Pop Surf Culture: Music, Design, Film, and Fashion from the Bohemian Surf Boom

From the original beachcomber personalities like the Waikiki Beachboys, to the rise of Venice Beach as a creative center for music, art, and film, this intelligent study traces the roots of the surf boom and subsequent culture of the 1950s and 1960s. This insightful chronicle explores the connection between early surf culture, the Beat Generation, and pop culture of the 1960s through accounts of key figures—artists and musicians such as Mike Dormer, Rick Griffin, The Trashwomen, and The Beach Boys—and illustrates why surf culture is considered a vital art movement of the 20th century. The advent of surf magazines and the immense popularity of “beach” movies, starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, are also discussed.