Huntington Beach, 1962

Photographer John Loengard

LIFE magazine featured tandem surfing in 1964, describing it as a “sea-going version of an adagio dance [any slow-moving dance where the man supports the woman].” Because it was popular with non-surfers, competitions popped up on many coasts. However, the sport all but disappeared when short boards came back into style.

John Loengard began his career at LIFE while he was still in college and remained there in some capacity until 1987. He said that he covered all subjects―photographing his family or Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan, and even a circus panda on a bike. Loengard believed that photography had magic powers: “You can catch the moment, and once it’s caught, you can see it forever.” ―Kristen Shelton

NextBeach Days, 1942