George Freeth – Father of Modern Surfing
George Freeth – Father of Modern Surfing
George Freeth was a renowned surfer born on 8th of November 1883. He is often referred to as “Father of Modern Surfing”. It is not confirmed whether he was from America or Ireland. According to some reports, he was born in Oahu and his mother was a part-Hawaiian while his dad was an Irish.
In 1907 George Freeth helped to popularize surfing in USA. Henry E. Huntington needed a stunt to attract public attention in order to sell seats on his railway route. Freeth was invited to California to demonstrate surfing as a publicity stunt for the promotion of a railroad. He demonstrated at Redondo Beach during the spring season. It was this gimmick which gained him and surfing tremendous popularity in America. He also exhibited surfing tricks at the coasts of Balboa Beach and Palos Verdes.
Freeth continued to live in California and became the first official lifeguard in USA. He is also credited for developing tools now typically used by lifeguards and a rescue paddle board. He received a Congressional Gold Medal for saving Japanese fishermen in a stormy condition. Some people even named a fishing village near Port Angeles in Washington after him. Freeth died in 1919 when he was only 35 as a result of a pandemic influenza. Terry O’Donnell, a famous sculptor, made a bust to honor George Freeth in 1977. It was on display in Redondo Beach until it was stolen in 2008. There is a large reward of $5000 for its return.
