First, it was two California cities, Santa Cruz and Huntington Beach, that waged a fierce court battle over where surfing debuted in the Golden State and which of them deserved to be called “Surf City, USA.”

Now, the whole state wants to ride the wave.

Amid immigration and other pressing issues of the day, the California legislature has been debating whether to proclaim surfing as “the official state sport of California.”

Assembly Bill 1782 would designate it as such, “due to the state’s historic connection to the sport, culture, and industry, as well as its unique coastal geography and legendary surf breaks,” according to a measure that cleared the assembly and, if approved by the state senate, would go to the governor for signature.

Were the measure to pass, a spokesman politely declined to say whether our state, where surfing actually began and which was first to designate it as an official state sport, would get any royalties. (Hawaii’s official team sport is canoe paddling.)

What the California bill has done, as we approach surfing’s 2020 Olympic Games debut, and amid the Santa Cruz-Huntington Beach skirmishes, is bring focus to the history of the sport’s roots here and Hawaiians who had roles in transplanting it to the mainland and beyond.

Co-authors of the California measure, assemblymen Al Muratsuchi (D-Redondo Beach) and Ian Calderon (D-City of Industry), noted in the bill, “It is important to recognize that surfing traces its origins to the Polynesian people and was imported into California from indigenous Hawaii. Since its arrival in California, surfing has been embraced by the state and many Californians have made important contributions to the sport as we know it today.”

It was the late Duke Kahanamoku’s vision and fervent hope as far back as 1918, after he had shared it in California and on the East Coast, that surfing would expand globally and, someday, become an Olympic event.

Kahanamoku and George Freeth are honored as pioneering ambassadors of surfing in Southern California. A bust pays tribute to Freeth on the Redondo Beach, Calif., pier and a granite marker, not far from a statue of Kahanamoku, celebrates surfing’s debut in Huntington Beach.

Meanwhile, a bronze plaque marks the spot in Santa Cruz, where, predating Kahanamoku and Freeth, Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana‘ole, David Kawananakoa and Edward Keliiahonui, are credited with introducing surfing, on boards carved from redwood, in 1885 during a summer break from school.

In a letter of support for the California measure, Hawaii Rep. Lynn DeCoite (D, Haiku, Hana) wrote, “surfing has since then become an iconic and integral part of California culture and California surfers now visit Hawaii in great numbers to enjoy legendary surf breaks pioneered by early Hawaiians. Hawaii surfers also travel to California. …”

Not everybody is stoked about the tribute that would be paid to surfing, however. Assemblyman Devon Mathis, (R-Visalia), said during debate, “It’s always a great time to go hang 10. I’ve got to stand in opposition as a proud inland skateboarder. The true heritage of our state is skateboarding.”

To which Muratsuchi, reminded Mathis, “Skateboarding was inspired by surfing. Skateboarding is land surfing.”

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.