Ever since Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean fame moved into neighboring Huntington Beach and convinced city officials to nickname it “Surf City”, the handle has stuck. But Surf City is not just about surfing. On almost any given weekend, there’s a car show—and any number of other events.
On this particular Saturday, July 13th, a couple hundred corgis invade the Huntington Dog Beach—just part of the 8.5 mile stretch of sandy beaches that make up the coast of Surf City. And not one, but three car shows are taking place.
It’s the opening day of Kustom Kulture II at the Huntington Beach Art Center, which goes on through August 31st. It’s a 20 year anniversary tribute to the original exhibit, exploring the art of the custom car, custom motorcycle, and surf culture from such legends as Von Dutch, Big Daddy Roth and others.
Then there’s the Donut Derelicts car show on Magnolia and Adams that happens every Saturday morning. The Donut Derelicts gathering has been happening since 1986, and it has grown since to become one of the largest informal hot rod gatherings in the Southland.
And finally, there’s the Classics and Exotics show, hosted by Coldwell Banker-Campbell Realtors. By comparison, it’s a youngster. Today’s Classics and Exotics marks the second annual. As with the previous year, proceeds from the car show benefitted The Wounded Warrior Project—a IRC 501(c)3 non-profit organization with the mission of raising awareness and garner support for the injured service personnel. Says Coldwell Banker-Cambpell Realtors President Scot Campbell, “It’s to help severely injured servicemen and women aid each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.”
As often occurs, I happened to be driving on Pacific Coast Highway on this particular day and was able to snap a few pictures of “Classics and Exotics” in Surf City USA.
The writer-photographer is the executive editor of LA Car. More scenes from Surf City’s Classics and Exotics can be viewed at the LA Car website and at its Facebook page.
