Surf and Rescue - George Freeth and the Birth of California Beach Culture (Hardcover)

The mixed-race Hawaiian athlete George Freeth brought surfing to Venice, California, in 1907. Over the next twelve years, Freeth taught Southern Californians to surf and swim while creating a modern lifeguard service that transformed the beach into a destination for fun, leisure, and excitement. Patrick Moser places Freeth's inspiring life story against the rise of the Southern California beach culture he helped shape and define. Freeth made headlines with his rescue of seven fishermen, an act of heroism that highlighted his innovative lifeguarding techniques. But he also founded California's first surf club and coached both male and female athletes, including Olympic swimming champion and "father of modern surfing" Duke Kahanamoku. Often in financial straits, Freeth persevered as a teacher and lifeguarding pioneer--building a legacy that endured long after his death during the 1919 influenza pandemic. A compelling merger of biography and sports history, Surf and Rescue brings to light the forgotten figure whose novel way of seeing the beach sparked the imaginations of people around the world.

General

Imprint:	University of Illinois Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Sport and Society
Release date:	June 2022
First published:	2022
Authors:	Patrick Moser
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 25mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	248
ISBN-13:	978-0-252-04444-1
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Sport Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Local history Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Water sports & recreations > Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing Books > History > American history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Local history Books > Biography > Sport
LSN:	0-252-04444-4
Barcode:	9780252044441

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!