Sanchez - The Beach Boys Smile

Thanks to Simon Frith, first of all, for encouraging the idea that a cultural historical study of The Beach Boys was something worth pursuing, and for supporting the work along the way. Thanks to Van Dyke Parks for inviting me to his home, generously sharing his time and perspective, and for giving me a much-needed shot in the arm at a moment when it felt like the research hit a dead end. Thanks, also, to David Barker and Ally Jane Grossan at Bloomsbury for giving me the chance to turn my ideas into something worth reading. Big shout outs to Kyle Devine and Kieran Curran for reading early drafts and helping me hone ideas. Special thanks to my mother for supporting my endeavors always. Lastly, for her capacity to endure me at my most insufferable and still laugh at my jokes, much love to Theresa.

In one place we came upon a large company of naked natives, of both sexes and all ages, amusing themselves with the national pastime of surf-bathing I tried surf-bathing once, subsequently, but made a failure of it. I got the board placed right, and at the right moment, too; but missed the connection myself the board struck the shore in three quarters of a second, without any cargo, and I struck the bottom about the same time, with a couple of barrels of water in me. None but natives ever master the art of surf-bathing thoroughly.