"VENICE GIRLS RIDE SURF-BOARDS WITH AS MUCH SKILL AS BOYS," LOS ANGELES TIMES (1911)

Laurie Johnson's feature was the top story on the Los Angeles Times sports section on June 20, 1911. "Bronk," below, means "surfboard." This version of the article has been slightly edited.

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The Venice girls are taking to surf-board riding.

Heretofore only the summer boys have attempted to quell these Neptunian "bronks," but now the dauntless young suffragettes of Kinneytown seem bound that no mere man shall beat them at anything.

Is there anything In the out-of-door sporting line that looks more simple?

Yet it takes weeks for one to learn merely to stay right side up, either with or without care, and for proficiency and expertness, months are required.

It's not a question of strength, but of skill.

Yesterday I saw a brave young man with piano legs and pile-driver arms do a double-back somersault when merely trying to pet one—it kicked nt him just like a wicked pony—while a little boy built like a wasp rode the same surf-board all over the place about five minutes later.

Old ocean furnishes the motive power. Don't ever attempt to supply that yourself, for pity's sake!

Bill Aldridge, of the Venice Lifesaving crew, has a. few touching personal reminiscences about what a malicious surf-board can do to you when you least expect it.

To begin with, do you know what Is surf-board?

No?

Well, the best sort are made of redwood, they are from eight- to ten-feet long, two Inches thick, and weigh from forty to fifty pounds. The front, or bow, is fully two feet wide, tapering to not more than eighteen inches at the rear—or stern.

Very few people have any Idea of the size of real surf-boards.

But there are the dimensions, so the next time you see a gay youth come capering down with mamma’s ironingboard, just don't believe it. It Isn't true.

You stand just as much chance of being thrown from the ocean bronk as you do from the desert bronk, but It must be admitted that here the landing Is a little softer.

First, you float the board out, its stern pointing toward Yokohama, and watch for a good-sized swell just about to break.

That's the surfological moment.

Just before the force of the wave is upon you, jump on, well towards the front of the board, and as the wave catches you, slide back toward the foot—this is to balance it so that the curved snout will rise slightly out of the water. That's all, for the wave-motor behlnd you will do the rest.

Follow these directions carefully, and I guarantee that you’ll rise from the bottom, choked and blinded, just in time to see your board, now fifty feet away, float carelessly and innocently up on the sand.

But the most fascinating sight of all is the new bevy of girl riders. They don't do any of the little kids' bareback circus tricks yet, but probably they will by August.

Miss Frances Guihan rides a big ten-foot board as carelessly and nonchalantly as If she were handling a little electric landaulet—and at electric speed.

Frances Is commodore of the surf-board fleet, and Incidentally she Is game to try anything. She’s a fine swimmer.

[Illustration of Frances Guihan surfing from 1911; Society Page photo of Guihan from 1912, undated photo of Venice Beach from early 1910s]