Lorrin Carrell "Whitey" Harrison (24 April 1913 – 8 September 1993) was an American surfer and surf equipment innovator. Born in

Garden Grove, California Garden Grove is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, located just southwest of Disneyland (located in Anaheim, CA). The population was 171,949 at the 2020 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, ...

to Frederick Earl Harrison and Lillie Cornelia (Sanford) Harrison, Lorrin "Whitey" Harrison soon moved to Santa Ana Canyon, where he went by horse and wagon through Aliso Canyon to reach the ocean at

Laguna Beach Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, and a ...

. He credited his interest in surfing to a trip to Redondo Beach in 1920 when he saw people surfing standing up for the first time. He built his first surf board in fifth grade, a 5-foot, 18-inch-wide plank covered with canvas. This would be his basic design for later boards. Through the late 1920s and 1930s, Harrison was one of a small number of

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

surfers living what would later be called the surfing lifestyle. In 1931, Harrison went to work for a manufacturer of prefabricated homes in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. As a side business, the company, named Pacific Ready-Cut Homes, made surfboards - because they had the equipment to laminate together wooden blanks. Harrison would complete four boards a day for a monthly salary of $100. These surfboards were called "Swastika Boards" and they sold for about $25 each.Surf Museum: Lorrin Whitey Harrison
/ref> In 1932, Harrison stowed away to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, succeeding on his second attempt aboard the "President Jackson." While in

Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

, Harrison worked as a beach boy and was in the company of other surfers, including the Father of Surfing,

Duke Kahanamoku Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968) was a Hawaiian competition swimmer who popularized the sport of surfing. A Native Hawaiian, he was born to a minor noble family less than three years before th ...

. Back in California, Harrison experimented with fins, and later, with

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) refers to a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethan ...

foam. On 25 December 1935, Lorrin married Muriel Lambert (1915-1945). On 3 August 1946, Harrison married his second wife, Cecilia Yorba, from one of California's pioneering Spanish families. He moved into her family's historic late 18th century cattle ranch in

San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano (Spanish for "St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census. San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St. ...

and began testing and collecting all forms of surfs. The family barn, built around 1890, grew into a sort of laboratory as well as museum of the development and evolution of

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 ...

equipment throughout the mid-20th century. In addition to building surfboards, Harrison worked as a

lifeguard A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and CPR/ AED first a ...

, commercial diver. Harrison was also instrumental in bringing the

outrigger canoe Outrigger boats are various watercraft featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull. They can range from small dugout canoes to large plank-built vessels. Outrigger ...

to the West Coast as a sport. In 1984, Harrison suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

and underwent

quadruple bypass Coronary artery bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG, pronounced "cabbage") is a surgical procedure to treat coronary artery disease (CAD), the buildup of plaques in the arteries of the heart. It can relieve chest pai ...

surgery. Within months, he was back in the water. Known to local younger surfers as the old guy in the straw hat—another

an symbol with which Harrison is affiliated—he appeared in the early '90s in a national

Armor All Armor All is an American brand of car care products that is manufactured by American company Armored AutoGroup of Danbury, Connecticut, United States. The company markets the product line of sprays, gels, liquids, and wipes to clean, shine, and ...

commercial, a Life magazine profile and as a guest on the "

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...

" television show. In 1993, Harrison, vacationing in Hawaii with family, died after suffering a second heart attack. His ashes were spread in the Pacific Ocean at Hawaii.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Whitey 1913 births 1993 deaths American surfers Sportspeople from San Juan Capistrano, California Surfboard shapers