Talk Story, The Oral History of Surfing

A collection of recordings from our Oral History Committee

Mike Howes saw Duke Kahanamoku and Tom Blake surfing at the Atlantic City Pier in 1937. He became one of a dozen surfers in the state at that time. With your support, the Surfing Heritage Foundation can tell this forgotten story of early East Coast surfing in its entirety.




E J Oshier was one of the most beloved surfers in California for 60 years. His joy and talent influenced watermen in Palos Verdes, San Onofre, and Santa Cruz. E J passed away days after this interview. The Surfing Heritage Foundation's Oral History Committee is dedicated to recording the stories of surfing's pioneers.






Scenes from the film "For the Love of Surfing" by Eric Jordan. Dick Metz of the Surfing Heritage Foundation on his contributions to surfing from the 50's to today. Special thanks to Eric Jordan for allowing us to share this segment of his film.








Tulie Clark and Fenton Scholes discuss the history of the Palos Verdes Surfing Club, founded in the 1930s, recorded by the Oral History Committee. We sat down with Tulie and Fenton as they recalled the people and camaraderie of days past.





We shot 60 minutes of valuable narration, including how members built a road for access to the Cove, descriptions of early boards, paddleboard races, and pre-WW2 California surfing. You can bring these stories to life with your contribution to our Oral History Committee.