California Surf Museum in Oceanside Marks 40 Years of Preserving Surf History and Culture
Kelly Slater Returns to the World Tour as a Wildcard at Teahupo'o After Hip Surgery
Back Where Legends Are Made
At 54 years old, the most decorated surfer in history is stepping back into competition. The World Surf League has confirmed the return of the eleven-time world champion to the WSL circuit for a single event: the Teahupo'o stop in Tahiti. The WSL extended the invite for the wave where Slater has already won five times.
This isn't a full-time comeback. Slater's last appearance on tour was in 2025, when he received a wildcard for the Trestles event, and he's been away from competition since. But Teahupo'o has always been personal ground for him, and this invite puts him right back on the wave that made him a legend there.
The Road Back
Slater is recovering from hip surgery he underwent late last year, and recently returned to surfing every day. In a statement released by the WSL, he didn't hide his excitement, but he also kept expectations grounded.
"I'm really excited to participate as a special guest at Teahupo'o this year. I'm recovering from hip surgery I had at the end of last year and recently got back to surfing every day. I'm really looking forward to preparing well before August, and I hope conditions in Tahiti are great so we all get a good challenge," Slater said.
On the pressure of stepping back into heat draws after so long away, he was candid too: he said he's not feeling pressure for the competition, but admitted it's been a long time since he's competed, so it'll be interesting to see how he does back in the mix with everyone.
The Setting
The Teahupo'o stop is the next event on the WSL world tour, running in a waiting period from August 8 to 18. Slater is the event's lone invited wildcard; the other wildcard spots were earned through a trials event held last weekend in Tahiti, where Eimeo Czermak took the men's title and 13-year-old Kelia Gallina won the women's.
Slater holds the record at this event with five titles and seven finals appearances over the years, on a wave regarded as one of the heaviest and most technical stops on tour.
A Legend, One More Time
Whatever happens in the water, the story here isn't really about a result. It's about a guy who redefined what's possible in surfing, coming back from surgery, at 54, to paddle out at one of the most demanding waves on the planet, because it's still where he wants to be.
Will the GOAT find that old magic one more time at Teahupo'o? 🤙
California Surf Museum in Oceanside Marks 40 Years of Preserving Surf History and Culture
From a Restaurant Corner to a Global Destination
The California Surf Museum in Oceanside is celebrating its 40th anniversary, marking a journey that started at George's restaurant in Cardiff-by-the-Sea and grew into a global destination for surf history and culture. It began with a small collection of boards and memorabilia, and eventually found a permanent home in Oceanside in 2008, expanding into one of the world's leading surf museums.
Executive Director Jim Kempton describes the museum's origins simply: it started with a group of people in North San Diego County who realized they were losing their heritage. Four decades later, that instinct to preserve turned into one of the richest surf archives on the planet.
More Than Boards on a Wall
Kempton, who has run the museum for 19 years, says the collection today goes far beyond surfboards, holding photos, posters, and other cultural artifacts tied to the history of the sport. Walk in and the story unfolds fast. Right next to the gift shop sits a real ocean buoy, the kind scientists use to track swells before they ever reach the coast.
One of the most powerful pieces on display is the actual surfboard Bethany Hamilton was riding in 2003 when a tiger shark took a bite out of it off Kauai. The story behind it still gives people chills: a fellow surfer caught the shark responsible and proved it by fitting the animal's jaw into the exact bite mark on the board. It fit perfectly. Hamilton recovered and kept surfing, and her board became one of the museum's most talked-about artifacts.
Hawaiian Royalty, Right Now
The museum's current exhibit, "Hawaiian Royalty," traces the deep influence Hawaii had on California surf culture, including the story of three Hawaiian princes who brought their boards to California in the 1880s, along with Princess Ka'iulani and Duke Kahanamoku, whose lives helped spread surfing around the world. Kempton says surf culture took shape along the whole California coast, from Santa Cruz down to San Diego, shaped heavily by Hawaiian roots, and the exhibit follows that legacy from the late 1800s into the early 1900s.
Still Chasing the Next Wave
Forty years in, the museum isn't coasting on nostalgia. Kempton says the goal is to keep upgrading, because the world moves a lot faster than it used to, and staying relevant means staying in motion.
Four decades of boards, stories, and near-mythical moments, all a few blocks from the sand at Oceanside Pier. What's the one piece of surf history you'd want to see under glass? 🤙