This spring, students in the Humanities Division at UC Santa Cruz took part in a course focused on the history of surfing’s arrival in the United States. The ten-week public history class, led by Humanities Dean and History Professor Jasmine Alinder, examined how three Hawaiian princes introduced surfing to Santa Cruz in 1885.
The class was designed as a project-based learning experience and worked with the Museum of Art and History (MAH) in downtown Santa Cruz. Students helped create “history trunks,” interactive educational kits for K–12 teachers based on MAH’s exhibition, Princes of Surf 2025: He’e nalu Santa Cruz. The exhibit opened July 18 and will run through January 4, 2026. It marks the 140th anniversary of surfing’s documented arrival on the U.S. mainland.
“I didn’t know anything about the history of surfing before this class,” Alinder said. “But what we learned was both fascinating and necessary.”
The MAH exhibition explores how Hawaiian princes David Kawānanakoa, Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, and Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui surfed at Santa Cruz while staying with Antoinette Swan during their studies at a military school in San Mateo. They crafted heavy redwood boards and demonstrated surfing near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.
“The princes did a surfing demo that drew a lot of attention,” Alinder said. “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.”
While local newspapers covered their ride at that time, stereotypes have since obscured its cultural importance. Both MAH’s exhibition and Alinder’s class aim to address these misconceptions by highlighting overlooked stories such as that of Antoinette Swan.
Students met weekly at MAH for academic study combined with practical collaboration alongside museum staff and community experts. They developed prototypes for six educational trunks—two each for elementary, middle, and high school levels—drawing inspiration from previous models used for exhibits like Queerstory about local LGBTQ+ history.
“We wanted to create something that lived beyond the exhibit,” said Alinder. “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.”
The new trunks are being refined over summer with input from Leo Coletta—a double major in History and Politics—who is serving as a Museum Education Fellow through UC Santa Cruz’s Humanities EXCEL internship program. Once completed by summer’s end, they will be used locally to encourage discussions about topics including colonization and cultural identity.
Benyamin Alfaro (Merrill ‘25), one student involved in developing these materials, emphasized public engagement: “It is not enough for information to stay at a museum or a university,” Alfaro said. “This information needs to be spread to our K-12 educational areas… it is important to show K-12 students how the world around them is moving and breathing, not stagnant.”
Wyatt Dana (Stevenson ‘25) added: “Surfing has been a passion of mine since I was in childhood… I also liked the education component, and was excited to dip my toe into developing curriculum.”
Guest speakers included faculty members from UC Santa Cruz as well as advocates such as Esabella Bonner from Black Surf Santa Cruz—a group promoting inclusion within surf culture—and historian Isaiah Helekunihi Walker.
In addition to classroom work, most students participated in an introductory surf lesson led by Surf School Santa Cruz.
Alinder reflected on her experience: “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 broader aims: “In organizing this exhibition… This isn’t the beginning or end of the narrative. It continues in ways we connect with each other… one wave at a time.” The event is co-sponsored by The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.
