About SurfGuitar101.com
=======================

SurfGuitar101.com is the premier place on the web for friends and fans of the
world-wide phenomenon known as surf music. Surf music was created in the early
1960's in Southern California by such bands as The Belairs, Dick Dale & His
Deltones, and The Chantays, and popularized further by bands like The Ventures,
The Astronauts, The Pyramids, & The Lively Ones. Surf music was all but
forgotten when The Beatles and the British Invasion landed in America in the mid
to late 1960's. In the late 70's and early 1980's a revival began when bands
like Jon & The Nightriders, The Surf Raiders, and The Halibuts heard the call of
the surf and reintroduced it to hungry audiences. This revival continues today
and has spread world-wide. Today you can find surf bands not only in California,
but all across America, Europe, Australia, Central and South America, and Japan.

Join us in our forums to discuss this great form of popular music. Discover
great bands old and new. Check out our podcasts as we highlight the classic surf
bands and the bands of today. Meet new friends and learn about the next surf
show in your town. Exchange tips on playing and performing surf music and even
starting your own band!

Thanks for being part of the greatest online community dedicated to surf music!

A Short History of SurfGuitar101.com
------------------------------------

This site started as a Yahoo Group in late October, 2001. There were several
other surf music Yahoo groups at the time, so we started our focus on the
musician aspect of playing surf music (hence the "guitar 101"). After a short
time we dropped that angle and fully embraced all aspects of surf music.

After seeing The Surf Coasters (Japan) on their first US tour in the summer of
2004, we needed a place to host our many photos and videos. The domain name
surfguitar101.com was registered, and a simple static website was created to
host media files as a supplement to the Yahoo group. 

Cramped by the confines of the Yahoo Group, in February of 2006 we launched an
interactive version of the website, complete with our now famous forums. This
format was kept until February, 2011 when the website software was rewritten and
a new look was designed.

The SG101 community held its first annual convention weekend in 2008 in Southern
California, a tradition that continues today. Ever year our members get together
for a surf music packed weekend, and each year has been bigger and better than
the last. In 2010, Germany's The Space Rangers and Italy's (via Antigua) Wadadli
Riders were the first non-US bands to play at the convention. Fans of surf music
get to see, hear, and mingle with musicians from the original 60's bands as well
as the up and coming bands of today.

| *Surf's Up!*
| *— Brian Neal*