MiraCosta College Presents ‘Endless Summer’ Event

The MiraCosta College History Department and MiraCosta College Associated Student Government are hosting a free outside showing of the seminal surf movie, The Endless Summer, at a retro surfing-inspired evening on September 21, 5:30-9 p.m. The evening will also include a discussion of surf culture, music, food and historical displays. The college is located at 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside. The event will be on the central lawn and free parking is available in Lot 1-B and 3-B. Free beach towels will be given to the first 100 guests.

The audience will enjoy the cool ocean breezes and view director Bruce Brown’s tale of two surfers, Mike Hynson and Robert August, who go on a surfing trip trying to follow summer around the world, making it endless. The 1966 film helped define a youth counter culture that became highly influential in the 1960s. The movie will be shown around 7:30 p.m.

Prior to the movie, the college will showcase historic surf paraphernalia from the California Surf Museum in the college library. Surf-inspired munchies will be available for purchase from gourmet food truck Epic Eatz and live surf music will be performed by the band Tower 7. The event will also feature a moderated discussion with surf legends and experts who experienced the development of surf culture first hand. 

“This event is historically relevant and serves the interests and academic needs of our students, faculty, staff, and community,” says MiraCosta College history instructor Dr. Brad Byrom. “Personally, I have already learned a great deal about the influence of surf culture in shaping the history of the early 1960s. For example, I had never considered the fact that surfing is the only sport with its own music, and that this music became nationally popular during the early sixties. I had also never considered the deep impact that the film Endless Summer had in helping to develop a youth culture that became less concerned with materialism and more concerned with living in the moment (an essential aspect of the sixties youth culture that produced a highly influential counter culture). I think there is no question but that well educated faculty, staff, and community members stand to learn much from the discussions that will take place regarding this film and the surf culture it helped spawn.”

Special guests include former Surfer Magazine online editors and surf historians Scott Bass and Steve Barilotti; surf author Chris Ahrens; and legendary surfer Paul Strauch, who appeared in the film The Endless Summer. 

We are honored to have Kathy Kohner, who was the inspiration for the Gidget book, movies, and TV series. She was instrumental in launching the surfing movement in the late ‘50s. 

Also in attendance will be the MiraCosta College surf team, which will be honored for its second consecutive year as national collegiate surf champions.

For more information, contact history instructor Brad Byrom at bbyrom@miracosta.edu or call 760.757.2121, x6347 or Director of Public and Governmental Relations, Marketing and Communications Cheryl Broom at cbroom@miracosta.edu or 760.795.6612.