Monday, May 19, 2014

Who says The Beach Boys don't surf?

The Beach Boys' Bruce Johnston in his 1966 XKE with 2 longboards on the surf racks
heading out on a Southern California "Surfin' Safari" for the day!  Photo by Cyril Maitland and
from the Bruce Johnston Archives!

With June just around the corner, it's hard not to have The Beach Boys' "Surfin' USA" song stuck in our heads..."we're waxing down our surfboards, we can't wait for June"!  The Beach Boys' Bruce Johnston sent over some photos from his collection as he was tired of hearing people say that even though The Beach Boys sing of surfing, ironically they don't.  Well, nothing could be further from the truth.  See the photo above as Bruce heads out to Little Dume (north of Malibu) for a day of surfing in the mid-sixties!

Photo by Cyril Maitland and
from the Bruce Johnston Archives!
Photographer Cyril Maitland captures Bruce ridin' the waves.  Bruce said he started surfing in Malibu in 1959 while in high school and still surfs today at his home in Montecito (just below Santa Barbara) at Hammonds Reef.  Ironically, he surfed there as well in 1959!  Here's a recent shot of him surfing there on his short board (though he says he prefers long boarding more):

Photo by Mattina Lloyd from the Bruce Johnston Archives!

Both Bruce and Mike Love are long time members of The Surfrider Foundation and both are on the Advisory Board with Bruce also on the Founding Board.  Check them out:


Now get out there and wax down your surfboards!  Wave if you see Bruce going by!!

"Surfin' Sarari"

"Catch A Wave"