrying their balsa wood boards in teams of two due to the weight of the equipment. They played guitar by the campfire and caught waves until it was too dark to see.

It was here, at what is now known as Doheny State Beach, that Hobie Surfboards had its first store along the Pacific Coast Highway. Hobie Alter became the first person to mass produce surfboards from foam, making them lighter and more accessible than ever before. Just up the street, Surfer Magazine got its start thanks to Jon Severson. In a nearby office, Bruce Brown produced the most iconic surf movie in history, The Endless Summer, not to mention Doheny State Beach was highlighted in the song, Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys. As generations of legendary surfers and their stories were born here, you could say that Dana Point the birthplace of U.S surf Culture.

Life along the water is part of our DNA. While other towns are busy claiming to be the United States’ first or original, we’re out there doing what we’ve always done: surfing.