Bolton Colburn, former director of the Laguna Art Museum, is the new executive director of the Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente. Colburn, a surfer who won a U.S. amateur title in the 1970s, was at the helm of the Laguna Art Museum from 1997 to 2011. He succeeds Tom Pezman, who stepped down in 2008.
Barry Haun, curator of the Surfing Heritage Foundation's museum at 110 Calle Iglesia in San Clemente, said the foundation went without an executive director during the economic downturn but now is poised to continue with development.
Fundraising will be one of Colburn's responsibilities. "Because of his background in the surfing and nonsurfing communities, we are optimistic that he'll really be able to help in that area," Haun said.
Colburn said in a statement that "the job the board has sketched out for me is my dream job."Haun said Colburn still surfs and rides shortboards at age 56. "He'll have a couple of boards in his car at all times," Haun said.
The foundation has a collection of about 500 surfboards in its warehouse on Calle Iglesia, where it also stores historical photographs, clothing, literature and other artifacts. The foundation calls it "the largest and most significant collection of surfing at any cultural institution in the world."