18) Hawaii

The public image of Hawaii and Malibu is quite similar.  While Hawaii may give slightly more tropical feelings, both induce images of perfect waves crashing onto the beach, with just the right amount of sun in the sky.  Both places' geography has allowed them to gain a strong reputation for surfing paradise.

Surfing has long been tied to Polynesian culture and was popular all around the Pacific islands such as Tahiti, Tonga, and Hawaii.  It wasn't until 1907 that a land baron named Henry Huntington brought surfing to California.  While in Hawaii on vacation, he saw Hawaiian boys surfing and decided it would be a great way to attract people to his land in the Redondo Beach area.  Huntington hired a Hawaiian surfer named George Freeth to teach the locals how to surf.  From there, surfing made its way along Southern California's coast and became popular and recognizable amongst Californians.

The Malibu Surf Assocation was founded in 1961 and solidified surfing's spot in Malibu's culture.  Though not all surfers are members of MSA, it has helped grow the sport and continues to move forward today.

This video describes a bit about the history of surfing in Southern California:

As an aside, thank you for reading my blog and I hope you have found it informative and will look at Malibu a little deeper next time you pass through.

Ethan West

16) The North Pacific Coast

The greatest annual average precipitation on the continent is found amongst the North Pacific Coast region.  75 inches of precipitation annually is common and some areas record up to 230 inches annually.  All of this precipitation supports a rainforest that grows some of the largest trees in the world.

Although it is also located on the West Coast, Malibu is much further south, and as a result, receives an average of only 18 inches of rainfall per year.  Gone are the large rain forests found on the Northwest.  Instead, 18 inches of rain per year gives Malibu low-laying scrub vegetation.  Even if Malibu were to receive significantly more rain, it would not necessarily be a good thing.  Historically, when there is a large storm, the steep hillsides of Malibu become over-saturated and break up.  This results in mudslides that block roads and destroy property.  18 inches of rain per year for Malibu is plenty enough for its residents.

15) California

It is no secret that Malibu is located in California.  In fact, for someone not from California, Malibu is likely one of the first things they picture in their head when someone mentions California.  As Californians, I'm sure we've all encountered this.  Whether you are in another state or someone from another state is visiting, most people seems to have a notion that if you're from California, you likely spend most days in Malibu on the beach either surfing in the waves or tanning alongside some palm trees.

"Foreigners" are right for thinking this because in a way, Malibu is California and California is Malibu. Malibu embodies many things about California.  Aside from all of the physical similarities, many other things can be tied together.  Malibu has a pretty open-minded way of thinking and embraces it, much like the rest of the state.  Prices of everything in Malibu, from houses to coffee are quite high, even compared to the rest of the state, just like how prices of things in California are much higher compared to other states.  You could say that Malibu is the crown jewel of America's crown.  Maybe I say that because I'm proud of my state, and I'm sure there are many people out there who would disagree with that statement, but I can safely say that Malibu is the most Californian city in California.

14) The Southwest Border Area: Tricultural Development

In the Southwest, there is a very dense population of American Indians, compared to other regions.  In some regions of Arizona and New Mexico, American Indians comprise at least 70% of the population.  Some of the tribes that are predominant in this region are the Navajo tribe, the Apache, the Pueblo, the Papago, the Hopi, and the Utes.  Although these tribes are spread around the region, most are found around the Four Corners area.

Like the Southwest, Malibu also has a history with American Indians.  For 4000 years, Chumash tribes inhabited Malibu and its surrounding areas.  The Chumash can even be credited for naming Malibu.  They're name for the area was, "Humaliwo," which meant, "the surf sounds loudly," an apt name for the area.  The Chumash continued to inhabit Malibu until the early 1800's when Spanish settlers began to arrive in larger numbers.  The Chumash tribes were then pushed away towards different areas of the coast that were not yet settled by Europeans.

13) The Empty Interior

One of the most notable landmarks located in the Empty Interior is the Hoover Dam.  The Hoover Dam, located 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas, was completed in 1936 and controls the flow of Lake Mead while producing large amounts of hydroelectric power.  Most people don't know this, but Malibu has a dam of its own.  Rindge Dam, named after Malibu's founding family, is located in Malibu Canyon and controls the flow of Malibu Creek.  Rindge Dam was completed a full 10 years before the Hoover Dam in 1926.

While Rindge Dam may be older than the Hoover Dam, the Hoover Dam is considerably larger.  The Hoover Dam measures almost 730 feet high compared to Rindge Dam's 100 feet.  Rindge Dam is accessible only by foot after an intensive hike and is frequented by only the most dedicated hikers while Hoover Dam attracts about 1,000,000 tourists every year.  

One interesting fact about the Hoover Dam is that of the electricity it produces, 56% of it goes to power parts of Southern California.  Rindge Dam does not produce any power, however one interesting fact about it is that the frame is made out of the 15 miles of old rail of the railway that used to pass through Malibu.  Many environmentalists have protested for the deconstruction of Rindge Dam, but that would cost about $80 million and the effects of the increased flow of Malibu Creek are unknown.  

12) The Great Plains and Prairies

While not all of the Great Plains and Prairies are completely flat, the majority of it is.  This is not to say that all of the plains lay in low elevations.  The eastern end of the plains are about 1500 feet above sea level and slowly merge into the western end that lays about 6000 feet above sea level.  The change in elevation between eastern and western ends happens very gradually.

The flatness of the Great Plains are in stark contrast to the dramatic mountains located in Malibu.  The Santa Monica Mountain Range that runs through Malibu (along with many other coastal cities) allow for elevations ranging from 0 feet above sea level at the beach to about 2000 feet above sea level at the highest points in Malibu.  While more mountains aren't necessarily better, it sure does allow for more (and different) photo opportunities.

11) The Agricultural Core

When viewed from a bird's eye perspective, land parcels in the Agricultural Core are rectangular in shape.  The reason behind this was so that land could be more accurately accounted for.  The Land Ordinance of 1785 began this trend.  It was then that land was delimited and split into territories determined by east-west and north-south lines.  The parcels were then divided into townships.  Townships were originally 36 square miles.  From there, land was divided even more precisely before being put up for sale.  This led to what looks like a rather precise grid of land when viewed from above.

All of this is in stark contract to the orientation of Malibu.  Malibu is situated on a narrow sliver of land along the coast with no room for grids of land.  Homes and shops are built wherever they will fit.  Many homes built right into the sides of mountains.  When viewed from above, there is no order or organization of Malibu's properties.

Do these regions' people embody their land orientation ideals?  Are people in the Agricultural Core more conservative and old-fashioned because their properties are all organized into perfect squares?  Likewise, are residents of Malibu more free-thinking and independent because of the lack of structure in the organization of their properties?  It's unlikely that land organization is the sole cause of these character traits, but it is interesting to consider, no less.