Dawn Patrol:

In the mid 1960s a surfing unfriendly city council, inspired by businessman Al Forgit, threatened to ban the sport in Newport Beach.

As incredible as that seems now as parents encourage their kids to get on surf teams, the prevailing thought of the day was that surfing was an unproductive if not irresponsible activity. High school coaches referred to surfers as “beach lilies” and forbade athletes from surfing during the season for fear that salt water would “soften muscles.”

One of the city’s attempts to discourage surfing was to pass an ordinance requiring surfboards to be licensed on a yearly basis. The “Surfboard Permit” cost about $3 if I remember correctly and had to be purchased at the city hall. You got a numbered sticker that was put on the bottom of your board near the fin. Lifeguards were required to patrol the beach in jeeps and check licenses. You’d have to get off your board and flip it on the rail so the guards could see the sticker. Citations would be issued to violators.

The city’s anti-surfing stance prompted local surfers to take action. John Lindsey, Gordon Connolly, Terry Smith, and Herb Torrens met at the home of Lifeguard Chief Bob Reed to discuss the forming of a group to protect what they saw as their right to the beach and waves. The result was Newport Beach Surfing Assn. (NBSA), an organization that would become a part of surfing history. As NBSA’s first president, Lindsey realized they would have to change the public’s perception of surfers. NBSA members showed up in force at city council meetings neatly groomed and dressed in suits or a coat and tie. They sent letters and proposals to the council. The surfboard permits were short lived and the anti-surfing movement waned and NBSA evolved into a competition surfing club.

The sanctioning body of the day was the United States Surfing Assn. The local clubs would send emissaries who would get together to play the chess game of strategically placing their riders in the most advantageous heats. John Lindsey and Gordon Connolly would match up NBSA’s team riders like Herb Torrens, John Geyer, Roger Yates, and Dave Abbott with competitors from clubs like Hope Ranch in Santa Barbara, Dapper Dans in Torrance, Long Beach Surf Club, and Windansea in San Diego.

As NBSA’s reputation grew they were able to recruit top surfers from other clubs. They even had some stints by renowned surfers like David Nuuhiwa, Joey Cabell, Corky Carroll, Jock Sutherland, and Robert August.

With the dawn of 1970s “Goodman”, “The Knife”, “Wicker”, “Coin Rim”, “The Rat”, and the other characters that comprised NBSA went their different ways for different reasons and the club dissolved. But the impact it made lives on. Herb Torrens recalls the period in his book, “The Paraffin Chronicles”. Rick Chatillon’s film, “22nd Street In The Day”, scheduled to debut in the spring of 2010 also chronicles the era.

JOHN BURTON’S surf column appears Fridays. He may be reached by e-mail at hot_dogger@mac.com.