There was a time not too long ago when surfing was young – still trying to find its place in society.

Shapers were popping up all over the place, but in the ’50s and ’60s one local shaper became top dog in the business –  and he is still creating and shaping boards in the back of his original shop.

If you haven’t had a chance to stop by the Harbour Chronicles exhibit – which features Seal Beach shaper and icon Rich Harbour – make sure you head to Orange Coast College in the next few days before the exhibit wraps up April 9.

A walk around the showcase is like being transported in a surf culture time machine, with the exhibit giving a detailed look at surfing in its infancy and how it has evolved through the decades.

There are 45 boards on display, each specific to various surf eras and highlighting the people who rode them at specific places around the world.

Back then, it wasn’t uncommon to see 40 Harbour “Trestle Special” models lined up on the sand, and the only way surfers could identify their board is by the number put on the board by the shaper, and the number of dings on it.

Harbour made a name for himself when he started sponsoring top riders in the area.

“We were big fish in a little pond. We’d get all the girls,” said former Harbour rider Roy Crump, now 68, who came from Sunset Beach in Hawaii to attend the opening of the exhibit. “These guys were all walking around like they were princes of the world.”

Still to this day, Harbour has a cult-like following, with his brand recognized around the world. Each year at Bolsa Chica State Beach, a group of Harbour owners gather for “Harbour Day,” spending the day checking out each other’s sticks and catching up.

For Harbour, after 50 years of shaping, he says he’s having as much fun today as he did in his first decade.

Rich Harbour, back in the day

“There are people who are interested in surfing and love surfing, and this is my culture,” he said. “I’m so happy to share my life with all these people.”

The exhibit is dedicated to good friend and former Harbour shaper Mike Marshall, who passed away in Feb. 6. Marshall, a surf historian who was among the 100 founding partners and strong supporter for the Surfing Heritage Foundation, was instrumental in creating the exhibit.

A paddle-out memorial service is being held north of the Newport Pier at 9 a.m. Thursday, and a celebration of Marshall’s life will be held afterward at the Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion at Orange Coast College, where the Harbour exhibit is on display.

That same day from 5 to 8 p.m., there will be a release party for the 144-page book “Harbour Chronicles – a Life in Surfboard Culture,” with Harbour on hand to sign copies of the book and items up for auction to benefit the Surfrider Foundation.

For more info, go to: www.harboursurfboards.com

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.