California Surf Culture Through an Academic Lens

The ubiquitous California surfer. In the north of the state, they're often found with a wet suit and booties, while in the south perhaps a half suit or board shorts. Surf culture is often seen as an organic outgrowth of California's coastline, but that is absolutely not the case. Like most things, surfing's popularity has to do with money. Berkeley doctoral candidate and co-editor of the Critical Surf Studies Reader Dexter Zaval-Snee says surfing was promoted by businessmen looking to develop the coast.