Kiernan Surfing Association

[Chilly Willy]

Here's a little bit of local NJ surf culture I thought was worth mentioning.

A new plaque was recently erected in Long Branch commemorating the Kiernan Surfing Association. For those who have never heard of it -- which would include me before this past Sunday -- Kiernan was apparently one of the only places in that area to surf in the Long Branch area back in the 60s (besides the Sandy Hook cove). To make a long story short, the surfers worked out a deal to lease the land and then have the beach self-regulated by surfers to be a surfing only beach. My father-in-law was telling me some tales about it and showed off his old Kiernan admission patch (see below).

A story from last year on it:http://www.surfersvillage.com/content/surfers-celebrate-jersey-shore-lineage-gathering

Pretty interesting. Any old timers have stories about it?

Attached files

 

[Basenji703]

Well...I was a member and it may have been in '68. I would have been 18 years old and living in Little Silver, all I did was surf there. I never partied there and I really don't have any cool stories. I think all the cool stuff happened before I was a member.
I knew many of the guys mentioned in the article. I hung out at Minder's Weber Shop, knew Chuck Kunes, Vinny Troniec and of course, Bill Minder. I was friendly with Teddy Brantly, who was a wild man and Tommy Eadon. Tommy made me some amazing boards as well as being one of the ushers in my wedding. He made the board that I used in medium to small Hawaiian surf. Everyone who saw it was really impressed and I got many questions about it.
The Kiernan patch was widely known in surfing circles. The trunks I had when I lived in Hawaii had the patch and people there recognized it and may even have been impressed (who knows).

 

[PeakMaster]

Facebook is loaded with Kiernan stuff...events and the like.

 

[Freddibetts]

grew up near long branch, cool to learn the surfing roots of the area