San Diego, CA (Dec. 16, 2008) -- A sculpture purportedly depicting the surf culture of the City of Imperial Beach was installed at the street end of Palm Ave. on November 25th and its dedication ceremony is scheduled for January 3rd, 2009, 10:00am. The artwork presents a variety of beach themes, the artistic genre is of the realist tradition, the artist is a San Diego local, and the surf culture depiction is part of a multi-million dollar project, commissioned by a coalition of different public groups. But despite of all the resources poured into the project, the question looming in some surf circles is: “Is it a Duke or a Kook?”

The 18-foot tall monument, dubbed ‘The Spirit of Imperial Beach,’ intertwines various different beach themes into at least three type-characters, the children, the marine life, and the surfer-lifeguard. The children, a boy and a girl, are seen building a fantasy castle, with the girl holding a bucket while the boy handles a carving tool. The ‘fantasy’ of the fantasy castle is partly represented by the interaction between the children and a school of fish, where the younglings ride and surround themselves with the marine life. Next to the children, looking out toward the sea, the 7-foot tall surfer-lifeguard stands as if watching over the kids and/or assessing the waves. And on his longboard is a relief of the stylized letters "IB" coming out of a sunset. 

The sculpture has a realistic tone and doesn’t demand artistic expertise for interpretation. “As shown in my previous work, all aspects of the sculpture will be very realistically modeled, with attention to detail that will be appreciated by young and old,” says A. Wasil, the sculpture’s artist, who is also a Coronado local and SDSU graduate. “The sculpture is large enough to be seen from quite a distance, does not require a masters degree in art to understand, will endure the elements for at least several thousand years and is elegant and whimsical enough to become a symbol of the community.”

The Spirit is part of “The Palm Avenue Street End Project,” a $2.8 million public works project sponsored by the Port of San Diego, the City of Imperial Beach and the State Water Resources Control Board. The cost for building the 18-foot tall statue was $150,000. In addition to the Spirit, the project will create a semi-circular public overlook, “providing a park-like setting for ocean viewing,” states the Port of San Diego on its website. “The area will be enhanced with colored concrete pavers, benches, landscaping and lighting.” The project kicked off July 02, 2008 and is expected to be completed by Jan. 1, 2009.

Now after the controversy surrounding Cardiff’s surf sculpture, the question emerging in many surfer’s mind is: “Is it a Duke or a Kook?” The Cardiff sculpture, labeled “The Magic Carpet Ride” and debuted July 22, 2008, was immersed in a swell of controversy as surfers charged the monument with a host of criticism, including the indictment of looking effeminate and at odds with real surf moves. As a result of these charges, and accusations leveled against the Riverside-based artist, Matthew Antichevich, 55, about the authenticity of his surf-background, the Cardiff monument is being called by some, ‘The Cardiff Kook.’ Even bumper stickers have been created to protest the sculpture. By contrast, the statue of Duke Kahanamoku on Waikiki Beach, Oahu, despite a few dissenting voices, is largely seen as a symbol that evokes both appreciation and respect for the sport’s first worldwide ambassador, lending the status of a cultural centerpiece to the artwork. So how will the Spirit fare, Duke or Kook? The statue has already received some positive feedback on blogs and forums, but the real response remains yet to be seen and is likely to come once the Spirit is unveiled.