About SHACC

A Public Institution Celebrating Global Surf Culture

SHACC was founded in 2006 to give surfing's history the scholarly, public-facing institutional home it deserves. Today we're the world's largest publicly-accessible archive of surf culture.

Admission

Free Admission

SHACC closes early for special events. - Saturday, October 3rd, SHACC closes at 5:00 pm - From October 17-25, SHACC is only open to Coast Film Festival ticket holders.

See what’s on Private events

CLOSED MONDAYS, OPEN TUES - SUN: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Hours may change on holidays and while we host private events — check What’s On before you visit.

Getting Here

Driving, parking, transit.

Driving

15 minutes from John Wayne Airport (SNA). 45 minutes from LAX. Take CA-1 / Pacific Coast Highway into central Laguna Beach.

Parking

SHACC parking lot and main entrance is 232 Ocean Ave, Laguna Beach, 92651

Public transit

OCTA Route 1 stops at Broadway & PCH, two blocks east. Trolley service runs Memorial Day → Labor Day.

Bicycle

Bike racks at the front entrance. PCH bike lanes available both directions.

Open in Google Maps ↗

Mission

What we exist to do.

We preserve, present, and promote the heritage of surfing for the appreciation and education of all, building the world's most comprehensive collection of surf history and culture.

Surfing is a living art form. We collect because the culture deserves a memory longer than a single generation.

Vision

What we're building.

A flagship museum on the Laguna Beach coast, where the public can stand in front of Duke Kahanamoku's redwood plank one moment and Kelly Slater's title board the next, and see the whole arc of the culture between them.

Through our ongoing collection and preservation efforts, we're also building a resource that serves researchers, surfers, and the curious alike, anywhere in the world.

Leadership

The people behind SHACC

A small board, a working staff, and a national circle of advisors.

Founder
Dick Metz
Dick Metz contributed the vision, initial funding, and first objects to the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center. Central to the mission, he has since donated his estate which includes his extensive surfboard collection and great variety of surf memorabilia to the museum. Dick, who grew up in Laguna Beach in the company of such notables as Hobie Alter, Reynolds Yater, and Hevs McClelland, is himself a pioneering figure in the sport and its industry having served as the driving force behind Surfline Hawaii and the Hobie Sports retail chain. He enjoyed his youth as a traveling surfer who cross-pollinated a fledgling South African surf scene with the thriving surf culture in California alongside Hobie Alter and Gordon Clark, and it was Dick who suggested to Bruce Brown that he film for The Endless Summer in South Africa. After changing the course of surf history, his goal is now to preserve it.
Co-Founder
Spencer Croul
Spencer Croul grew up surfing in Newport Beach, California in the early 1970s, bicycling to the beach with surfboard in tow. A San Diego State University graduate in Recreation Administration Management, he earned his Associate of Arts degree at Orange Coast College after graduating from Newport Harbor High School in 1974. He worked 15 years in the private sector as a foam packaging designer and later in the family paint manufacturing business before finding and pursuing his passion as a surf culture preservationist. He has amassed his own private collection of historical surfing artifacts, and brings not only his collection of objects to SHACC but also his vast knowledge of contemporary surfing collectibles and history. Presently residing in Newport Beach, California with his wife Susan, Spencer enjoys spending time with his family and continues to surf whenever possible.
Executive Director and Board Member
Jeff Alter
Jeff inherited a watersports Legacy of surfing and sailing from his father, industry icon Hobie Alter. A lifelong surfer, he grew up surfing in San Clemente, San Onofre, Beach Road, and Baja. In addition to surfing, Jeff has held many national titles in sailing. He is the former Executive Director of the International Hobie Class Association, the former president of Hobie Designs, overseeing brand licensing, and the former president of Hobie Surfboards, overseeing surfboard, and watercraft, innovation and manufacturing. Jeff currently serves on the International Hobie Class Association Council and Rules Committee. Jeff and his wife, Laurie, have deep roots in Laguna Beach, where they raised their three children, Cody, Ashlyn, and Tyler. Family remains at the center of Jeff’s life, and today he and Laurie are proud grandparents of four grandchildren. Jeff considers his family, and the time they spend together, among his greatest accomplishments and sources of happiness.

Staff

Curators, conservators, archivists.

The working team that catalogs, conserves, and brings the collection to the public.

Lead Historian and Curator
Barry Haun
Barry K. Haun has been the sole Curator and Creative Director at SHACC since 2003. Educated at USC, his past work consists of serving as an assistant to the renowned artist Patrick Nagel, Graphic Designer with Mirage Editions, Industrial Design/TAZ; Principal and Creative Director with Alliance Studio, consultant for Los Angeles Visual Arts (LAVA), United Way, and the Skirball Cultural Center. Past and current clients include the World Surf League (WSL), 3M, Roxy, Jose Cuervo, David Copperfield, and FUNSTRS. When he’s not working with surfboards, Barry loves traveling with his wife, visiting other museums, “golfing”, and dabbling in art. His favorite and home break is San Onofre.
Director of Archives and Advancement
Kate Luitjens
Kate Luitjens has been working at SHACC since 2019. She earned her Bachelor’s in Communication and Archaeology, with a minor in geoscience, from the University of California, San Diego in 2023, and now serves as SHACC’s Director of Archives and Advancement.
Director of Administration and Events
Linda Michael
Linda Michael has served as the business administrator, operations manager, and the most friendly face at SHACC since 2007. After receiving her B.A. from Cal State University Fullerton, she began her career in marketing and event planning. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the beach, swimming, and traveling. She resides in Dana Point with her family. Her favorite breaks are San Onofre and Canoes.
Editorial Director and Historian
Chris Mauro
Chris Mauro has spent more than three decades documenting surf culture and the people who shaped it. A former competitor and board shaper, he spent more than a decade at Surfer Magazine, ultimately serving as editor in chief. He later served as Executive Editor of The Enthusiast Network and oversaw adventure sports for Yahoo Sports before working with the World Surf League. His career has spanned print, digital media, television, and film, interviewing generations of surfing’s most influential figures and telling stories across nearly every medium. At SHACC, Chris helps shape the museum’s interpretive voice, developing exhibition narratives and creating historical content across text, film, and digital media.
Operations
Mark Samuels
Mark Samuels’ passion for surfing and design has paved the way for a lifelong career in the world of action sports. His artwork caught the eye of Corky Carroll at SURFER Magazine, who brought him onboard as the Advertising Art Director in the summer of 1980. Mark designed ad campaigns for all the top surf brands for the next 15 years, with many Hawaiian surf trips part of the deal. Mark then partnered with the art director of POWDER Magazine and they launched their own ocean-front ad agency, SDA Creative. After 27 years at SDA’s helm, Mark sold the biz and went surfing. Working for SHACC is the perfect bookend for his career on the beach, almost better than getting barreled.