S1: Welcome in San Diego , it's Jade Hindman. On today's show , the California Surf Museum turns 40. We'll tell you how they're celebrating. Then world famous surfer and author Shaun Thompson joins the show to talk about his book , The Code. This is KPBS Midday Edition. Connecting our communities through conversation. For 40 years , the California Surf Museum has been capturing the history , art and culture of surfing. It's moved around a few times over those years , but now calls Oceanside home , where surf enthusiasts from across the world come to connect with the world of surfing. I'm joined now by Jim Kempton. He's executive director of the California Surf Museum. Jim , welcome to the show.
S2: Oh , thank you very much. Good to be here.
S1: Glad to have you here. So you are celebrating your 40th anniversary this year. Congratulations on that milestone. Tell us a little bit about the history of the museum. I mean , it started in an Encinitas restaurant.
S2: It it started right on the beach at a restaurant that is in in the Cardiff area , right across from the Cardiff Reef , very popular surfing spot and started by a bunch of just regular surfers who wanted to help preserve the surfing heritage that they realized was being lost. Because , as so many things , it's very ephemeral , you know , things don't last and then they go away and then they don't exist anymore. So there was a passion to try to keep that going. And they began it and then it grew from there.
S1: All right.
S2: I , I think that the reason that surfers have such a special experience in the world is because if you think about it , all energy moves in waves. Light waves. Sound waves , heat waves , ocean waves. But the only place that you really ever get to experience the energy of those , that gigantic source of energy is in the ocean when you're riding one. So when surfers seem articulate , inarticulate , they can't quite describe what they're what their scene is because they've actually had maybe what would be called the cosmic experience. These waves come from hundreds of miles away. Waves are going through us right now we don't even know about. And once you experience that , say , 5 or 6 in a row or ten in a row out in the ocean , you get pretty , pretty ecstatic. Wow.
S1: Wow. That's so that's so interesting. And it's something that requires you to be , like , present in the moment so that you don't miss any of that.
S2: Well , the nice thing about surfing is , is that it forces you to do that because all you can do is focus on what is happening all around you at the time , and you don't really have any chance to sort of gaze off somewhere or get distracted. You really , totally focus in , so you become one at the moment. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Um , you know , when talking about the art of surfing , a few things come to mind. One really important part are the the boards themselves.
S2: It starts with boards that are , you know , 16 to 18ft long that the kings and queens of Polynesia rode back in the 1800s , actually all the way back to the 1100s. But we have one that's from the 1800s. And then they they developed from there , and they started with Koa and hardwood , and slowly they developed to be a little bit smaller , a little bit lighter , but generally speaking , until they found balsa wood. Um , the boards were very , very heavy. And the development that happened from the from the late 1800s through the mid century was mostly with wood. And their biggest contribution was this this idea of of having a board that's made out of balsa , the lightest wood that they could find , but it also absorbs water. So we had we had the we had to try and figure out how to prevent that. And then during World War II , there were these many developments technologically. And one of them was the idea that hydrodynamics is the same as aerodynamics. So all of the all of the airplane factories where all these guys were working , they suddenly realized that hydrodynamics was the same principles and they could apply those. The other thing was , is that we were developing all these new technologies like foam and fiberglass. So shortly after World War two , these became available. And that transformed surfing from being something that people could make aboard a week to something that someone could make dozens of boards a week , and a factory could make hundreds of boards a week. And this pent up demand , which had been created sort of in that very same period with the movie Gidget and Endless Summer and surfer magazine , and this advent of of fiberglass and foam suddenly made it available to this huge audience of baby boomers who are all in their teens and thinking that California was about the coolest thing you could do , and surfing was about the coolest thing you could do in California.
S1: Well , I wouldn't argue it , right ? Um , surf photography is also an art form , um , all by itself.
S2: People are shooting almost every wave that gets ridden unless you're somewhere far , far away. And so the the ability to sort of see the progression and see what the best surfers are doing is now almost well. It is instantaneous. It's real time. So the idea of of capturing all of that and it's such a spectacular sport , it's such a spectacular activity that it's colorful , it's powerful , it's emotionally charged. So people really are drawn to the photography the way they are with the experience itself. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Your latest exhibition is called Surf Riding Hawaiian Royalties Gift to the world. Tell me a bit about that.
S2: Well , interestingly enough , the Hawaiian royals were the people who spread surfing around the world , and they did it in a very short period of time between 1885 , when three princes that were nephews of King Kalakaua came to California to go to college. They got so homesick they took redwood , and they shaped these 17 foot long boards that were the boards of the type that they rode in Hawaii and went to Santa Cruz , and in 1885 they rode the first waves of anyone in the United States , or probably the rest of the world , except for Hawaii. And to put 1885 in perspective about how unusual that would be. You had someone like wild Bill Hickok , who died in 17 , in 1876. So just within a few years they were surfing and they were gunslingers still walking around in the United States at that time. So it gives you an idea of how unusual that would be for the time. Yeah.
S1: Yeah.
S2: It's the center of it. And when I say the center , it's the it's the foundation , because that's where surfing came from. And there have been wave riding all around the world in many places. But the only place that we know documented that people stood up on a surfboard and rode and had no other activity , it was completely for pleasure , was in Hawaii. So Peru had people wave riding even here in in California. The coastal , the coastal native people rode in their canoes and their and their small reed boats and they rode surf. But they weren't standing up and riding just for fun. They were out fishing or using that their their vehicles for something else as well. So the Hawaiians really , really were the ones that started the concept of the culture of surfing. And it was very embedded in the in the Hawaiian culture all around. They , you know , they they wagered money on it. They had huge contests , both women , men and women , you know , surfed. And so it's really much of our culture is drawn from that , that origin.
S1: Was it part of spirituality.
S2: I mean , I think the Hawaiians really realized that , and I think that they were they were elated by it. And , you know , Hawaii is kind of a Paradise , old place. There's not many places in the world that are as easy to live as simply as you can with such , you know , depth and richness as , as Hawaii. So you're very lucky in that way. And I think they they took surfing in as part of what was nature's creation. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well , you've got this , this 40th anniversary here.
S2: And we're going to ride them on August 9th. We're going to take them out in the water and ride these boards that were were like 150 years old now. So it'll be a really fun time and we're looking forward to that. That's one of the things that we're going to be doing , and we're going to have a series of we always have of films , talks , book signings that will all relate to our 50th anniversary. 40th anniversary. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , you know , we are lucky here in San Diego to be so close to the ocean and be near some amazing surf spots. And Olympic surfing will actually be happening at San Onofre State Beach in 2028.
S2: One thing that's always important to keep in mind is , is that the spot trestles where they're going to hold , that is actually in San Diego County. Orange County likes to claim it because it's right on the border. The San Mateo watershed on the north side is where that line is drawn. So everything south of it , which includes trestles , is in San Diego County. So we have a proud history , a really deep history of surfing in San Diego. And I think that it's really going to bring surfing because so much of the culture of the current culture is from California and emanates from here now , particularly with innovations that I think that the focus that you will see was surfing in its kind of home ground will be something that the world will , will really take into , into account and appreciate and enjoy.
S1: All right. Any words of encouragement for for folks in the audience who may have never tried surfing but want to. Are there are there safe ways to do this ? This is absolutely. I'm asking for a friend named myself.
S2: Well , what I always what I always recommend to people is that you go to a surf camp or a surf school and take a lesson or 2 or 3. Those people are experts. They're really fabulous. They're all up and down the coast. They give you a lot of they save you a lot of time and trouble that you otherwise would have to go through to learn on your own. And the other thing you just have to remember is , like anything else. Um , the more you do it , the better you get. And you need to break through that one barrier where you're suddenly really having fun instead of struggling , and then all of a sudden it's just a joy.
S1: All right , well , how can someone plan a visit to the California Surf Museum.
S2: If you just. If you just Google Surf Museum , it will come up. It will tell you all of the events that we have , all the exhibits that we have , everything that's going on with it , how you can join , how you can be involved. And we love that. People come from over 40 countries in all 50 states. Visit the California Surf Museum. Thousands and thousands , tens of thousands of visitors come every year. Wow.
S1: Wow. Of course , we'll have that on our website to kpbs.org.
S2: I mean , the idea of having leisure time to do something you really love doing with no particular purpose is sort of a very modern concept. People have been struggling just to get enough to get by for millenniums , and all of a sudden we have this in. Surfing was really at the forefront of that. There's a there's a book called The Third Wave by a futurist that wrote it back in 1970s , and he said , surfing is a signpost pointing toward the future. And what he meant by that was that in the future , which is now , people would communicate through their common interests. So rather than their religion or their background or their ethnic or their color , their skin , their religion , their language , they would talk about their common interest. And he said , surfers , the first thing they do when they see one another , regardless of any of those other things , the first question they ask is how is the surf ? And that commonality has become now something that almost everyone communicates with.
S1: Yeah , that's great perspective there. Well , Jim Kempton is the executive director of the California Surf Museum , located in Oceanside. Jim , thank you so much for joining us. Great conversation.
S2: Thank you for having me. Really a fun time.
S1: Up next , the conversation continues with the world famous surfer and author Shaun Thompson. Midday edition is back after the break. Welcome back to KPBS midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. In 1977 , Shaun Thompson or Thompson rather was crowned world surfing champion , and a few years later , in 1984 , he won a competition right here in Oceanside. Well , today , he's considered one of the most influential surfers in history. He's also a bestselling author and motivational speaker. Well , now Shaun is celebrating the 20th anniversary edition of his book , The Surfer's Code. He'll be returning to Oceanside tomorrow for an event at the California Surf Museum as part of their 40 year celebration. And he joins me now to talk about lessons we can all learn from a life of surfing. Shaun , welcome to the Midday Edition.
S3: Hey Jade , it's great to be here. I love this particular area. I have long roots here. I used to work with one of the greatest surfboard shapers in the world , a guy called Rusty Stauffer. He used to make my boards here. My sister lives in Encinitas , and , uh , I just relaunched my , uh , apparel brand instinct from the 80s , and we're based here in Carlsbad. So a lot of action happening in the area.
S1: Oh , wow. Very much so. So you've got long roots here , and you've also had a long and impressive surfing career. But , you know , a lot of your work today is all about something. You wrote the Surfers Code. Tell me a bit about the story behind it.
S3: So the Surface Code came into being , uh , because a friend of mine phoned me up who started Surfrider Foundation. He said Rincon is facing a severe environmental problem , and Rincon is one of the most famous surfing beaches in the world. And it's right near where I live now , in Montecito , in Santa Barbara. He said it's going to cost about $8 million to fix the problem , he said. But I have a $100 budget to help you solve the problem. So I'm getting $100 budget to solve an $8 million problem. That sounds insurmountable. So he said , well , I'm going to bring a group of kids down to the beach , and I want you to inspire the kids. And then through the media , we'll inspire the city officials. And ultimately , we hope to raise the money to solve the problem. So what I did is I wrote something called Surface Code , and in 15 minutes I wrote down in the form of 12 commitments , the 12 most important lessons that surfing had taught me about life. Really simple metaphors like I'll never turn my back on the ocean , I will always paddle back out. I'll take the drop with commitment. And I made a little card and I made up a hundred cards. It cost me a hundred bucks and I gave them out to the to the young people that came down to the beach and through the media. We created a groundswell and ultimately we solved the problem. But these cards took on a life of their own. And my wife and I had an apparel company called solitude at the time. We'd put the cards in the pockets of our clothing , we were making lots of clothes , and ultimately these cards started to get distributed out into the culture. And and then people , you know , phoned me up and asked me to talk at their different groups about the values of the contained in the cards. And , and it ultimately took my life down a completely different path. Wow.
S1: Wow.
S3: And , you know , on the surface when I do these talks , I speak to the largest corporations in the world Google , Cisco , gap , GM , PwC , and then I work with the largest universities like Harvard and Kellogg. I've spoken at a number of the universities here in , in , uh , in San Diego. And , um , the line that's very resonant is I will always paddle back out. So one might think of perseverance and resilience , but underlying personal perseverance and resilience is this concept of hope that only by paddling back out can you get the next wave. And , you know , people are really bashed and beaten down and there's so much despair in the world. But when one thinks about catching that next wave and one thinks about that open horizon with something new waiting for us , it gives us this perseverance and resilience to paddle back out again. So that's kind of my favorite. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well , and I know the code. You know , it's taken on new meanings throughout your life , um , especially through moments of tremendous grief. Can you share that with our audience ? Yes.
S3: My wife and I lost our beautiful son , Matthew , in 2006. Uh , as as the book was actually at the publisher waiting to be printed when we lost our son , he played a dangerous game that he heard about at school. All the kids were playing the game , and , you know , it shattered us. And it was it was it was a time of great despair and darkness for for my wife and I. And it took us a number of months to sort of get through that grief. And , and surfing was really a path forward for me. And a friend of mine , you know , service called this , um , this wonderful , uh , attraction that they have and this exhilaration that they feel from going surfing , they call it stoke. And when things have stoked , when things have a fire and my fire had gone out , I had no more Stoke left and and a friend of mine from school kept phoning me. Sean , I got to take you. I got to take you surfing. I got to take you surfing. And it was a number of months after this continual , um , plea from my friend , I said , okay , I'll go surfing with you. And he took me to this break. I'd never surfed before , and I was in South Africa at the time. That's where we lost our our boy. He was doing a semester at my old school , and , uh , we walked down to the beach together , and it's on the East coast. And this beautiful African sun was boiling up through the ocean. And and it was a very emotional time for me. And I was crying. And as I paddled out through the the waves , the waves washed over my face. And they. And they washed my tears away. It was the most indescribable moment of , of sort of catharsis and , um , connectivity to , to the broader , bigger world. And as I paddle out and washed my way , my tears went and I paddled out further and washed my tears away. And then I sat and waited for that wave with my friend , and I could feel my son was with me. And I caught my first wave and my world got back on it. It seemed like my world got back on its axis and I caught another wave and I felt better and better. And then , you know , every single surfing break has a unique name. You have you , you know , you have these dramatic names , um , all over the world for these breaks like mavericks and psychos and , and legendary waves like Waimea Bay and Nazaré in Portugal. And I paddled up to my friend and I said , you know , what's the name of this wave ? And he said , it's called sunrise. And you know those words , um , of something new and new day , you know , have become sort of a mantra to me in , in , in my life. And shortly before we lost my beautiful boy , he read me , I was in the United States. He read me this beautiful essay that he wrote. And in the middle of the essay were these lines , the light shines ahead. And , you know , for me , that has become sort of a North Star in my life. And , and I've told the story to many people , and for many people , it's given them hope in the times of despair , and it's given them light in times of darkness. Those simple words , the light shines ahead. And you know , I've really come to understand the words of God. Great power. Incredible power to to change our mind state , change how we feel about life. But the words that have got the greatest power of all aren't the words of inspiration leaders. You know , whoever you might admire Mahatma Gandhi , Indira Gandhi , Martin Luther King , Winston Churchill the words that have got the greatest power are our own words. You know , our own words are words of transformation. That's why I encourage people write your code , spend 12 minutes , 12 lines , every line beginning with , oh , well , you can go to my website. You can download the code worksheet free. I do this with hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people , and it really helps people look at where they've been , where they are , and perhaps a commitment to where they want to be , to where they will be. So it's wonderful to be able to do this , to have the opportunity of doing this with all sorts of schools. I mean , last night I did two sessions at Pacific Palisades High School that had been well , let me. Yeah.
S1: Go ahead. Let me ask you this. I mean , because it really sounds like , you know , the code has really taken on a new meaning in the wake of that tragedy. And now you're guiding others through this process of writing their own codes. What are some of the mantras people have come up with that that have really stayed with you ? So.
S3: It all started at Rincon with this wave that had this environmental problem. So when the book came out , I was sitting in the water waiting for a wave at Rincon , and it's incredibly crowded. And a guy paddled up to me. He said , Sean , I'm a headmaster at a local school and a Catholic school with a smaller school in Santa Barbara. We had 80 kids come and talk to our students about your book. I go down to the school and I'm talking to the students about the book. And I have an idea. I got surface codes , my code , I wrote it. What about all of you writing your codes ? So about a week later , there was 80 students , 12 lines. I got 960 lines of code back from the students. The very first line of code I ever got back from someone was , I will always be myself from a young 13 year old girl. And those words were so profound to me because three months before , I had lost my beautiful boy playing a dangerous game that he heard about at school. He had pressure , victimisation. We'll never really know. But this young girl was putting her flag in the sand and going , I will be myself. Power , passion , purpose it. These words motivated me. So I wrote another book called The Code , which was a framework for positive decision making. But that first line I ever wrote for me was just sort of a it was inspiration , pure inspiration. So now when kids write. I will be the light in the darkness. I will be a volunteer. I will be a mentor. Until I tell people I've seen what the true meaning and purpose of life is , and it's defined by two lines of code. Number one , I will be better. I'll be kinder. I'll put my phone down in front of my son. I will do what I say I will do. I'll live a life of integrity. People write these and then we share them on a big screen. And the other half of the meaning and purpose of life is. I will help others be better. We are. We are altruistic people. I will be the light in the darkness. I will uplift others. I'll be a mentor. I'll be a leader. I'll be a teacher. So I get so much inspiration out of this little sort of , um , tool that , that , that surfing gave me so many years ago. Wow.
S1: Wow.
S3: And I always go back to my code and I encourage people when they write the code , take a photograph of it and keep it with you. Because when you really need your words , um , they're there for you. So I will know that there will always be another wave , that there is always going to be another chance. There is always going to be another opportunity. So for me , this is a very profound humanistic concept. Another one is that I will realize that all surfers are joined by one ocean. The world is so divided. The world is so broken , the world is so polarized. And it's amazing when I do these big events for hundreds of thousands of people. When people write the code and they share it , it brings people together in ways that are. They're incredible. You know , I spoke at one of the most famous universities here in San Diego. I'm not going to mention the name of it. And I asked 258 students , text me one word that describes how you're feeling. And I do this with hundreds of thousands of people. The words were tired , overwhelmed , anxious. It's amazing when you tell a few surfing stories. People write the code right at the end and they share the code right at the end. I ask them , text me a word. You come , you're taking home with you. The words are purpose , growth , gratitude , positivity. It can go from 95% negative to 100% positive by telling stories , writing code , and sharing code. This is a wonderful free tool and it's a way to bring people together in this broken , divided , polarized world that we live in.
S1: Yeah , Sean , it's really been a pleasure to talk to you. I've been speaking with Sean Thompson. He's a world surfing champion , author and motivational speaker. He'll be visiting the California Surf Museum in Oceanside tomorrow evening to talk about the 20th anniversary edition of his book , The Surfers Code. More details can be found at KPBS. Sean , again , thank you so much.
S3: My pleasure. Jay. Thanks for having me.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
