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SOUTH BAY HISTORY TIDBITS
MASTHEAD
EARLY REDONDO BEACH
BY MAUREEN MEGOWAN / RE/MAX ESTATE PROPERTIES
Redondo Beach was the home of California´s first modern surfer. In 1907, Henry
PUBLISHER
Warren J Dow
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Amanda Nelson-Sinagra
Huntington brought the ancient art of Hawaiian surfing to the California coast.
He owned most of the properties in Redondo Beach and was eager to sell them to
visiting Angelenos looking for a break from the heat of the greater Los Angeles basin.
DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
Kieron McKay
DESIGN | PRODUCTION
Kristen Dawe
Huntington had seen Hawaiian beach boys surfing and decided to hire one of them; a
young Hawaiian-English athlete named George Freeth to demonstrate the art of surfing
for the entertainment of Redondo Beach visitors.
George wanted to revive the art of surfing that he had seen depicted in old Polynesian
paintings but found it difficult and had little success using the typical 16-foot hardwood
SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Paul Jonason
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Pamela Corante-Hansen, Denise Kano, Danielle Lenglet, Quinn Roberts
boards. He cut them in half and unwittingly created the original long board which
worked exceedingly well and made him the talk of the Hawaiian Islands.
Starting in 1908, "The Man Who Could Walk On Water" as he was called, gave surfing
demonstrations for the many tourists arriving at the beach on the big, red streetcars.
George exhibited his surfing prowess for Redondo Beach visitors twice a day in front of
the Hotel Redondo. He was eventually made the official Redondo Beach lifeguard and
the first lifeguard in Southern California. From 1907 to 1915, George spread a surfing
revolution that would eventually become a phenomenon on the California Coast. A
memorial bronze statue of George Freeth was placed at the Redondo Beach Pier and
DIGITAL MEDIA
it is often decorated with leis as tribute from surfers who visit from around the world.
Several natural and man-made novelties lured early visitors to Redondo Beach. Between
Diamond Street and the Hermosa Beach city line there was Moonstone Beach. Natural
mounds five to six feet deep and 40 to 50 feet wide of gem stones were there to poke
around in.
Carnation Gardens, in the general vicinity of Ruby and Sapphire Streets east of Catalina
Avenue, offered 12 acres of sweet smelling flowers that were almost always in bloom.
The piers, too, were an attraction. Sports fishing was unsurpassed and amusements such
as games, rides and the largest salt water plunge in the world added to the excitement
One of the more interesting parks in Redondo Beach is
Wilderness Park, an 11 acre oasis that feels like you are way
out in the country. This park was originally a Nike missile
site that was decommissioned by the Federal Government
and transferred to the City of Redondo Beach on May 7,
1971. This park is available for overnight camp outs.
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Another attraction is the Seaside Lagoon, a salt water
swimming area constructed in the early 1950's, which is
heated by the hot water used by a nearby utility plant to
generate steam for the generation of electricity. Besides
swimming, the Lagoon offers a large sand area for
sunbathing, children's play equipment, snack bar facilities,
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722 1st Street, Unit D, Hermosa Beach, California, 90254
Office: 310-373-0142 • Fax: 310-373-3493
and volleyball courts. There is also a grassed area and luau
shelter for day and evening events.
www.southbayhistory.com for more history
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SOUTHBAYDIGS.COM | 12.14.2012
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(QSC, PV Specialist, SRES, SDPE)
