Massive Surfboard Breaks at Least One World Record in Huntington Beach

By Sophia Kunthara and Melissa Etezadi • •

With hundreds looking on, 66 surfers, including surf champions, celebrities and local heroes, rode a custom 42-foot-long surfboard off the shore in Huntington Beach Saturday, breaking the Guinness World Record for “Most People Riding a Surfboard at Once.” Melissa Etezadi reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, 2015.

Surf City USA laid claim to another bit of surfing legend Saturday as a group of surfers banded together to break a world record.

With hundreds looking on, 66 surfers, including surf champions, celebrities and local heroes, rode a custom 42-foot-long surfboard off the shore in Huntington Beach Saturday, breaking the Guinness World Record for "Most People Riding a Surfboard at Once."

"It was crowded, it was scary, but we had to focus," said Tim Stamps, a participant. "We were all happy, everyone was screaming and yelling. It was a good time."

Visit Huntington Beach
Yep, that's a big board: Some 60 riders'll go for two Guinness World Record attempts on Saturday, June 20 at Huntington Beach: most people on the same board and the world's biggest surfboard.
Visit Huntington Beach
Yep, that's a big board: Some 60 riders'll go for two Guinness World Record attempts on Saturday, June 20 at Huntington Beach: most people on the same board and the world's biggest surfboard.
Visit Huntington Beach
The surfboard came together with the guidance of several experts, project managers and innovators.
Visit Huntington Beach
Boat builder Bob Steel, aerospace engineer Fred Courouble and Bob Hurley of Hurley International were all involved, as were many dedicated builders and surf aficionados.
Visit Huntington Beach
Westerly Marine, a boat construction company in Santa Ana, served as the setting for the ambitious build.
Visit Huntington Beach
The Big Board's journey began in Rhode Island, at mouldCAM, a company specializing in custom fiberglass. It traveled to Southern California in two pieces.
Visit Huntington Beach
The previous world record for most people on a surfboard was set in 2005. How many riders did that huge board hold? Forty seven.
Visit Huntington Beach
Chiron Stewart "applies a layer of fiberglass cloth and resin to the Big Board," according to the board's makers. Mr. Stewart works for MAC Glassing in Newport Beach.
Visit Huntington Beach
How did the halves eventually come together? "A wooden stringer" did the job.
Visit Huntington Beach
How does the Big Board differ from a traditionally sized board? Visit Huntington Beach says "The Big Board is being built like any other surfboard, just on a (much) larger scale."
Visit Huntington Beach
If you have to see this beach behemoth take to the waves with your own eyes, be on the south side of Huntington Beach Pier on Saturday, June 20 at 9 a.m.
Visit Huntington Beach
The Epic Big Board Ride coincides with the International Surfing Day festivities at the pier. Visit Huntington Beach recommends visiting that, then grabbing a spot on the pier for a "bird's eye view" of the record attempt.

The record hadn't been broken in over a decade, since 47 people clambered onto a board on March 5, 2005, according to the city of Huntington Beach. To break the record, the surfers had to successfully surf unassisted for 10 seconds.

The surfers in Huntington Beach were also hoping to claim the title of riding the "World's Largest Surfboard," but that record attempt remained unconfirmed Saturday morning.

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The official record-holding surfboard is 39-feet and 4-inches, Huntington Beach said.

The record-breaking event was part of Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Newport Beach and Long Beach's celebration of International Surfing Day festivities.

"Nobody fell off and it was the most thrilling ride," said another participant, Debbie Beacham.
"Just the whole camaraderie of it, it was an exciting moment."

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