Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Before the Surf Was Up
When John Severson moved to San Clemente as a young man, he was only one of three surfers in the whole city. In the following years, he helped popularize and shape America’s surf culture, which exploded around him. He joins us to look back on almost more than 60 years of a cultural phenomenon he helped create.
By Madeleine Brand • • 1 min readWhen John Severson moved to San Clemente as a young man, he was only one of three surfers in the whole city. In the following years, he helped popularize and shape America’s surf culture, which exploded around him. He joins us to look back on almost more than 60 years of a cultural phenomenon he helped create.
John Severson at the office, 1959. Photo copyright John Severson via Puka Puka
Greg Noll in Pipeline showdown, 1964. Photo copyright John Severson via Puka Puka
Surfer Magazine Sept. 1967 Vol. 8 No. 4. Ron Stoner surf shot, Severson sunset. Photo copyright GrindMedia, LLC.
