In September 1961, my father received a letter from a young French surfer, Joel de Rosnay, describing the growing popularity of surfing in France.

I was among the first to surf at Biarritz, in France, in 1957. It was one of my friends, Peter Viertel-(who is married to Deborah Kerr, the film star) who brought the first board from California to Biarritz in 1956. He lent me his board during the summer of 1957 and I rode my first waves with great enthusiasm, although I was not sure exactly how to go about it.

He reports that in 1959, with the assistance of Carlos Dogny, a Peruvian surfer, “we have founded the Waikiki Surf Club of Biarritz, which had, at that time, roughly 15 members.”

In any case, it provides an interesting bit of surfing history.

Just click on the photo to read the letter and view the photos which accompanied it.

De Rosnay, it seems, went on to become a prominent French molecular biologist and science writer. Google turns up lots of information about him, but so far I haven’t found an email address to send this link to his 1961 letter. Any online sleuths find his contact information? Please email me.