Surf and Rescue: George Freeth and the Birth of California Beach Culture

In 1907, Hawaiian athlete George Freeth introduced surfing to Venice, California, and established a modern lifeguard service that transformed the beach into a popular destination. He also founded the first surf club in California and coached athletes, including Olympic swimming champion Duke Kahanamoku. Despite financial struggles, Freeth persevered as a teacher and lifeguarding pioneer, leaving a lasting legacy that influenced the global perception of beaches.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 07 June 2022
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

In 1907, the Hawaiian athlete of mixed race, George Freeth, introduced surfing to Venice, California. Over the next twelve years, Freeth taught Southern Californians to surf and swim while also creating a modern lifeguard service that transformed the beach into a destination for fun, leisure, and excitement. Patrick Moser places Freeth's inspiring life story against the rise of the Southern California beach culture he helped shape and define. Freeth made headlines with his rescue of seven fishermen, an act of heroism that highlighted his innovative lifeguarding techniques. But he also founded California's first surf club and coached both male and female athletes, including Olympic swimming champion and "father of modern surfing" Duke Kahanamoku. Often in financial straits, Freeth persevered as a teacher and lifeguarding pioneer, building a legacy that endured long after his death during the 1919 influenza pandemic.

A compelling merger of biography and sports history, Surf and Rescue brings to light the forgotten figure whose novel way of seeing the beach sparked the imaginations of people around the world.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252044441