This spring, students from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz) Humanities Division explored the origins of surfing in the United States through a public history course led by Dean and History Professor Jasmine Alinder. The class focused on the story of three Hawaiian princes—David Kawānanakoa, Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, and Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui—who introduced surfing to the mainland in Santa Cruz in 1885.
The ten-week course was structured around project-based learning and included a partnership with the Museum of Art and History (MAH) in downtown Santa Cruz. Students worked with museum staff to create interactive “history trunks” for K–12 educators, inspired by MAH’s new exhibition, “Princes of Surf 2025: He’e nalu Santa Cruz.” The exhibit opened on July 18 and will run until January 4, 2026. It marks the 140th anniversary of surfing’s documented arrival on the mainland.
“I didn’t know anything about the history of surfing before this class,” said Alinder. “But what we learned was both fascinating and necessary.”
According to materials presented at MAH, while studying at a military school in San Mateo, the three princes spent summer 1885 in Santa Cruz with Antoinette Swan, a Hawaiian-born woman of royal descent living near the San Lorenzo River. The princes constructed large redwood surfboards and demonstrated surfing at what is now a popular local break. Their actions were covered by local newspapers but have often been overshadowed by stereotypes about who surfs.
Alinder explained: “The princes did a surfing demo that drew a lot of attention. When we think of the history of surfing in California, of course, there is also an earlier Indigenous history of interaction with the ocean’s surf and tidal zones.”
The students’ projects are intended to challenge assumptions about representation within surfing culture. They designed educational trunks for elementary through high school levels using an approach previously applied for MAH’s “Queerstory” LGBTQ+ history exhibit.
“We wanted to create something that lived beyond the exhibit,” Alinder said. “These trunks are filled with hands-on activities and discussion prompts to help young people challenge assumptions about who surfs, who’s represented in history, and who’s been excluded.”
Leo Coletta, a UC Santa Cruz undergraduate majoring in History and Politics and now serving as Museum Education Fellow through Humanities EXCEL at MAH, is helping refine six prototype trunks over summer for use in classrooms.
Students described their experience as eye-opening. Benyamin Alfaro stated: “It is not enough for information to stay at a museum or a university… Public history is incredibly active and very real; it is important to show K-12 students how the world around them is moving and breathing, not stagnant.” Wyatt Dana added: “Surfing has been a passion… I also liked the education component, and was excited to dip my toe into… developing curriculum.”
Guest speakers included UC Santa Cruz faculty; Esabella “Bella” Bonner from Black Surf Santa Cruz; as well as historian Isaiah Helekunihi Walker. Bonner addressed access and representation issues within contemporary surf culture.
The course extended beyond classroom work: Alinder joined students for group surf lessons led by Surf School Santa Cruz instructors experienced with locations such as Mavericks.
Reflecting on her experience leading this course outside her usual focus on civil rights topics or Japanese American incarceration studies, Alinder commented: “I’ve taught many public history and museum studies courses… But it was fun. It reminded me that local history isn’t just something we read—it’s something we build, share, and question together.”
Marla Novo from MAH noted: “In organizing this exhibition, we want to share a few links to a broader conversation, to honor our relationship with the water that began before the princes came to Santa Cruz… This isn’t the beginning or end of the narrative.”
The exhibition is co-sponsored by The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.
