Surf and Rescue: George Freeth and the Birth of California Beach Culture (Sport and Society) Paperback – June 28, 2022

Freeth came to Southern California from Hawaii more than a hundred years and made beach culture much safer and helped surfing to develop from LA to San Diego. People were drowning all the time at the beach until Freeth introduced lifeguarding techniques from Hawaii. He built the first wood surfboards in California and taught residents how to surf. He was a great swimming and water polo coach and coached at many swim clubs up and down the California coast. This wonderful book introduces readers to how beach culture has changed over the last century.

Patrick Moser does a great job in placing the reader in the times and places of George Freeth to really convey how groundbreaking his contributions were to surfing, swimming, and lifeguarding. Often the connection between Southern California beach culture and its Hawaiian roots are lost, but Moser brings this connection to the forefront with Freeths story.