Gorgeous Historical Paddle Boarding Photos Celebrating June 11th Paddle Race And Ocean Festival

Be a part of local history and Join the race! Fun and the ocean is part of history and daily life in Venice. The Paddle Board Race and Ocean Festival coming up this Saturday June 11th continues that legacy with some very notable special guests.

A number of special guests who played important roles in the early days of surfing and paddling will be on hand this year, signing books, photographs and meeting the public.

Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman, the young girl whose Malibu surfing antics in 1950’s inspired her father to write the 1957 novel “Gidget, the little girl with big ideas” which was subsequently turned into the Gidget movies will be at the race, talking surfing and signing copies of the reissued book.

More than sixty years ago, in 1947, Esther Maire won the Pacific Coast Paddle Board Championship at the Pier. She’ll be at the event and is very excited about the return of paddleboard racing in general. She’ll be bringing the board she rode in 1947 to include in the historical exhibit.

Jeff Ho, whose support of the original Z-Boys Skate Team made Santa Monica ground zero for modern skateboarding in the 1970s will also be on hand.

Mickey Muñoz, one of the original pioneers of big wave surfing at Oahu’s Waimea Bay in 1957 is among several people over 70 years old participating in the race

The museum exhibits also include memorabilia such as antique surf and paddleboards, lifeguard rescue equipment and photographs of the first paddle racing craze which hit Santa Monica in the 1940s.

Day of race registration begins at 8:30 AM but space is limited. To ensure your spot register online at www.pierpaddle.com

Andrew Rice
email: [email protected]
Tel: 323-540-4372

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