People used to have the perception that surfers were beach bums and some surfers during that time frame had no problem with being called a bum. It was a right that they worked hard for because being a beach bum required many talents. Beach bums originated the urge for people to surf at sunrise but today there are many surfers that are willing to hit the waves at any time of the day or night.



A beach bum surfer never worked at a regular job but they did have to come up with various methods that would allow them to eat a meal or two each day. They would vocalize their intent to ride the waves at sunrise to give someone in the crowd the indication that they were ready to call it a night. The locals would typically take turns in telling the surfer to stop by for a meal before they turned in, and perhaps they could share some surfing stories for a bit while the surfer ate.

Surfing at sunrise is as near a religious experience as some surfers come. The majestic waves seem calmer at sunrise than they are at any other time of the day. The sight of the sun rising up over a vast oceanic space will sometimes cause the surfers to pause and say a prayer. Some surfers spend that quiet time of the morning to wax their boards and think of the rides that they took on that surfboard perhaps many years back.

Getting to the beach early has other benefits too. Surfers enjoy seeing the undisturbed sand that was washed clean overnight by the tide. The thought of disturbing that sand bothered some slightly, but the idea of surfing at sunrise was too strong to ignore and many surfers took great care when they crossed over that beach and dived into the wave's enroute to the area where surfing was always best.

The term of beach bum is rarely used anymore but the old timers are still around and remember the fun times on the seashore. Surfers are more competitive and surfing is more of a sport than the pastime it once was. The old timers might still own that surfboard that they used to ride at sunrise, but now they prefer to just stay around the water's edge and hear the stories that the new brand of surfers have to tell. Without a doubt, the old timer will probably break-in to the conversation a time or two and let the young bucks know about the days when surfing was done just for fun.