International Surfing Museum celebrates new Huntington Beach location
The International Surfing Museum opens at its new Main Street Branch Library location in Huntington Beach on Friday marking a new chapter in preserving and celebrating the rich history of surfing.
For years the library had some open space, so the surf museum decided to move in with its gold medals, historical surfboards and local memorabilia.
The museum used to charge $5 admission at its old location, but after the pandemic, only donations were accepted for admission and since then, they increased revenue by four times.
Just a short walk from the Huntington Beach Pier, the museum's director Peter "PT" Townend, says the relocation is a legacy move.
Before the 73-year-old became involved with The Huntington Beach International Surf Museum, he was a world champion surfer, the first one ever.
"In the middle of 1976, it was time for us to build a professional tour. So they retroactively went back on the events of the gypsy tour and I was declared the first world champ," Townend said.
Originally from Australia, Townend has called Huntington Beach home for more than four decades.
Surfboards line the walls of the museum in chronological order, from the 14-foot solid wood boards to lighter foam boards, the Boogie Board, and the invention that revolutionized competitive surfing.
"It's the first three-finned board that my friend, Simon Anderson developed, and it changed the course of surfing," Townend said.
Across the hall and past the gift shop, is the local showcase, a nod to Huntington Beach's early lifeguards and their technology, and to the city's first surf shop.
Townend says he's proud of his contribution to the evolving sport of surfing, noting that when he was first declared world champ, it didn't mean that much to him because there was nothing to measure it against.
"But now here we are 50 years later, and you got guys like Kelly Slater, Lisa Andersen, and Steph Gilmore. Slater's won it 11 times… so now it means a whole lot more, because I'm on that list and my name's first," Townend said.
The International Surfing Museum grand opening takes place Friday, July 24 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Huntington Beach hosts the start of US Open of Surfing on Saturday, through Aug. 2.
