Habitually Chic®'s Logo  

Surfs Up

by habituallychic

07 . 24 . 11
I came across the book LeRoy Grannis, Surf Photography of the 1960’s and 1970’s at the Taschen bookstore recently and was immediately hooked. I don’t swim much along the East Coast since the Atlantic Ocean is usually very cold and I’ve also seen Jaws. That’s probably why I love looking at these old photos of surfing along the California coast and Hawaii.   LeRoy Grannis started photographing surfers at Hermosa Beach in California when his doctor told him that he needed a hobby in 1960.  He was 42 years old at the time and went on to become the best known surf photographers and was also inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame.  He died this past February at the age of 93 which is just one more example of the sage advice of Confucius, “choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  This  book would make a great gift for any surfer or surf enthusiast but you can also buy prints of LeRoy Grannis photos at M+B Gallery. They would great in any beach house or even a city apartment to remind you to stop and smell the ocean once in while. Aloha!
Greg Noll Surf Team, Sunset Beach, 1966

World Surfing Contest, Ocean Beach, San Diego, 1966

Hermosa Beach, 1963

Henry Ford, 22nd Street, Hermosa Beach, 1963

Malibu Lineup 1967

Kent Layton, Hermosa Beach, 1969

Waimea Bay, 1972

Greg Noll Surf Shop, 1961

Pipeline, 1972

Duke Contest Finalists, 1968

Waimea Bay, 1973

Makaha, Hawaii, 1962

Photos by LeRoy Grannis

10 Comments
Comments Closed

  1. roseandthistle July 24, 2011 | 2:38 pm

    Love anything to do with vintage surfing, these pictures are beautiful!

  2. janel holiday July 24, 2011 | 2:56 pm

    such a great book…LeRoy was amazing to say the least…start watching the old beach-blanket surf movies….great outfits, cars and hair styles!

    http://janelholidaydesign.blogspot.com/

  3. The Present Road July 25, 2011 | 3:21 am

    I love all your pictures. There really isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t check your blog for inspiration.

  4. Musings July 25, 2011 | 3:44 am

    Living in LA, I can tell you you haven’t felt cold until you’ve dived into the Pacific ocean. Even in the middle of summer, it’s cold. It is still glorious to swim and surf in!
    I love these pictures and I can’t wait to go out and buy this book.

  5. The New Diplomat's Wife July 25, 2011 | 11:19 am

    very classic – love. i’ve always thought it would have been fun to be a pioneer surfer in california in the 50’s/60’s.

  6. Erin July 25, 2011 | 12:31 pm

    What a great book! I’m definitely going to purchase it to keep in my beach house. It’s on the opposite coast, but I love those California beaches as well!

  7. Jennifer@GetawayStyle July 25, 2011 | 1:26 pm

    Love these color-saturated photos and reminder of a more innocent time in the USA. Also appreciate learning about AbeBooks – thank you!

  8. JuliaS July 25, 2011 | 8:49 pm

    Thanks for bringing a special memory back! I grew up on Ocean Beach in the 60’s. It was my frontyard! What an amazing place to explore as a child.

  9. Cottage Coastal Store, Inc. July 26, 2011 | 4:06 am

    Loved this! Thank you! ~Kim

  10. Ridgely's Radar July 27, 2011 | 3:27 am

    Great pictures! So summery!