The History of Rincon Point

The History of Rincon Point: From the Chumash through the Surfers

Free IN PERSON Slideshow Presentation with Q&A

Thursday, November 17th, 6:30PM
Faulkner Gallery – Santa Barbara Public Library
40 East Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, CA

Renowned as the Queen of the Coast, Rincon Point is one of the premier surfing spots in the world, but that is only a fragment of its rich history. The Point is home to the Chumash village of Shuku. After the arrival of Europeans, the Point became part of the Rancho El Rincon land grant, and was later acquired by the Bates family.

During the 1920s, it was the site of a controversial hotel and speakeasy. It was home to artists and bohemians, as well as Rincon’s greatest surfing generation of the 1960’s and its greatest wave (in 1969). It has been immortalized by novelists, poets, painters, photographers, and the Beach Boys.

Join local authors Vince Burns and Stephen Bates and they shares images and stories of Rincon’s rich and surprising history. Both Vince and Stephen have deep roots in the area. Vince helped build his grandmother’s house on the Point and regularly writes about surf history; and Stephen’s family has lived on the Point for more than a century.

Their new book Rincon Point is part of the Images of America series and features unique photographs from the Bateses and other early settlers, pioneer surfers of the 1950s and 1960s, the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, and other sources. Vince and Stephen’s articles on local history can be found at CoastalView.com.

This free presentation is part of the Trail Talks series hosted by the Santa Barbara Public Library.

The next talk in the series is Thursday, December 15th, 6:30pm, Discover the Best Hikes in California’s State Parks with John McKinney.