Malibu — The Mecca of Modern Surfing

Two surfers on the face of a large wave in Malibu, date unknown. Photo courtesy of Malibu Library The Friends of the Malibu Library.

Known to the Chumash people as humaliwu, with an unsubstantiated translation to “where the surf sounds loudly,” Malibu Point has been identified by its legendary waves throughout history. Famous waterman Duke Kahanamoku visited his friend, actor Ronald Colman, at the Malibu Colony and first rode the waves there in 1927.

Malibu surf break

Malibu’s naturally formed sandy beach along with the cobble and sand deposits from Malibu Creek in the nearshore, nearshore sandbars, and underwater rocky reefs all contribute to its notoriety as being “the exact spot on earth where ancient surfing became modern surfing,” according to Paul Gross, a former editor of Surfer Magazine. In 2018, this recognition became formal by the State of California Natural Resource Agency designating Malibu Point as the Malibu Historic District.

This cultural and recreational district, part of which is overseen by California State Parks, includes Malibu’s First Point, Second Point, and Third Point surf breaks; the intertidal zone between them and Malibu Lagoon and Surfriders beaches; and the beaches themselves. The Historic District also includes Malibu Pier and Malibu Lagoon.

For surfers, Third Point’s distance from shore and higher wave height affords longer rides for experienced surfers. Second Point’s bigger, faster, but less predictable waves can be challenging to all but the most‐experienced surfers. First Point’s long, evenly breaking waves are the most forgiving for beginners.

Surfing Malibu 1946

Photo Courtesy of University of California Calisphere Library

While other breaks along the coast such as Rincon (south of Santa Barbara) might be considered equally deserving, Malibu’s warmer temperatures in addition to primo waves attributed to it becoming the first pre-wetsuit surfing community in Southern California (c. 1945-1959). It was a place where experimentation, invention, and social activities significantly molded modern recreational surfing. The area's unique coastal and onshore configuration generated long, consistent, and well-shaped waves that drew early surfers. It was here that new equipment was evaluated, new techniques were introduced, and surf culture evolved.

Riding on Malibu’s long waves provided a surfer with so much time the combination of cross stepping the board and carving up and down the wave face became the identifiable Malibu surfing style of the 1950s. Pacific Ocean storms originating anywhere from Baja California to New Zealand produce most of the waves averaging two to four feet high from late summer to early fall. On rare, locally stormy days, surfers can ride eight-foot swells from Third Point to the pier.

Postcard from the 1960s

Courtesy Eric Wienberg Collection: Postcards, 1900-1999 Pepperdine University

Among the local surfers who literally shaped surfing into a new sport was Joe Quigg who, along with other local designers like Dale Velzy, fabricated noticeably shorter, lighter, more maneuverable fiberglass boards with rockers and rails. Quigg’s best friend asked him to design an even lighter version that his girlfriend could easily transport by herself to Malibu. A notably petite regular from Brentwood who bartered sandwiches for surf lessons, she was known as “Gidget,” a hybrid of “girl” and “midget”.  In 1999, Surfer Magazine named Kathy “Gidget” Kohner the seventh-most influential surfer in history, inspiring books, films, TV shows and a surf fashion industry.

Other Malibu-related surfers who made it into the International Surfing Hall of Fame were Bob Simmons and Dale Velzy for their contributions in developing the modern surfboard. Kemp Aaberg, Lance Carson, Miklos (Miki) Dora, and Dewey Weber were inducted for their surfing styles and maneuvers.   

Joe Quigg, credited by many as the most influential midcentury board-maker, was among a handful of shapers based in Malibu who pioneered balsa surfboard construction. Photo courtesy John Mazza Historic Surfboard Collection, Pepperdine University Special Collections and University Archives

By the summer of 1956, many of the original surfers who put Malibu on the map were leaving the line up for more secluded spots. Malibu continued to serve as a “living laboratory” where pioneer Southern California surfers gathered, developing and testing high‐performance techniques and board designs unique to the area like the famous “Malibu chip”, the forerunner of the modern lightweight longboard. It, along with a variant known as “the pig,” revolutionized and popularized the sport of surfing from 1955 to 1968.

A surf study to gather data and evaluate the famous break is currently underway as part of the MCERP pre-construction, engineering and design phase. This study will support an understanding of the key processes at Malibu Point and any potential impact from the project.  The local surfing community has been called on to help with understanding the surf conditions and provide feedback on the project.

Dawn Patrol: Sunrise at Malibu

undated, courtesy of Pepperdine University Special Collection Archives