Surfing Long Beach

REEF-LECTIONS

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA

PHOTO CAPTION: WILLIAM GORDON PELLET AT AGE 17 WITH HIS HOMEMADE SURFBOARD “COMET” AND LITTLE SISTER  MARY LOUISE. LONG BEACH CA. 1928

                                         

I READ A WHILE BACK, WHERE SOMEONE WANTED TO HAVE THE LONG BEACH BREAKWALL REMOVED TO ALLOW SURF BACK INTO THE AREA.  IF YOU THINK THE MALIBU LAGOON IS POLLUTED WAIT UNTIL YOU PADDLE OUT THROUGH THE L.A. RIVER.

BEFORE WWII, WHEN THE BREAKWALL WAS BUILT FOR DEFENSE DEPARTMENT REASONS, THERE WAS GOOD SURF AT “FLOOD CONTOL” AND PINE AVENUE PIER. YOU CAN CHECK OUT FLOOD CONTROL IN DOC BALL’S BOOK “EARLY CALIFORNIA SURFERS,”

THE PIER STOOD AT THE LOWER END OF PINE AVE. IT WAS A MAJOR LONG BEACH ATTRACTION IN THE ROARING 20’S WITH SEAFOOD, BANDS, AND DANCING PACKING THEM INTO THE PAVILION ON SUMMER NIGHTS.

ACCORDING TO OLD TIME SURFER AND FISHERMAN GORDON PELLET, THE PIER BURNED DOWN AROUND 1928 OR 29. WHEN I TALKED WITH  GORDON SEVERAL YEARS AGO, HE TOLD ME HE COUGHT THE SURFING BUG WHILE HE WAS ABOUT 17 LIVING WITH HIS PARENTS NEAR THE PIER. “I MADE MY OWN SURFBOARD FROM A SINGLE PINE PLANK I GOT FROM THE LUMBER YARD. CUT THE OUTLINE MYSELF WITH A HANDSAW TO LOOK LIKE OTHERS I HAD SEEN.”

THE BOARD IS SHAPED LIKE MANY WE SEE IN PHOTOS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF SURFING. THE NAME “COMET” PAINTED ON THE BOARD SEEMS TODAY A LITTLE PRESUMPTUOUS, BUT THE CARRY HANDLE CUT INTO THE RAIL WAS WAY AHEAD OF IT’S TIME.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE COMET DID NOT SURVIVE THE RIGORS OF TIME, A LOSS FOR THE SURF COLLECTORS.  GORDON PASSED ON IN 2000 AT AGE 90, BUT NOT BEFORE HE  SHARED THIS HISTORIC SURFING IMAGE FROM 82 YEARS AGO WITH US. 

GOOD SURFING AND FISHING GORDON.

DON FLEMING