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The Huntington Beach Pier is a municipal
pier image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
located in
Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...
, at the west end of Main Street and west of Pacific Coast Highway. At in length, it is one of the longest public piers on the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...
. (The longest is
Oceanside Pier The Oceanside Pier, located in Oceanside, in northern San Diego County, California, is the longest wooden pier on the western United States coastline at . History The pier was first built in 1888 at what is now Wisconsin Avenue. The original pie ...
at ). The deck of the pier is above sea level, while the top of the restaurant structure at the end of the pier is . The Huntington Beach Pier is on the
California Register of Historical Resources The California Register of Historical Resources is a California state government program for use by state and local agencies, private groups, and citizens to identify, evaluate, register and protect California's historical resources. The register i ...
. It is one of 123 historic places and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, California (Ref. No. 89001203). One of the main landmarks of Huntington Beach, also known as "Surf City, USA", the pier is the center of the city's prominent beach culture. A popular meeting place for surfers, the ocean waves here are enhanced by a natural effect caused by the edge-diffraction of open ocean swells around Catalina Island, creating consistent surf year-round.


History

The pier was built circa 1902, before the incorporation of Huntington Beach in 1909. The Huntington Beach Company (Standard Oil), built a wooden pier at the terminus of Main Street in 1904, which extended into the Pacific Ocean. In 1910, it was damaged by a severe storm that caused a large portion of it to plunge into the Pacific. The Huntington Beach Township's board of trustees approved a $70,000 bond in 1911 to construct a new pier made of concrete extending in length. The newly constructed pier was re-dedicated in 1914 and set a record at that time as the longest and highest concrete pleasure pier in the United States. Legendary surfer
George Freeth George Douglas Freeth Jr. (November 8, 1883 – April 7, 1919) was an American life guard and swimming instructor. Freeth was referred to in his day as the first white person to become expert at wave surfing, although he was of part Native Hawaiia ...
provided a surfing demonstration at the pier re-dedication. In 1931, the city extended the pier by and added the Sunshine Cafe at the end. The extension separated from the original pier during the
1933 Long Beach earthquake The 1933 Long Beach earthquake took place on March 10 at south of downtown Los Angeles. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach, California, on the Newport–Inglewood Fault. The earthquake had a magnitude estimated at 6.4 , and a m ...
. Repairs were made by the City of Huntington Beach, but the pier was damaged again by the
1939 California tropical storm The 1939 California tropical storm, also known as the 1939 Long Beach tropical storm, and El Cordonazo, was a tropical cyclone that affected Southern California in September 1939. Formerly a hurricane, it was the only tropical storm to make landf ...
. Reconstruction of the pier was completed a year later. After the attack by Japan at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, Huntington Beach, along with many other coastal cities, mobilized to help the war effort. The U.S. Navy installed a submarine lookout post on the pier, along with a heavy caliber machine gun. When the war was over, all military equipment was removed and the pier was returned for public use. In 1983 and on 7 January 1988, Pacific storms destroyed the pier and the "End Cafe". Fluor/Daniel Consultants of Irvine conducted a study on the structural stability of the pier and the pier was declared unsafe. It was closed in July of that year. A community group called P.I.E.R. (Persons Interested in Expediting Reconstruction) was organized to raise funds for the pier's reconstruction. P.I.E.R. raised over $100,000 by selling T-shirts and other merchandise with the P.I.E.R. logo. An additional $92,000 was donated by the community of Anjo, Japan,
Huntington Beach Sister City
Construction of a new 1,856-foot pier began in October 1990. The pier was completed and re-dedicated on 18 July 1992, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Over 500,000 people attended the re-dedication and grand re-opening. The City of Huntington Beach established a management and observation program to maintain the pier, an iconic feature for the community. The pier was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
(NRHP) on August 24, 1989, deeming the structure worthy of preservation by the federal government. The pier was reconstructed once more, removing some of the architectural features in 1992, including Neptune's Locker and a bait shop.


Engineering

The design of the present-day pier replicates the architectural form of the 1914 design. The concrete pier incorporates reinforced steel, coated with epoxy, to protect it from the corrosive effect of the damp salt air. It is also built to withstand
waves Waves most often refers to: *Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass. * Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water. Waves may also refer to: Music * Waves (ban ...
or a 7.0 magnitude
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
and uses an increased space between piles to accommodate surfers - as requested by the City. The pier slopes gently up toward the seaward end in a straight line which alternates with three octagonal platforms and one rotated square (108 feet on a side) that forms a diamond at the pier's seaward end. Not only is the pier structurally sound, it also retains a number of design elements from the original pier including haunches at the pile caps and
corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...
s supporting light standards.


Uses and features

The pier is frequented by sport fishermen as well as
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
spectators.
Ruby's Diner Ruby's Diner is a restaurant chain aesthetically designed after American diners of the Swing Era. It first opened on December 7, 1982 by Doug Cavanaugh and Ralph Kosmides. Ruby's Diner serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a menu that include ...
was established at the end of the pier in 1996, and closed in late February 2021. Strolling the pier is a popular pastime for both local residents and visitors. The pier has a midnight curfew, two hours after the beach closes to the public. During curfew, there are public safety patrols on the beach and at the pier. Prohibited on the pier are riding bikes and skateboards, smoking, and possession and/or consumption of drugs or alcohol. The City of Huntington Beach operates a 24-hou
webcam
with a view on the pier, looking west. The City of Huntington Beach beach headquarters provide
beach conditions and surf reports
are updated throughout the day on the City of Huntington Beach website and at an automated phone line (714-536-9303). The reports include surf, water, wind, and tide information such as surf height, water temperature, and wind speed, and high and low tide times.


Special events

The annual
U.S. Open of Surfing The U.S. Open of Surfing is a week-long surfing competition held annually during the summer in Huntington Beach, California. Generally held on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, the U.S. Open is part of the qualification process for the ...
is held on the south side of the pier every summer, hosted by
Vans Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...
and formerly sponsored by companies such as Hurley,
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...
,
Converse Converse may refer to: Mathematics and logic * Converse (logic), the result of reversing the two parts of a definite or implicational statement ** Converse implication, the converse of a material implication ** Converse nonimplication, a logical c ...
, and others. It is the largest surfing competition in the world and typically lasts one week. As part of the event, notable people in the world of surfing are also inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame and the Surfers' Hall of Fame, both located directly across from the pier on Main Street. The Surfing Walk of Fame incorporates embedded plaques in the Main Street sidewalk; the Surfers' Hall of Fame incorporates the surfer's own hand prints. The pier also features many other events throughout the year, though most occur in the summer. Many other surfing competitions are held here like the PSA, NASSA, and CSA. Tournaments are also held for other sports such as volleyball, wrestling, BMX, kite flying, paintballing, and fishing. Races and marathons such as the Surf City Marathon & Half Marathon, which is held every Super Bowl Sunday and the Surf City 10, which is in October pass by the pier. The city also hosts an Annual Pier Swim and Rough Water Swim in which participants have to swim around the pier. There are also fireworks and parades to celebrate the
Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
.


Pier webcams

In addition to the City of Huntington Beac
webcam
on the pier, views from the pier are aired live on screens at the California-themed Hollister apparel stores. The store pays a franchise fee to the City, which helps fund marine safety equipment. The cameras are also used by lifeguards.


Film and television

Huntington Beach and its pier have been popular locations for films and television shows. Television shows include '' 90210'' from
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
show ''
Betty White's Off Their Rockers ''Betty White's Off Their Rockers'' is an American comedy television series launched in 2012, that broadcast on NBC for its first two seasons and Lifetime for its third. The series is hosted by Betty White, and is based on the Belgian televisio ...
'', and ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
''. The area has also been featured in the
Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
show, ''
The Real Housewives of Orange County ''The Real Housewives of Orange County'' (abbreviated ''RHOC'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on March 21, 2006. It has aired sixteen seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several wome ...
''.


References

{{National Register of Historic Places
Pier image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, California Piers in California Piers on the National Register of Historic Places Transportation buildings and structures in Orange County, California Transportation buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in California 1902 establishments in California