Boards and art combine in Surfboards on Parade

Seeing surfboards in a city known as Surf City is no big thing, but the biennial Surfboards on Parade joins shapers with world-recognized artists in a charity event meant to entrall visitors to Huntington Beach for months.

This year, 20 board shapers collaborated with 20 artists, and their work will be unveiled June 16 at the Shorebreak, a downtown Huntington Beach hotel. Professional surfers and others from the industry are expected to attend.

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FOR THE RECORD

10:15 a.m.: A previous version of this story stated that the Shorebreak is a hotel in the new Pacific City development. The hotel is located in downtown Huntington Beach.

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The 20 unique boards will then be displayed through Oct. 7 in Pacific City at locations including Ola Mexican Kitchen, Ocean Blue Art + Design, Lemonade, Old Crow Smokehouse, Simmzy’s, Ways and Means Oyster House and Tommy Bahamas, as well as downtown locations the Resorts of Huntington Beach, Duke’s and Sandy’s.

“This year, we wanted to keep the art exhibit centrally located so folks could actually get their steps in and walk to all of the art installations,” said Jodi McKay, spokeswoman for the event.

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McKay said one of the boards, made by professional Hawaiian shaper Don Johnston, was donated from singer and songwriter Jack Johnson’s personal collection.

Another board was created by local shaper Tim Stamps, whose childhood friend, local artist Steve Fawley, painted the 6-foot-7-inch piece using bright greens, reds and blacks in abstract geometrical shapes. The piece replicates the surfboard from the Edward Shumpert 1976 sculpture, which shows a man riding a wave, at Pier Plaza.

“I wanted to incorporate a modern design for this project to push this piece in the direction of fine art,” Fawley said in a statement. “My goal is that this board fetches the top price at this year’s auction.”

McKay said she believes each piece will astound.

“Our goal with each art installation in Surfboards on Parade is to capture a ‘wow’ factor on the faces of the literally millions of people who will come see it this summer,” Scott Smith, past president of the Rotary Club of Huntington Beach, which is hosting the event, said in a news release.

“Each piece tells its own story through one-of-a-kind expression of art on surfboards, many from world-renowned artists and shapers that will entice the viewing public to see all 20 boards on display throughout the city as well as donate to these important causes.”

On Oct. 7, the boards will be auctioned off at the Night of a Million Waves Gala at the Pasea Hotel & Spa.

Proceeds from the art show and gala will go to the MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center and the center’s philanthropic supporter, the Orange Coast Memorial Foundation.

Guests will include world surfing champion Peter “PT” Townsend, who will emcee the evening, as well as other big names in surfing: Tim Stamps, Duke Aipa, Robert August, Bob Hurley, Jeff “Doc” Lausch, Steve Pesce and Jed Noll.

A short film by Matt Liffreing will give a behind-the-scenes look at the inspiration for and the creation of the surfboards.

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What: Surfboards on Parade

Where: Shorebreak, 500 Pacific Coast Hwy.

When: 6 p.m. June 16, after which the surfboards will be displayed at various locations. They will be auctioned off Oct. 7.

Cost: $28, which includes a raffle and food from local vendors

Information: surfboardsonparade.org

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Brittany Woolsey, [email protected]

Twitter: @BrittanyWoolsey

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