Waterman's Eye by David Aguirre probes surf 1928-1940
Waterman’s Eye: Emil Sigler – Surfing San Diego to San Onofre 1928 - 1940 by David Aguirre
At 97 years of age, Emil Sigler has seen his share of adventure. From his youth as a pioneer surfer in San Diego through a career as a commercial fisherman, Emil has always pushed his limits. The loss of an eye at the age of three did not stop him from becoming one of Southern California’s premier watermen.
Besides helping to create the surfing culture of the pre-World War II era, he served for several years as a San Diego beach lifeguard and was known for his diving skills and wave knowledge.
Waterman’s Eye chronicles the early life of this amazing man from his first ride on a 140 pound redwood surfboard in 1928 to his days as a long-range fisherman. Included are 72 photographs, selected from Emil’s negatives, showing the surfboards and the characters of those early years. Among these historic images are early surfing photos of San Onofre and descriptions of the beach scene that developed there during the 1930s.
Waterman’s Eye
is a unique look at the beginning of the Southern California beach culture
and one of the personalities that helped shape it. The book is available
from surfbooks.com, Wahrenbrock’s Book House, and the California Surf Museum
in Oceanside.
www.surfbooks.com