Did You Know The Coolest Tiki Bar in The World is Only Open 1 Night A Year?

On the Tuesday night of the Coast Film Festival, the tiki bar of the Hobie Surf Shop in Laguna Beach came to life with friends and family spanning seven generations to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Hobie.

If you could quantify the quality of stories, adventure, perfect waves, and mischief of one gathering, Hobie's party would be in a league of its own thanks to honorary attendees like Mickey Munoz and Dick Metz.

Free drinks flowed over the wooden bar inlaid with old photographs—like Robert August and Mike Hynson in suits at the airport while filming for The Endless Summer. Just like Bruce Brown’s film went on to define surf culture then, the weeklong Coast Film Festival represents one of the finer surf gatherings in California today. 

Earlier in the week I learned that, when the Coast Film Festival was still in its planning phases, Hobie signed up as the first sponsor. Legend has it that Metz, all those years ago, was Hobie’s first employee, overall, the whole thing was very full circle. The party felt like an old family reunion–one you actually look forward to–featuring your favorite aunties and uncles. 

Although much has changed since the years Metz worked at Hobie, the snapshots of the past were like a garnish to the cocktail of the present, the surf world of ours continues to revolve chasing perfect waves, making new friends, and talking story about our experiences.  

Once Titus Anthony wrapped his acoustic set, we were treated to a special sizzle reel of Nathan Florence’s Slab Tour, which really set the contrast between now and then, plus a screening of the Hobie film Business As Usual, and then a special edit from Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center (SHACC). It was with great excitement that Metz announced the relocating of SHACC from San Clemente to a permanent home in downtown Laguna.

After the films Metz and Munoz held court on the panel and fielded questions from the crowd and moderator. Many of the questions asked led to stories filled with fond memories of Laguna, or exotic world travels before the advent of the Internet, and had the crowd smiling with laughter and nostalgia. Mickey had the crowd howling when he joked about being a stunt double for Gidget back in the day.

For me, the history of Metz and Hobie were fresh on my mind after reading The Oom, a biography of John Whitmore by Miles Masterson, which dives deep into the details of Metz traveling to South Africa in 1960. It was Metz's chance meeting with Whitmore that set in motion a chain of events that led to, among other things, Bruce Brown’s iconic scene at Cape St. Francis and the birth of the South African surf industry.

As most of what happens today is in hyper-speed, it's always a pleasure to slow it down with a stroll down memory lane courtesy of legends who were there to see it all first hand. Big thanks to Dick, Mickey, and the whole Hobie crew for an epic night.

Related: "Time Enters Space": Greenough Wisdom From A Night At Bird's Surf Shed