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"We'll all be gone for the summer, we're on safari to stay. Tell the teacher we're surfin,' surfin' USA!" -- the Beach Boys.

The idea of taking to the surf atop massive wooden boards began in Hawaii. But it was a dashing Olympic swimmer named Duke Kahanamoku (Aug. 24, 1890-Jan. 22, 1968) who introduced surfing to the beaches of California in 1911.

Blessed with an abundance of ridable waves and sunshine, those first seeds evolved into a cultural phenomenon complete with its own laid-back lifestyle, fashion, music with anthems performed by the Beach Boys, a car culture of "woodies" and Volkswagen vans, and "Beach Blanket Bingo" Hollywood exploitation. And while the biggest waves in California roll in at Mavericks, and most movies starred Malibu Beach, the real temple of surfing is the California Surf Museum in Oceanside, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Founded in 1986 (at 312 Pier View Way), you can't miss it since its blue-and-white exterior resembles a cresting wave. But it's once you enter that the romance of surfing takes over. You find yourself surrounded by the lore of surfing history, the aloha cool of surf culture, surfboards of every size and a hall of fame devoted to legends of the sport.

The museum maintains a rich archive of past exhibitions and galleries filled with great surfing photography that includes the work of LeRoy Grannis (who documented the surf scene of the 1960s and '70s) and the pioneering images of A.R. Gurrey Jr.-- the first person to photograph surfers in the early 20th century.

But it is a current exhibition that you are sure to find simultaneously horrific and spiritually uplifting. On Oct. 31, 2003, 13-year-old Bethany Meilani Hamilton of Hawaii went for a morning surf along Tunnels Beach on the north coast of Kauai. While resting on her board with one arm dangling in the water, she was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark that tore through the board and ripped off her left arm.

Not only did Hamilton survive after losing 60% of her blood, she taught herself to surf with one arm, and on Nov. 26, 2003 -- just 26 days after the attack -- entered her first major competition to be held on Jan. 10, 2004.

"Courageous Inspiration: Bethany Hamilton" features the surfboard Bethany was riding on that fateful day, the bathing suit she was wearing, and the documentary "Heart of a Soul Surfer," accompanied by photographs and newspaper clippings. It's a display you will not soon forget.

The museum's other exhibition is "Surfriding: Hawaiian Royalty's Gift to the World: How a Princess, Three Princes, a Duke and a Hawaiian Royal Minister's Grandson Introduced Surfing Around the Globe."

As described on the museum's webpage, "This exhibit presents the seminal period of surfing's development and captures the essence of a moment in cross-cultural exchange. It is also a story of fascinating Hawaiian personalities in a world now almost forgotten."

The exhibit features exact replicas of the historic surfboards painstakingly re-created by Santa Cruz master surfboard shaper Bob Pearson. These rare wood boards reflect Pearson's in-depth research conducted at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, where he took meticulous measurements in order to re-create exact replicas.

There is also an enlargement of a wonderful vintage photograph of Princess Ka'iulani. She is posed in a plumed hat and Victorian-era finery standing on the beach at Waikiki with surfers behind her riding the waves and iconic Diamond Head in the background. A chronological array depicts the history of surfboard design and includes displays of Hollywood memorabilia from the era of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.

A fun surf-themed gift shop sells aloha shirts, flip-flops, a variety of books and surfing souvenirs. But what I find most attractive about the California Surf Museum is that the volunteers and staff are so welcoming and eager to share their love for surfing and the history of the sport.

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WHEN YOU GO

The California Surf Museum: surfmuseum.org

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Jim Farber is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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