“Harbour Chronicles: Shaping a Legacy”
about iconic board shaper Rich Harbour.
Discover the remarkable story of a legendary shaper, an iconic surf shop, and a legacy that helped define California surfing.
Join the California Surf Museum for a special Big Wednesday screening of Harbour Chronicles: Shaping a Legacy, followed by a conversation with director Chris Sardelis and other special guests at the Brooks Theater. 217 North Coast Highway Oceanside, CA 92054
Doors open at 6pm
Program begins at 6:30pm
Rich Harbour, a pioneering American surfboard shaper and cultural icon, was born in 1943 in Seal Beach, California, the son of a Douglas Aircraft machinist. After receiving a used surfboard as a 16th birthday gift in 1959 and having it stolen just two months later, the resourceful teen crafted his first board from a scavenged blank, marking it with a “1” and igniting a lifelong passion for shaping. By 1961, local surfers were commissioning his designs, leading him to drop out of college and open Harbour Surfboards on Main Street in Seal Beach in 1962—a location that remains the world’s longest-running surf shop of its kind. Harbour assembled a powerhouse team including Jock Sutherland, Mark Martinson, and Herbie Fletcher, and his innovative models like the Banana, Cheater, and Trestles Special dominated the 1960s, with the brand pioneering female surfer ads featuring Nancy Nelson.
Adapting through the shortboard revolution with collaborators like Robert August, he refined rocker, foils, and templates across decades, hand-shaping over 32,000 boards while mentoring artisans like Tim Stamps and earning honors such as the 2004 Surfing Walk of Fame Local Hero award. Harbour passed away on July 11, 2021, at age 77 in his Seal Beach home, surrounded by family, leaving a legacy of authenticity, innovation, and unyielding dedication to the craft.
Q & A Following the show.
