Currently on view.
Every exhibit at SHACC is drawn from the permanent collection and partner archives — curated, researched, and built in-house.
PAE KA NALU: Catch the Wave
100 years ago Hawaiian great Duke Kahanamoku, the Olympic gold medalist and father of modern day surfing, called this stretch of Southern California coast his home away from home. During his years here he turned his California swimming peers into the first generation of California surfers, changing the complexion of California culture, and surfing. Duke taught Californians how to Pae Ka Nalu, catch the wave. But Duke embodied a surf culture that was over 1000 years old. Here, our aim is not only to celebrate where surfing came from, but to help the surfing world better understand what it inherited.
Our timeline.
Four eras of surfing, told through the boards that line the Culture Center. Open an era to follow its timeline — then come see it in person.
Around the Culture Center.
Smaller displays that rotate through the building — each one a chapter of the story. Here’s a taste; the full story is waiting in person.
