Beach Culture

Paradise Pier pays homage to the grand beachfront amusement parks of the past. While the amusement aspects of the district may be the most obvious, the beach is represented here as well. Billboards like the one pictured above show us that stretch of sand "Between Sea and Sky" which, although not a part of the park we can visit, is very much a part of the story.

Beach details abound, even in the subtlest form. Take this drinking fountain, for example. It's modeled after a beach side shower. Notice the nozzles near the top? They're perfect for washing off the sand and salty water.

Until recently, the beach setting was even more prominent. Nestled in the grove where the Boardwalk met the shore was Pizza Oom Mow Mow, a quick service restaurant facility dedicated to California's surf culture. Pizza Oom Mow Mow, the name inspired by a popular tune from the '60s, closed in September 2010, but it's never too late to look back and enjoy some of the story details that were.

Pizza Oom Mow Mow was designed as a surf shack, a hangout on the beach that served as HQ for groups of surfer dudes and dudettes, celebrating California's "endless summer." This was the perfect place for late-night beach parties, late morning sleeping in and a climb to the rooftop tower to watch for incoming swells on the water.

Of course, you couldn't have an homage to California's period surf culture without Tikis. A pair stood guard at the door, and there was even a little guy behind the counter, munching on a slice of pepperoni. There was tons of detail here, from beach chairs and towels to bikes, boards and vintage California beach postcards. Even the menu contributed to the storytelling with offerings like the Big Kahuna Hawaiian Pizza and Pipeline Pizza Salad.

The music of the Beach Boys and other icons of beach culture permeated the space, where you could always find a place to stow your board (at one time, there was even a pink one labeled "Annette") or check the local surf conditions.

The surf shack of Pizza Oom Mow Mow had apparently been expanded over the years, enclosing areas which had once been part of the exterior of the building. Here, the surfers had painted the garage door with an airbrushed mural of an old Woodie station wagon and used their collection of hubcaps, mirrors and license plates as decoration.

In another corner of the restaurant, there was even a nod to classic beach and surf movies of the 1960s, including the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello romp, Beach Party.

Pizza Oom Mow Mow wasn't alone in its affinity for beach culture. This stretch of Paradise Pier also featured Reboundo Beach, another boardwalk-style game of skill, and the S.S. rustworthy children's play area (read more about that here).

In the end, all this surf culture didn't quite jive with the new vision of Paradise Pier as a turn-of-the-20th-century amusement zone. The area that once encompassed the pizza restaurant (as well as nearby Burger Invasion), game and playground is being redressed as a beautifully-landscaped garden district, featuring re-branded restaurants Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and Paradise Garden Grill. Look for these to make their debut this summer.