Surfing Newport Beach: The Glory Days of Corona del Mar

Corona del Mar was once California's premier surfing spot, holding the sport's first Pacific Coast competition in 1928. Attempts to tame Corona, the "Waikiki of the West," and to make the Newport Beach harbor mouth safe for watercraft influenced board riding. Newport experienced the Great Rescue of 1925 by Duke Kahanamoku, the rum runners of Balboa, the evolution of Newport Bay, and the famous surf giant, the "Wedge." Pioneering surfers such as George Freeth, Tom Blake, the Vultee brothers and Pete Peterson helped make a name for the city in surf culture. Now authors Claudine Burnett and her surfer husband, Paul Burnett, share the stories that made waves in Newport Beach and Corona del Mar history.