Proud to boast of Surf City in the O.C.

I was taken aback by Barbara Shepard’s letter (“Huntington doesn’t

really need Surf City,” June 30), suggesting that we don’t need the

designation “Surf City” and that we should give it to Santa Cruz.

She must not be aware that the surf craze of the 60s helped put

our city on the map well before many of those “early settlers”

discovered our city. The surf scene was crucial to differentiating

Huntington Beach from all of the other beach communities in Orange

County and elsewhere.

I doubt Jan and Dean were referring to Santa Cruz in their song

“Surf City.” I doubt that the Beach Boys jumped into their woody and

motored to the pier in Santa Cruz to get the inspiration for their

songs.

Although I have only lived in Huntington Beach for about 22 years,

I grew up in nearby Santa Ana, and my generation was always proud

that we had Surf City here in the O.C.

Like Barbara Shepard, I have seen our city grow and change over

the years. Yes, we are aspiring to be more than a surf community.

However, it is the Surf City image that keeps us young at heart,

mindful of our modern heritage and ready to shoot the curl into a

promising new future.

* TIM GEDDES is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to

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