Every Thanksgiving table has a storyteller.
You know the one. They lean back, catch somebody’s eye, and say, “Remember the time…” Suddenly, the potatoes stop moving.
At a surfer’s table, the story probably involves a borrowed board, a questionable vehicle, and waves that have grown considerably since last Thanksgiving.
Someone interrupts. “That’s not how it happened.”
Perfect. Now we’re getting somewhere.
That’s the pleasure of talking story. Everyone brings something to the table.
A photograph might show who made the drop. The person sitting beside you remembers who repaired the board the night before, who drove through the dark, and who stood on the beach insisting it wasn’t that big.
Those are the details you hope someone remembers to ask about.
They’re also part of what makes gathering at the California Surf Museum special. Through our Big Wednesday programs, films, and conversations, we make room for people to share the experiences behind surfing’s history. Sometimes a question from the audience sends the evening in an unexpected direction. Sometimes the person with a story worth hearing is sitting a few chairs away.
Jim Kempton, Mike Parsons, Rob Brown, Shaun Tomson, Brad Gerlach
You can look at a board and admire its outline. Hear someone explain how it rode, where it traveled, and what it took to make it, and you’ll look at it differently.
Your support helps create those connections. It helps the museum bring people together, share surfing’s history, and keep the conversation going beyond the exhibit label.
And this month, we’re setting a few more places at the table.
312 Pier View Way
Oceanside, CA 92054
(760) 721-6876
