We are a city of surf; but the story behind the name doesn’t start with us. It begins with Three Hawaiian princes in 1885.

That summer, David Kawananakoa, Edward Keli’iahonui and Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana’ole introduced surfing to the world beyond Hawaii. They rode Santa Cruz waves. Crafted surfboards from our redwood lumber. When the brothers returned to Hawaii, they took their boards with them.

This July is the 130th anniversary of their epic ride. Two of the three original redwood surf boards will return to Santa Cruz.

The impact of their stay rippled from coast to coast and shaped the cultural identity of Santa Cruz County. See the boards that rode on our waves. See the boards that set the course for developing our unique cultural identity.

Artifacts on loan from The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum in Hawaii.

Princes of Surf is made possible by the History Forum and Santa Cruz Surfing Club Preservation Society.