This spring, UC Santa Cruz Humanities students explored the history of surfing’s arrival in the United States through a ten-week public history course led by Humanities Dean and History Professor Jasmine Alinder. The course focused on the story of three Hawaiian princes—David Kawānanakoa, Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, and Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui—who introduced surfing to Santa Cruz in 1885 while staying with Antoinette Swan, a Hawaiian-born woman of royal descent.
The class partnered with the Museum of Art and History (MAH) in downtown Santa Cruz to develop “history trunks,” interactive educational kits for K–12 teachers. These trunks are designed to accompany the MAH exhibition Princes of Surf 2025: He’e nalu Santa Cruz, which opened July 18 and runs through January 4, 2026. The exhibition 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 exhibition features replicas of historic surfboards used by the princes, artifacts from Hawaiʻi, and a renewed look at Swan’s role as a cultural bridge between Hawaiʻi and California. Local newspapers recorded the princes’ demonstration in 1885, but their contributions have often been overshadowed by stereotypes portraying surfing as a white, male-dominated sport. The exhibition and Alinder’s course aim to correct these misconceptions.
Alinder’s students met weekly at MAH, splitting time between academic study and hands-on collaboration with museum staff. They designed six prototype trunks—two each for elementary, middle, and high school levels—which are being refined over summer with help from Leo Coletta, a UC Santa Cruz undergraduate who is now a Museum Education Fellow through the Humanities EXCEL internship program. Final versions will be distributed to local classrooms.
“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.”
Students described their experiences as eye-opening. Benyamin Alfaro emphasized that sharing this information outside museums is crucial: “It is not enough for information to stay at a museum or a university,” he said. “This information needs to be spread to our K-12 educational areas.”
Wyatt Dana highlighted his excitement at combining his passion for surfing with historical research: “When I first saw the listing, I had to re-read the description because I thought it was too good to be true!”
Guest speakers included UC Santa Cruz faculty members; Esabella “Bella” Bonner, founder of Black Surf Santa Cruz; and scholars such as Isaiah Helekunihi Walker. Bonner discussed issues around access and representation in modern surf culture.
Students also participated in an introductory surf lesson organized through Surf School Santa Cruz.
For Alinder, whose prior work focused on civil rights history, this project offered new insights into local storytelling: “It reminded me that local history isn’t just something we read—it’s something we build, share, and question together.”
Marla Novo, deputy director of MAH, commented on the broader context: “In organizing this exhibition, we want to share a few links to a broader conversation… This isn’t the beginning or end of the narrative. It continues in the ways we connect with each other…”
The exhibition is co-sponsored by The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.
