» GOVERNOR NAMES SURFING OFFICIAL STATE SPORT
It’s official, dude. California’s state sport is surfing.
Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed the legislation into law. For a state that brought the world the Beach Boys, Gidget and the wetsuit, elevating the iconic California pass time to an official state sport is well, pretty gnarly, if you ask around at some of the local surf shops.
“It’s a big deal for locals,” said Isaac Gonzalez, 18, who works at the Santa Cruz Surf Shop. Surfing “is something they grew up on, spent their lives doing and are passionate about.”
Unlike the the years-long fight between Santa Cruz and Huntington Beach over the moniker “Surf City USA,” there was little debate about making surfing the official state sport (except for those skateboard-loving outliers.)
“It just unifies the state,” Gonzalez said. “There’s no debate no more.”
The bill, authored by state Rep. Al Muratsuchi, a Torrance Democrat, notes that the Golden State is home to worldfamous surf spots Malibu, Trestles, Mavericks, Rincon, Steamer Lane and Huntington as well as the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, the International Surfing Museum, and the California Surf Museum. And let’s not forget that Santa Cruz was home to the late Jack O’Neill, who pioneered the Neoprene wetsuit.
At O’Neil Surf Shop in Santa Cruz, clerk Autumn Knapp, 22, says the company founder would be stoked.
“He would love it,” she said. “I also think he would feel proud. He’s the one that invented the wetsuit and made it possible for so many people to surf longer and stay in the water longer.”
The official designation also boosts the state image, she said, and can help draw more people into the sport.
“Surfers are tan, they are beautiful, they are athletic,” she said. “Everybody loves a surfer.”
Here is a shortlist of some of California’s 35 official symbols and emblems: Amphibian: California red-legged frog Animal: California grizzly bear Bird: California valley quail Colors: Blue and gold Dance: West Coast swing dance Fabric: denim Fish: California golden trout Flower: Golden poppy Folk Dance: square dance Gold Rush ghost town: Bodie Insect: California dogface butterfly Marine Reptile: Pacific leatherback sea turtle Pet: shelter pet Soil: San Joaquin Soil Theater: Pasadena Playhouse