Surf museum's 250,000th's visitor totally stoked

By: CANDICE REED - For the North County Times | Wednesday, December 1, 2004 11:16 PM PST ∞

OCEANSIDE ---- Canton, Ohio has the Football Hall of Fame and New Yorkers can boast about the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, but for grommets, murphs and goofy foots, the California Surf Museum in Oceanside is totally gnarly.

Just ask Oceansider Rick Woods.

On his lunch break Wednesday afternoon, Woods strolled into the museum at 223 N. Coast Highway for a quick, first-time visit, when, to his complete surprise, he was greeted with cheers and gifts as the museum's 250,000th visitor.

The museum opened in 1991.

Although Woods walked in first, his friend and co-worker Butch Hainsworth was right behind him.

"I guess I'm number 250,001," said Hainsworth, of Vista. "I don't suppose that counts for anything."

As for Woods, a former long-time surfer, he was congratulated by the staff and given a commemorative T-shirt, plaques and other surf booty.

"I just stopped in because I wanted to see 'The Duke' (in photographs)" said Woods, referring to the late legendary Hawaiian surfing pioneer Duke Kahanamoku. "My former trainer, David Nuuhiwa Sr., knew him very well and always rode in parades in Hawaii with him."

Woods said he plans to send the T-shirt to Hawaii to his ailing friend, Nuuhiwa.

The museum opened its doors in a former biker bar across from the pier in 1991 and was immediately a hit with the local surfing community. Now the nonprofit museum is popular with out-of-towners, as well. As people wandered through the museum Wednesday, Woods reminisced about his own surfing days.

"I grew up in Huntington Beach," said Woods. "I remember surfing in the 1964 Huntington Beach boys' division tournament and the waves were 12-to-15 feet. Boy, I was scared to death then."

Woods said Wednesday's experience at the museum has made him think that he might want to surf again.

"I have a lot of good memories of surfing," he said. "I made a lot of friends and surfing has always been a positive experience for me."

Jane Schmauss, acting co-founder of the museum, said the building ---- brimming to the rafters with boards, photographs and surfing gear and clothing ---- is a popular destination for families visiting Oceanside.

"We're really very popular and we're acquiring new items all the time," she said. "We've recently received some grants and we're going to have the opportunity to show a new surf movie for the very first time. We would really like to see Oceanside embrace its surfing past."

She would also like to encourage more volunteers to drop in and lend a hand with the running of the museum.

After a short and laid-back presentation as the 250,000 visitor plus one, Woods and Hainsworth had to get back to work at the Oceanside Marine Center. They both vowed to return.

"I'll definitely come back and tell my friends about this place," Woods said. "A lot of people have good memories of surfing and this, I guess is the place to be."

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