San Clemente CA— It’s creating a buzz as possibly the coolest party of the summer in DC: the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center’s first-ever National Luau, Friday August 21st at the Reagan Building and International Trade Center. This once in a lifetime event is open to the public. VIP and general admission tickets and tables can still be reserved at www.surfingheritage.org, however the event is expected to sell out.
The Luau will kick off with a private VIP cocktail party, where guests will have a rare chance to mingle with surfing legends and innovators. The VIP reception will host many of the living legends of the surfing world, including The Endless Summer filmmaker Bruce Brown, the film’s co-stars Robert August and Mike Hynson, big wave riding pioneer Greg Noll, surfing’s first professional world champion Peter Townend, Tom Morey inventor of the boogie board, Eastern Surfing Association Co-Founder Cecil Lear, Fred Hemmings, Paul Strauch, Joey Cabell, Henry Ford, Jericho Poppler, Patti Paniccia, Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, and numerous other renowned surfers, surfboard makers and surf industry executives.
During the exclusive VIP party, attendees will also enjoy access to SHACC’s Endless Summer Collection, the most extensive exhibition of authentic memorabilia from Bruce Brown’s hugely successful documentary film, which premiered in theaters fifty years ago. This small budget movie had a huge impact on the way the world looked at surfers and planted the seeds to today’s global surf adventure lifestyle.
The evening, a fundraiser for SHACC, also features silent and live auctions. Attendees will have a chance to bid on replicas of the boards ridden by Mike and Robert in the film, a replica of a Duke Kahanamoku solid wood board, exotic surfing excursions, and more.
According to Paul Strauch, SHACC’s Executive Director, “it’s a weekend to celebrate surfing —as a culture — being recognized for the influence it’s had on American Society.”
On Saturday, the day after the Luau, a public donation ceremony will take place at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. SHACC and its private donors will present a collection of historic surf culture artifacts to the Smithsonian Institution. These artifacts include a hand-shaped solid redwood surfboard shaped by Duke Kahanamoku, a 16mm print of The Endless Summer film, and other authentic artifacts related to the film.
Surfing history is going to be made this summer in our nation’s capital. And you can be a part of it. For details, contact Glenn Brumage (714) 299-6144.
About Surfing Heritage & Culture Center
Founded in 2000 the Surfing Heritage is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, presenting and promoting surfing’s heritage for the appreciation and education of current and future generations. SHACC serves as the world’s foremost educational and support resource for surfing publications, manufacturers, and museums. Surfing Heritage is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit. Learn more at www.surfingheritage.org