First Steps at First Point: Protecting California Surf Breaks and the Malibu Historic District

Abstract Surf breaks and surfing areas exemplify the human dimensions of coastal ecosystems—places connecting people and nature and from which history, culture, tradition, economic activity, and even political conflict emerge. We employed a signature policy instrument of American historic preservation, the National Register of Historic Places (National Register), as a context to both evaluate and ultimately recognize these connections through public policy at California’s famed Malibu surfing area. The Malibu Historic District is the first National Register listing centered on surfing history and the first continental United States surfing area protected for its cultural and historic significance. This model of surf break protection: (1) is explicitly site-specific, (2) aims to not just consider historic significance but secure specific legal protections and provisions because of it, (3) places surfing within the set of claims regarding historical, cultural, and economic significance, and (4) secures protections based directly on significance. The analysis of natural sites through frameworks such as the National Register, as a rationale for other surf breaks and a qualifying step for additional protections at Malibu, is well-suited to California’s particular coastal resource management environment.