?

Dave Brooks

What best captures the spirit of Surf City? Is it a toned

longboarder, hanging five down the face of a wave? Or a silhouette of

Huntington Beach’s world-famous pier? Maybe just the bright sun,

watching over summer beachgoers?

A host of visitors, Surf City locals and tourism industry

officials are being asked to help capture what makes Huntington Beach

a great place to visit this week through a survey hosted by the

conference and visitors bureau.

After weeks of scouting, the group’s board of directors has

selected four final designs for a new Huntington Beach logo. The

group will survey 500 local residents and more than 4,500 visitors

from California, Nevada and Arizona before choosing the final logo to

represent the bureau’s Surf City, USA marketing campaign.

“We’re looking at the infancy of a product line that is just

getting off the ground,” bureau President Doug Traub said of the

logo. “We expect within two to three years that we’ll be seeing it on

everything from beach towels to flip-flops to T-shirts and

backpacks.”

The bureau’s logo is different from other logos in Huntington

Beach. The city owns the rights to the original Huntington Beach logo

-- the letters H and B surrounded with a picture of sail boat and

surfer, as well as a molecule to represent the city’s former

concentration of aerospace and engineering jobs.

There is also the Surf City logo that simply bears the words “Surf

City HB” embossed over an image of a surfboard. That logo is owned by

Bud Wescott and Tina Viray, who operate a small apparel store on the

pier.

The new logo will represent the city’s tourism campaign to market

Huntington Beach as an overnight destination and, according to Traub,

a California lifestyle brand.

Just as companies market their own brand name, Huntington Beach

would use the logo to market its message to out-of-town guests, he

said. Besides dozens of lucrative merchandizing deals, Traub said the

city can negotiate future contracts with events like the U.S. Open of

Surfing and the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tournament to

require the new logo be displayed during broadcasting and marketing.

It could also mark the end of a publicity battle between

Huntington Beach and its rival to the north, Santa Cruz, which cried

foul when Traub trademarked the phrase “Surf City, USA” in November.

After exchanging several jabs with Santa Cruz Mayor Mike Rotkin,

Traub pushed forward with his marketing plan and began taking

proposals from artists interested in designing the logo.

“Originally we had proposals from five different designers,”

bureau marketing director Kathleen Spalione said. “They were given

some guidelines on brand development and personality identification.”

Traub said he’s looking forward to reviewing the reaction to the

logos and hopes to soon launch his merchandising campaign. He’s

already negotiated a deal with Felt Bicycles for specially designed

Surf City cruisers.

“It’s really a win-win situation for everybody,” he said. “We’re

trying to accomplish our two objectives: get exposure for the city,

and generate licensing revenue that can be reinvested back into

marketing the community.”