害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 go surfing now, everybody害羞草研究所檚 learning how,害羞草研究所� the Beach Boys have been telling us in song since 1962.

And if you haven害羞草研究所檛 started listening by now 害羞草研究所� and you live in California 害羞草研究所� perhaps it害羞草研究所檚 time you did.

On Monday surfing became the official sport of California.

So grab a board, catch a wave and again as the Beach Boys like to say, find yourself, 害羞草研究所渟ittin害羞草研究所� on top of the world.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 am stoked that surfing is now California害羞草研究所檚 official sport,害羞草研究所� declared Al Muratsuchi, state assemblyman and a dedicated surfer dude himself, after Gov. Jerry Brown put his signature to the new law Muratsuchi wrote and shepherded through the Legislature.

害羞草研究所淣o other sport represents the California Dream better than surfing 害羞草研究所� riding the waves of opportunity and living in harmony with nature,害羞草研究所� added Muratsuchi, a surfer since high school who represents the city of Torrance, a place not far from the heralded California surf break called Haggerty害羞草研究所檚. (Yes, the one mentioned in the Beach Boys害羞草研究所� song 害羞草研究所淪urfin害羞草研究所� USA.害羞草研究所�)

While the law acknowledges that surfing, like so much other California stuff, actually came from somewhere else 害羞草研究所� in this case Hawaii 害羞草研究所� it also makes the case that California revolutionized the art of shooting the curl and hanging 10.

The Golden State is the heart of the surfboard building industry and the place where the wetsuit was invented, state officials say, and with 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometres) of coastline, it provides a surfer害羞草研究所檚 paradise that Muratsuchi estimates generates more than $6 billion in annual retail sales.

Michael Scott Moore, author of the acclaimed 2010 surfing history 害羞草研究所淪weetness and Blood,害羞草研究所� agrees that although Hawaii is the cradle of surfing, California did play a key role in revolutionizing the sport.

害羞草研究所淢odern surfing was born in Huntington Beach, Malibu, the South Bay, Manhattan, Redondo,害羞草研究所� Moore said, referencing many of the beachfront cities the Beach Boys call out in 害羞草研究所淪urfin USA.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 where new technologies in surf design got developed,害羞草研究所� continued Moore, an avid surfer himself. 害羞草研究所淲e had a lot of aerospace technicians who were into surfing, and they developed new shapes for surfboards that turned the sport into something of a pop cultural phenomenon.害羞草研究所�

Basically, California builders began making boards safer, lighter, easier to stand on and easier to manoeuvr through the water than the ones the Hawaiians had used for centuries, Moore said. They also added a key feature, the skeg or bottom-of-the-board rudder and, yes, they invented the wetsuit.

Meanwhile, popular 害羞草研究所淏each Party害羞草研究所� movies of the 1960s that starred teen heartthrobs Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon made it look to the rest of the country like one big surf party was going on nonstop in California. The Beach Boys, Dick Dale, Jan and Dean and other popular musicians of the time provided the soundtrack.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 part of the California mythology,害羞草研究所� University of Southern California pop culture historian Leo Braudy said. 害羞草研究所淭he idea of someone becoming Californianized, and if you become Californianized then surfing is part of the deal.害羞草研究所�

Indeed, Huntington Beach now calls itself Surf City and is home to the Surfers害羞草研究所� Hall of Fame and the International Surfing Museum. Oceanside has the California Surf Museum. In Redondo Beach, there is a bust of George Freeth, hailed as California害羞草研究所檚 first surfer after he began dazzling local crowds with his wave-riding skills in 1907.

(Freeth actually learned to surf in his native Hawaii, where it害羞草研究所檚 been the official sport since 1998.)

But no matter. Which state lays claims to surfing as its sport doesn害羞草研究所檛 bother surfers all that much, said Moore, who has surfed all over the world.

害羞草研究所淎s long as the waves are good, we don害羞草研究所檛 care,害羞草研究所� he said laughing.

He may be right.

A woman who answered the phone Monday at legendary big-wave rider Titus Kinimaka害羞草研究所檚 surf school in Hanalei, Hawaii, said she害羞草研究所檇 be happy to put a surfer on the phone to discuss the issue.

害羞草研究所淏ut they害羞草研究所檙e all in the water,害羞草研究所� she added.

John Rogers, The Associated Press

Like us on and follow us on .