Surfing Wheels
In the old days, I remember a wind that would blow through the canyons. It was a hot wind called a Santa Ana, and it carried the smell of warm places. It blew the strongest before dawn across the Point. We would sleep in our cars and the smell of the offshore wind would wake us. And each morning, we knew this would be a special day. John Milius - Big Wednesday (1977)
Surfing & cars have always gone together. It seemed like hot-rodding and surfing grew in parallel, both rising in popularity through the 1950s until bursting through their respective sub-cultures to become mainstream pursuits. To get to the beach you needed wheels, right? An old woody wagon was a cheap and practical way to get your long board to Little Rincon or Big Sur, but soon became the ultimate expression of the merging of surf & car culture.
Woodies were few and far between in Australia, where surfers used whatever was handy - Kombi, Beetle, or well used Falcon/Valiant/Holden station wagon, ute or panel van were always good options. For dedicated surfers, any old jalopy* would do as long as it got you to the beach. And if it did break down, like in Jan and Dean’s classic song Surf City - you dumped the car, strapped your board to your back and hitched a ride in your wet suit. Good times.
* Jalopy: a cheap, beaten up old car.
1930 Ford Model A van - a car that became synonymous with surfing due to being cheap and available, while rugged simplicity made it easy to repair.
Check out our woody wagons gallery
It was largely thanks to the Beachboys that surfing and hot-rodding seemed to merge in the public consciousness. Brian Wilson’s songs were replete with images of perfect waves, noble surfers, California girls, gleaming custom cars with chrome wheels and soft tops, and the ever present warmth of the sun. it was all so appealing then, and still is today. Like we said at the start - surfing and cars just seem to go together.
The legendary VW Kombi was cheap to buy and cheap to run, and had plenty of room inside for accomodation
Humans have always been attracted to the sea but surfing was and is, for many, a mystical experience - about as close as one can get to a true communion with the rhythm of mother earth. And the trip to and from the beach with friends, wind in the hair and the road slipping by underneath - that was pretty cool too.
The Beachboys sold SoCal youth culture to the world - particularly surfing and cars
Tunnel Ram has put together a gallery of vintage photos dedicated to the beautiful union that is surfing and cars. The images are not always great quality, but that doesn’t diminish the good vibrations. As the saying goes - nostalgia aint what it used to be.
Out of the water, I am nothing - Duke Kahanamoku