A plaque recognizing the Surf Shack at WindanSea beach as a historical landmark has finally been installed — 70 years after the iconic La Jolla shelter was first constructed. The Shack got its historical designation May 27, 1998, but due to the “aloha spirit” of the surfers behind the designation, the plaque was a little slow in coming.
Posted a few weeks ago, the plaque reads: “Historical Landmark 358, The Surf Shack (at) WindanSea Beach built by returning World War II (soldiers who were also) surfers in 1947 for shade and aloha.”
According to the “Historical Landmarks Designated by the San Diego Historical Resources Board” document that identifies such sites, the Surf Shack at WindanSea Beach (6800 Neptune Place) is the “oldest continuously used shelter of its kind on the West Coast.”
Melinda Merryweather, one of those responsible for the designation along with, Tony Ciani and Hans Newman and later the plaque, said The Shack needed the protection that comes with designation, in case it were ever destroyed. “It was built by surfers, not a formal construction company, and a while back we thought, ‘we need some assurance in case it comes down.’ Lo and behold, it did come down during a storm and we were able to rebuild it as it was,” she said.
“We admit, it was a farfetched idea to designate a shack, because it’s not some important house or building, but we wanted to do it. For me, it’s a church in my neighborhood. I christened my son there. It’s the heart of our surfing community.”
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