OCEANSIDE, Calif. — When you think about Beach Culture in California you don't think of the early 1900s. Well, a new book, Surf and Rescue tells a different story.
Author Patrick Moser's new book explored California surf culture and the impact legendary surfer George Freeth had on it as far back as the early 1900s. Moser will be at a book signing at the California Surf Museum in Oceanside on July 27.
"In the early 1900's most people didn't know how to swim and there were no municipal lifeguards. Freeth was there as a lifeguard and he taught people how to swim, row, and surf," said Moser.
Freeth came to California from Hawaii in 1907 as an attraction that was paid to give surfing exhibitions.
"He started teaching lifeguards how to surf and it started to spread to the general population that frequented the beaches," Moser said.
Back in the early 1990s people had heard of surfing but it was mainly in Hawaii.
Freeth wasn't the first person to surf in California, but he started teaching people, so he grew that culture around lifeguards and surfing.
Freeth can be seen in a movie short showing how rescues were performed. So not only was he protecting those in the water, he was showing them there were guards.
"He taught people that the ocean is a dangerous place, but you can get tremendous pleasure out of it and he stays here long enough to train them how to do that.
Since then, people can't stay out of the Pacific.
"It's been over 100 years since George Freeth arrived giving surfing exhibitions and teaching other people how to surf. That's really the beginning of beach culture in my mind," said Moser.
The July 27 book signing will be much more than that.
"I'm going to give an overview of George Freeth's life, his importance in California Beach Culture... It's going to be great!"