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For a better future, study the past.
If you are wanting to learn the history of Florida Surfing you have come to the right spot. Here you will find references and links that will help you trace the origin of surfing in the Sunshine State. So, come along and learn by following my Florida Surfing History References.
Aho, Paul. Surfing Florida: A Photographic History. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. 2014.
Camp, Hunter. The Glide: Confessions of a Florida Surfer. Self Published. 2022.
Cumiskey, Kate. Surfing in New Smyrna Beach. Charleston, Arcadia Publishing. 2010. (Click the link or image to order your own copy of this terrific book.)
Nawrocki, Robert F., editor. “Surf Culture Saint Augustine.” El Escribano: The St. Augustine Journal of History. St. Augustine: St. Augustine Historical Society. 2021.
Florida Surfboard Exchange--A Facebook group for buying and selling surf equipment.
Jimmy Lane Surfing Academy- the Jimmy Lane Surfing Academy has been New Smyrna Beach’s premier surf school, with private lessons, spring and summer camps, and group classes for all skill levels and ages for years. Learn from the best.
Ron Jon Surf Shop–with multiple locations and billboards throughout Florida, this is one of the iconic surf shops in the world.
Smyrna Surfari Club-Founded in 1979, this club provides college scholarship money with funds raised through an annual surfing tournament.
Surfing Santas is an annual Cocoa Beach event which features hundreds of surfing Santa Claus’s and thousands of spectators each Christmas Eve day. Funds raised benefit the local community. Surfing Santas has raised more than $100,000 over the years.
East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame 210 2nd Avenue #30 Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Florida Surf Museum 4275 N. Atlantic Avenue Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
New Smyrna Museum of History hosts the New Smyrna Beach Museum of East Coast Surfing 120 Sams Avenue New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Florida Surf Film Festival– showing the best surf films and documentaries from around the world
St. Augustine Historical Society. Surf Oral History Collection.
Vintage Florida Surfing–YouTube Channel devoted to Florida surfing videos
American Surf Magazine highlights Surfing St. Augustine in a 2023 article.
Central Florida Surfing--A Facebook group
Central Florida Surfing Photos--A Facebook group
Florida Atlantic University online exhibition: Surfing Florida: A Photographic History. Also see HERE.
Florida Frontiers radio program, hosted by the Florida Historical Society, offers “Surfin’ FLA: Celebrating Surfing in Cocoa Beach and the Sunshine State.”
The Orange County Regional History Center has an interesting post on Pat O’Hare: Shaping Cocoa Beach Surf History.
St. Augustine Historical Society Blog Page. THIS LINK will take you to their blog page and I have used the term SURF as the search word. Some of these posts are definitely surfing related while some may not be. You may wish to try other terms in the search box on their page.
St. Augustine Surf Culture and History Museum, an online offering from the St. Augustine Historical Society, is packed with photos, articles, oral histories, and more.
Surf 64 documents the days of surfing that were recorded on 8mm film.
Surfing Florida: A Photographic History–A non active Facebook page.
Surfing Florida Museum-Is an online project founded in 2008 with a mission “To preserve and exhibit the history of surfing in Florida with an emphasis on Palm Beach County.
So there you have it, a collection of Florida Surfing History References. As stated, this is a work in progress. Do you know of other sources that can make this list better? Please drop me a line and if possible a link, so that I can share with others.
