The Brief
Visit Huntington Beach, the official destination marketing organization of Huntington Beach, California was looking for a unique way to attract visitors and bring a national spotlight to the city also known as “Surf City USA.”
Their marketing team wanted to showcase Huntington Beach as the ideal destination for vacationers and business travelers alike while highlighting the beloved outdoor tradition that has made the city famous.
The Solution
The Record: Keeping in theme with Surf City’s tagline, Visit Huntington Beach decided to attempt the Guinness World Records™ title for the Most people riding a surfboard. Timed to coincide with International Surfing Day on June 21st, Visit Huntington Beach enlisted 66 amateurs and professionals to ride a custom built 42-foot, 1300-pound surfboard for a minimum of 12 seconds. The surfboard was later certified as being the Largest surfboard in the world.
Event Day Engagement: The attempt drew thousands of spectators who filled the shore to watch history being made. Numerous news stations were also on hand to record the attempt, ensuring that millions of viewers saw Huntington Beach’s record-breaking achievement.
Post Attempt Promotion: Visit Huntington Beach capitalized on achieving the record for the Largest surfboard by displaying the surfboard at the International Surfing Museum in Downtown Huntington Beach.
“Having the most riders on the world’s largest surfboard for 12 seconds during Huntington Beach’s Epic Big Board Ride was a once in lifetime global event. You can’t create a more effective marketing and PR project, which solidified our community residents and millions of Huntington Beach brand ambassadors under one umbrella, Surf City USA, Guinness World Records holder!”
