City of Dana Point Honors Life and Accomplishments of Bruce Brown
There’s nothing we love more than recognizing the pioneers of the culture that Dana Point encompasses. On September 19th, the City of Dana Point will unveil its latest bronze statue within Watermen’s Plaza, celebrating the life and accomplishments of surfer-filmmaker Bruce Brown.
The new art will join Hobie Alter and Phil Edwards’ statues all located within the plaza that honors prominent watermen and women in Dana Point’s history.
The public unveiling happens at 3:00 p.m. and will include a short ceremony followed by a ribbon-cutting and photo opportunities. Guest speakers will include family and friends of Bruce Brown along with Pat O’Connell and Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, stars of Brown’s film Endless Summer II.
Bruce Brown was an early pioneer of the surf film. He is best known for the film, The Endless Summer (1964), which received a nationwide theatrical release in 1966. Brown had moved to Dana Point in 1958 and produced The Endless Summer in Dana Point. The iconic photo used on the film poster for the movie was taken at Dana Point’s Salt Creek Beach.
Considered among the most influential films in the genre, The Endless Summer follows two young American surfers around the world as they search for the perfect wave. With this film, Brown single-handedly changed the perception of surfers and the surf industry. The Endless Summer was Brown’s sixth surfing film. Brown’s film On Any Sunday garnered an Academy Award nomination and is held in high regard as one of the best motorcycle documentaries of all time.
The City will continue to install additional bronze statues, interpretive signs, and other art pieces over the coming months. The life-sized sculptures of local surf industry legends are being created by artist Bill Limebrook, who grew up on Beach Road in Dana Point. Watermen’s Plaza is located adjacent to the South Cove residential development.
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