Photo captions
01_1938_first_state_championship.jpg
Paul “Bitsy” Hart, ninth from the left, won Florida’s first surfing championship in 1938. This is one of several
photos documenting the event in Daytona Beach. The Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville will host
the “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” and “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” exhibits from Aug. 31,
2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo courtesy of Patty Light/ Gaulden Reed Archive
02_Oyster_catcher.jpg
American oystercatcher chicks sit under the watchful eye of an adult. A year-round Florida resident that nests on
the beach, it is the largest shorebird in the Americas and one of the few bird species that specializes in feeding
on bivalves. The American oystercatcher and other beach-nesting birds are featured in “Surf Science: Waves
and Wildlife,” on display with “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” at the Florida Museum of Natural History
in Gainesville from Aug. 31, 2013, to Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Michael Stubblefield/ courtesy of abcbirds.org
03_Back_Gallery_FAU.jpg
Florida Atlantic University opened “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” during spring 2012. The Florida
Museum of Natural History in Gainesville will host the exhibit with “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” from Aug.
31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo courtesy of University Galleries, Florida Atlantic University
04_Loehr_73_logs_left_Divine.jpg
Former Cocoa Beach resident Greg Loehr, pictured in Oahu, Hawaii, in 1973, raised the credibility of East Coast
surfers in the mid-1970s and has challenged industry and market assumptions about surfboard design and
construction techniques for the past 30 years. Loehr is featured in the exhibit “Surfing Florida: A Photographic
History,” on display with “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” at the Florida Museum of Natural History in
Gainesville from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Jeff Divine
05_Dolphin playing.jpg
Like a surfer catching air, a dolphin propels itself out of the water with a behavior called “porpoising.” Dolphins
and other animals of the surf and beach are featured in the exhibit “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife,” on
display with “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville
from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Clay Montague
06_Kechele_Jones.jpg
Matt Kechele, pictured in the Caribbean in 1980, is credited as the first surfer to perform a true aerial maneuver.
Kechele shaped his first board in his family’s garage at age 13 and founded Matt Kechele Surfboards in 1985.
He remains among the most respected board builders in the industry, and is featured in the exhibit “Surfing
Florida: A Photographic History,” on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville with “Surf
Science: Waves and Wildlife” from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Darrell Jones
07_Lopez_Divine.jpg
Cory Lopez, pictured in Hawaii during 2005, won the 2001 Gotcha Tahiti Pro tournament in Teahupo’o. He has
been internationally recognized for his big-wave skills as well as his performance in smaller conditions. Lopez
has appeared in more than 30 videos, including the 1996 classic “What’s Really Goin’ Wrong,” and is featured in
the exhibit “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History,” on display with “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” at the
Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Jeff Divine
08_Sea_turtle_hatchling_tracks.jpg
A sea turtle hatchling makes its way to the sea after emerging from a nest. The exhibit “Surf Science: Waves and
Wildlife” features turtle specimens and highlights the importance of Florida beaches as turtle nesting grounds.
The Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville will display the exhibit with “Surfing Florida: A Photographic
History” from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program
09_Daytona_Beach_1962
Dawn patrol is a term used to describe surfing at daybreak before the crowds arrive. While crowds were not an
issue for surfers in this vintage photograph of Daytona Beach, it was still a matter of timing to catch waves
before work or the inevitable sea breeze. The Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville will host the
“Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” and “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” exhibits from Aug. 31, 2013,
through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Walker Fisher
10_Roland_Joe_silver.jpg
Joe Roland won the Eastern Surfing Association’s first men’s 4A championship in 1968, won third place in an
early Peruvian international big-wave competition, had his own models with Hansen and then Rick surfboards,
and competed in world contests in 1968 and 1970. He started shaping boards in 1972 under the Roland-MiniardRosborough label, and continues to surf, make music and support the Christian Surfers movement through Epic
Surf Ministries. Roland is featured in “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History,” on display at the Florida Museum
of Natural History in Gainesville with “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” Aug. 31, 2013, -Jan. 20, 2014
Photo by David Silver
11_Female_Jjanthina.jpg
A female violet snail, Janthina janthina, is the most common species of bubble rafter. J. janthina is also the only
bubble-rafting species in which females brood their young inside their bodies instead of laying egg capsules on
their floats. The species is included the “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” exhibit, on display at the Florida
Museum of Natural History with “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” Aug. 31, 2013-Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Denis Riek
12_Visitors_Gallery.jpg
Visitors view “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History,” at the University Galleries, Florida Atlantic University,
during spring 2012. The Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville will host the exhibit with “Surf Science:
Waves and Wildlife” from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo courtesy of University Galleries, Florida Atlantic University
13_Moon_Jelly.jpg
Florida is home to a variety of jellyfish such as the moon jelly. Although about 200,000 Florida beachgoers are
stung each year, most native jellies like this one have a very mild or no sting. The moon jelly and other Florida
invertebrates are featured in “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife,” on display with “Surfing Florida: A Photographic
History” at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville from Aug. 31, 2013, to Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Ann Dupont
14_Smyrna_Surf-Club_mid_1960s.jpg
This historic shot of the Smyrna Surf Club includes members Ed Vogt, from left, Buddy Wright, Richard Parker,
Robert Wolfe, Bruce Harris, Charlie Lyons, Billy Johnston, Pete Blanchet, Eugene Facey, David “Tick” Parker,
John Harvey, Lloyd Dreggors, Jim Smith, Bob Kade, Skip Eppelin, Ron Dreggors, Gordon Smith and Don Jolly.
In 1979, Wright, Smith and others reformed the club as the Smyrna Surfari Club, a non-profit organization mixing
surfing and community service interests. The Florida Museum of Natural History will display the “Surfing Florida:
A Photographic History” and “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” exhibits Aug. 31, 2013, -Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo courtesy of the Smyrna Surfari Club
15_FAU_installation.jpg
“Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” was first displayed at the University Galleries of Florida Atlantic
University in spring 2012. The Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville will host the exhibit with “Surf
Science: Waves and Wildlife” from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo courtesy of University Galleries, Florida Atlantic University
16_Shea_Lopez_Hawaii_2005
Shea Lopez, the oldest son of Gulf Coast surfer Pete Lopez, spent 10 years on the World Championship Tour,
placing 11th in 2000 and 2002. He is a proven big-wave competitor, and today lives in Daytona Beach where he
runs a surf camp and serves as a World Championship Tour expert for “Surfer” magazine. He is featured in the
exhibit “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History,” on display with “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” at the
Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Jeff Divine
17_Surf_Board_Display.jpg
Florida Atlantic University developed “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History,” pictured at its University Galleries
in spring 2012. The Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville will host the exhibit with “Surf Science:
Waves and Wildlife” from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo courtesy of University Galleries, Florida Atlantic University
18_The_Ship_Singer_Island_mid_1960s
Surfers received a spectacular new wave on Singer Island in Palm Beach County with the grounding of the
Greek freighter Amaryllis during Hurricane Betsy on Sept. 8, 1965. At 441 feet and hard aground the reef, the
ship proved impossible to remove and remained in place until 1969, when it was cut into pieces and moved a
half-mile offshore to serve as a fishing and diving reef. The Amaryllis attracted surfers and spectators, and
produced a left-hander that attracted the region’s top talent. The Florida Museum of Natural History in
Gainesville will host the “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” and “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife”
exhibits from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by M.E. Gruber
19_Sting_Ray.jpg
The stingray is one of many diverse creatures found beneath the Florida surf. The Florida Museum of Natural
History in Gainesville features specimens including stingrays, sharks, skates and eels in the exhibit “Surf
Science: Waves and Wildlife,” on display with “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History,” from Aug. 31, 2013,
through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Ken Scudder
20_Chris_Lundy_Pipeline_1978.
Chris Lundy competed in the 1982 and 1983 Pipeline Masters and would go on to shape the first Thruster to be
ridden at Waimea Bay, Hawaii. Retrofitted in 1982 from a single fin to a tri-fin and debuting during the El Niño
spring of 1983, the infamous 9-foot-1-inch Lundy is featured in the exhibit “Surfing Florida: A Photographic
History,” on display at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville with “Surf Science: Waves and
Wildlife” from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Lance Trout
21_Surfing_Clam.jpg
Spring and summer beaches in northeast Florida are alive with surfers, but not all of them are human. The small
coquina clam, Donax variabilis, rides the surf to avoid being stranded above the high tide line. The small coquina
clam and other surfing species are featured in “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife,” on display with “Surfing
Florida: A Photographic History” at the Florida Museum of Natural History Aug. 31, 2013-Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Joel Wooster
22_Mimi_Munro_1966.jpg
Still living in her family’s home in Ormond Beach, Mimi Munro was one of the East Coast’s most competitive
female surfers of the 1960s. Her wins include a third place finish at the 1966 World Contest and first in the
Florida State Surfing Championships in Ormond Beach in 1967. In 2007, Munro was inducted into Huntington
Beach’s Surfing Walk of Fame. She is also featured in the exhibit “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History,” on
display with “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville from
Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Leroy Grannis
23_Petroni.jpg
At the height of her career, Karina Petroni took time off from the World Tour in 2006 to assist her father in
recovering from a brain aneurism. By September 2011, Petroni was back on track, winning the Presidente Light
Women’s Pro competition at the Jacksonville Beach Pier. Petroni has also dedicated herself to marine issues,
joining forces with dolphin trainer Richard “Ric” O’Barry and others in producing “The Cove,” which won an
Academy Award for best documentary in 2009. The Florida Museum of Natural History will host “Surfing Florida:
A Photographic History” and “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” Aug. 31, 2013-Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo courtesy of Karina Petroni
24_Ryan_Heavyside_Reef_Road_Feb_2010
Ron Heavyside was a standout long-boarder before founding Nomad Surfboards in 1968. Having learned the
trade while building boards for Delray’s Caribbean Surfboards in the mid-‘60s. Heavyside grew the Nomad label
into an East Coast legacy. His son Ryan is featured in the exhibit “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History,” on
display with “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife” at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville from
Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Nic Lugo
25_Lisa_Andersen_1996.jpg
“Surfer” magazine featured this photograph of Lisa Andersen on the cover of its April 1996 issue, only the
second woman’s cover picture in the publication’s then 40-year history. Andersen also appeared on the cover of
“Outside,” “Women’s Sports” and “Fitness and Sports Illustrated for Women.” She was named one of the “25
Most Influential Surfers of all Time” by “Surfer” magazine and one of the “Top Female Athletes of the 20th
Century” by “Sports Illustrated for Women.” She was inaugurated into Huntington Beach’s Surfing Walk of Fame
in 2004. Anderson is featured in the exhibit “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History,” on display with “Surf
Science: Waves and Wildlife” at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville from Aug. 31, 2013,
through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Tom Dugan
26_Aerial_FAU_gallery.jpg
A visitor views “Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” at the University Galleries of Florida Atlantic University
in spring 2012. The Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville will host the exhibit with “Surf Science:
Waves and Wildlife” from Aug. 31, 2013, through Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo courtesy of University Galleries, Florida Atlantic University
27_Cinerea_Salleana.jpg
Humans aren’t the only surfers found on Florida’s beaches. A small mollusk, Impages cinerea salleana, is a
“surfing snail” that uses a big foot as a “sail” to move back and forth in the surf following the tide in search of
food. This snail and other surfing species are featured in “Surf Science: Waves and Wildlife,” on display with
“Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville from Aug. 31,
2013, to Jan. 20, 2014.
Photo by Bill Frank