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San Diego celebrates the first-ever California Surfing Day

Thursday is the first-ever official "California Surfing Day." It comes on the heels of proclaiming surfing the official sport of the golden state.

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - Thursday is the first-ever official "California Surfing Day."

It comes on the heels of proclaiming surfing the official sport of the golden state.

Recognizing the significance of surfing to California’s way of life, a bipartisan legislative effort and support from Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. led to the declaration of the iconic California pastime as the state's official sport and Sept. 20 as the first official “California Surfing Day.”

To honor the occasion locally, the San Diego Tourism Authority joined with San Diego City Councilmember Barbara Bry for a beachside news conference where the La Jolla councilmember presented a special proclamation as instructors from Surf Diva surf school teach veterans how to ride the waves.

"It's is my honor today to present a special proclamation in honor of California Surfing Day. Therefore, be it proclaimed by San Diego City Council that surfing is of significant importance to San Diego's identity and way of life." Bry said.

Surfing has a rich history in San Diego. The city is home to some of the sport’s most iconic figures, including Linda Benson (the “Godmother of female surfing”), Rob Machado and Skip Frye, and hosts a variety of popular surfing events and competitions, including the Summer Longboard Classic in Pacific Beach, the Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships in La Jolla, and the Supergirl Surf Pro in Oceanside.

San Diego is even rumored to have inspired the Beach Boys’ classic, “Surfin’ USA.”

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