This spring, students at UC Santa Cruz took part in a public history course focused on the origins of surfing in the United States. The class explored the story of three Hawaiian princes—David Kawānanakoa, Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, and Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui—who introduced surfing to Santa Cruz in 1885. Their efforts marked the beginning of surfing’s presence on the U.S. mainland.
The ten-week course was led by Jasmine Alinder, Dean of Humanities and History Professor at UC Santa Cruz. Students partnered with the Museum of Art and History (MAH) in downtown Santa Cruz to develop interactive “history trunks” for use by K–12 teachers. These educational tools are based on MAH’s current exhibition, Princes of Surf 2025: He’e nalu Santa Cruz, which opened July 18 and will run through January 4, 2026. The exhibition marks the 140th anniversary of surfing’s documented arrival on the mainland.
“I didn’t know anything about the history of surfing before this class,” Alinder said. “But what we learned was both fascinating and necessary.”
The exhibition highlights how the Hawaiian princes crafted large redwood boards and surfed near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River during their summer stay with Antoinette Swan, a woman of royal Hawaiian descent living in Santa Cruz at that time. Local newspapers reported on their demonstration, but over time stereotypes have overshadowed this cultural milestone.
“The princes did a surfing demo that drew a lot of attention,” Alinder said. “When we think of the history of surfing in California, of course, there is also an earlier Indigenous history of interaction with the ocean’s surf and tidal zones.”
Students contributed to an exhibition featuring replicas of historic surfboards and artifacts from Hawaiʻi while also highlighting Swan’s role as a cultural bridge between Hawaiʻi and California.
Alinder’s class met weekly at MAH to combine academic study with practical work alongside museum staff and community experts. Following a model previously used for MAH’s “Queerstory” exhibit about local LGBTQ+ history, students designed six prototype trunks tailored for elementary, middle, and high school levels.
“We wanted to create something that lived beyond the exhibit,” said Alinder. “These trunks are filled with hands-on activities and discussion prompts to help young people challenge assumptions about who surfs, who’s represented in history, and who’s been excluded.”
The prototypes are being refined over summer with input from Leo Coletta—a double major in History and Politics at UC Santa Cruz—who is serving as Museum Education Fellow through Humanities EXCEL internship program. Final versions will be distributed to local classrooms to encourage discussion about surfing’s cultural roots.
Benyamin Alfaro (Merrill ‘25) noted: “It is not enough for information to stay at a museum or a university… Public history is incredibly active and very real; it is important to show K-12 students how the world around them is moving and breathing, not stagnant.”
Wyatt Dana (Stevenson ‘25) added: “Surfing has been a passion of mine since I was in childhood… I also liked the education component, and was excited to dip my toe into developing curriculum.”
Guest speakers included faculty from UC Santa Cruz as well as Esabella Bonner—founder of Black Surf Santa Cruz—and scholar Isaiah Helekunihi Walker. Bonner discussed access issues within surfing culture while Walker addressed themes from his book Waves of Resistance: Surfing and History in 20th Century Hawaii.
In addition to classroom learning, most students participated in a group surf lesson led by Surf School Santa Cruz.
For Alinder—whose background includes civil rights history—the project offered new perspectives: “I’ve taught many public history and museum studies courses… But it was fun. It reminded me that local history isn’t just something we read—it’s something we build, share, and question together.”
Marla Novo, deputy director at MAH stated: “In organizing this exhibition, we want to share a few links to a broader conversation… This isn’t the beginning or end of the narrative. It continues in ways we connect with each other…”
The exhibition is co-sponsored by The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.
