Micky Muñoz. Photo by Alan Gibby/Zone57.com
The February meeting of the Dana Point Historical Society, on Wednesday, February 27, will feature a talk from pioneer-surfer and Capistrano Beach resident Mickey Muñoz.
In 1957, Muñoz was part of the original crew that braved the once elusive Waimea Bay in Haleiwa—on the North Shore of O’ahu, Hawaii. Born in New York City in 1937, Muñoz’s family relocated to Santa Monica, Calif. when he was six. He began surfing at 10 and quickly became a surfer to watch in the early days of the Malibu lineup.
Muñoz’s approach to wave riding led to his trademark maneuvers and stances—including his patented stance the “quasimoto.” In 1959, Muñoz was cast as a stunt double for actress Sandra Dee in the movie Gidget, a story about a young girl’s introduction to California’s surf culture.
Throughout the 60s, Muñoz found competitive surfing success as the runner-up in the 1962 and 1963 West Coast Championships, with a third place finish in the U.S. Championships in 1964. In 1965, he was invited to the annual Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship—later replaced by the Billabong Pro. That same year, he moved up to place second in the U.S. Championships and fourth in the World Championships.
Monthly Historical Society meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. in the Dana Point room of the Dana Point Marina Inn, 24800 Dana Point Harbor Dr. For more information on the Dana Point Historical Society visit, www.danapointhistorical.org.
