Ocean City Historical Museum to Launch Surfing Exhibit Honoring Local Wave-Riding History

Photo Credit: William KazMarck

Surfing has been a vibrant part of Ocean City’s culture for over a century, yet many are unaware of just how deep its roots run. The Ocean City Historical Museum, located in the Ocean City Community Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue, is preparing to showcase the rich history of surfing on the island with a new exhibit set to debut by summer. The display will highlight Ocean City’s long-standing surf culture, featuring vintage surfboards, memorabilia, and firsthand accounts from some of the area’s earliest wave riders.

A Tribute to Ocean City’s Surfing Legacy

While many associate the rise of surfing with the 1970s, the sport has been a staple in Ocean City for much longer. Surfing’s origins in Ocean City date back to 1912, when Hawaiian legend Duke Kahanamoku introduced the sport to the East Coast.

By the 1960s, lifeguard and surfer John Carey and Don Pileggi had founded the Ocean City Surfing Association, one of the first competitive surf programs in the country. The sport rapidly grew in popularity, and at its peak, Ocean City had 14 surf shops catering to locals and visitors alike. Among them was Surfers Supplies, established in 1962, which remains in operation today at 31st Street and Asbury Avenue.

Preserving History Through Artifacts and Stories

The museum’s new exhibit aims to preserve and celebrate this history by collecting vintage surfboards, photographs, films, and personal stories from the island’s earliest surfers. Loeper has already secured several boards with deep local significance, including a locally shaped board from a limited run of just 60 and a Gordon & Smith board donated by a former Ocean City Beach Patrol lifeguard. Each board will be displayed with details about its history, usage, and the surfers who rode them.

Beyond surfboards, the exhibit will include oral histories from pioneering surfers. Old 8mm and 16mm surf films will be digitized and accessible via QR codes, allowing visitors to watch historic surf footage on their phones and experience the evolution of the sport firsthand.

Keeping Surf Culture in Ocean City

One of the driving forces behind the exhibit is the concern that much of Ocean City’s surf history has been lost over the years. Many significant artifacts and memorabilia have been relocated to a small surfing museum in Tuckerton. This new exhibit will help keep Ocean City’s surf heritage in its rightful home.

The exhibit could be the first step toward the potential creation of a dedicated surfing museum in Ocean City. If such a museum is established in the future, the collection will be transferred there to continue celebrating the island’s surfing legacy.

A Call to the Surfing Community

To make this exhibit as comprehensive as possible, the museum is seeking contributions from the local surfing community. Surfers with old boards, photographs, memorabilia, or stories to share are encouraged to participate.

Those interested in contributing can reach John Loeper at (609) 602-0753 or via email at [email protected].

About the Ocean City Historical Museum

The Ocean City Historical Museum, housed in the Ocean City Community Center, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the city’s rich history. From its origins as a seaside resort to its evolution as a premier family-friendly destination, the museum offers exhibits that explore Ocean City’s past through artifacts, photographs, and personal accounts. Admission is free, and visitors are encouraged to explore the many stories that have shaped the island over the decades.

As summer approaches, anticipation for the surfing exhibit is building. With the help of the local community, the museum is set to bring Ocean City’s deep-rooted surf culture to life, ensuring future generations understand the role this town played in shaping East Coast surfing.