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Statue of surfing legend George Freeth stolen from Redondo Beach Pier

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 9 August, 2008 : - - The bronze bust of George Freeth, the man credited with bringing surfing to California 100 years ago, was stolen sometime over Thursday night/Friday morning. The statue, created by sculptor Terry O'Donnell, has been on the Redondo Beach Pier for 31 years.

Police have not identified any suspects and will release more information about the theft later. Freeth was born in 1883 and died in 1919 during the influenza pandemic. The bust was made of bronze, from old photographs of Freeth who came to the South Bay from Hawaii.

People were generally afraid of swimming in the ocean during the time Freeth arrived in California. When they saw Freeth riding the breakers, people began to venture past the waves. Freeth later developed the first lifeguarding techniques, which were disseminated nationwide. For his efforts, he was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor for bravery.

Younger surfers and lifeguards have become increasingly curious about Freeth. "A lot of people didn't know who he was," said Joel T. Smith, a Hermosa Beach resident who has been surifing since 1962, said in a Daily Breeze article. "Only recently have people begun to recognize his contribution. He's a direct line to what surfing is today."

Smith said Freeth also helped create the surfing lifestyle that affected everything from music to clothing. "He laid the foundation for the Southern California beach culture," Smith said.

George Freeth courtesy LegendarySurfers.com

George Freeth, a brief profile: 

Before there was Duke Kahanamoku, The Beach Boys, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, there was the original "surfer dude" George Freeth. He was born in Honolulu November 8, 1883. He was part royal Hawaiian and Irish, his mother being Hawaiian royalty, and his father an Irish immigrant to Hawaii from Ulster.

As a young man in Hawaii, Freeth learned ancient Polynesian surfing. Henry Huntington of Huntington Beach fame, saw Freeth and induced him to come to Redondo in 1907 to promote Redondo Beach. He was advertised as the " Man who can walk on water" Tens of thousands showed up to watch. George was known as the first official lifeguard in the Pacific and introduced the torpedo shape buoy still in use today world wide. On Dec 12 1908, during a huge South Bay storm, George entirely on his own, rescued 6 Japanese fishermen from a capsized boat. He was awarded the Life Saving Corps medal of Valor. George Freeth died April 7, 1919 at the early age of 35 as a result of exhaustion from cold water rescue work in La Jolla, CA.

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