Pop Surf Culture: Music, Design, Film, and Fashion from the Bohemian Surf Boom

by Domenic Priore, Domenic Priore

From the original beachcomber personalities like the Waikiki Beachboys, to the rise of Venice Beach as a creative center for music, art, and film, this intelligent study traces the roots of the surf boom and subsequent culture of the 1950s and 1960s. This insightful chronicle explores the connection between early surf culture, the Beat Generation, and pop culture of the 1960s through accounts of key figures—artists and musicians such as Mike Dormer, Rick Griffin, The Trashwomen, and The Beach Boys—and illustrates why surf culture is considered a vital art movement of the 20th century. The advent of surf magazines and the immense popularity of “beach” movies, starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, are also discussed.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Music

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2008

Reviews

[Jarad Coats · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, fun and learning. Great for surf junkies, pop culture junkies, CA influenced pop culture, or fifties freaks will have a great time turning these pages. The rest of you probably will too. 2nd edition is coming out Jan of 2014.

[April Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully presented and painstakingly researched. This book is absolutely a pleasure to read, the writing style is just academic and intelligent enough to be neither banal or stuffy. Fantastic!