California beach tribute for Dick Dale, King of Surf Guitar

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Family members, friends and fans attended a Southern California beach memorial for Dick Dale, the late King of the Surf Guitar.

The Orange County Register says a crowd gathered Sunday at the Huntington Beach Pier to remember Dale, who died in April at age 81.

A group of surfers then took to the water for a “paddle-out,” the traditional ceremony held for fellow surfers when they die.

Dale played pounding, blaringly loud power-chord instrumentals in the 1960s on songs like “Miserlou” and “Let’s Go Trippin.”

An avid surfer, Dale began built a devoted fan base across greater Los Angeles starting in the late 1950s.

Dale says he developed his style by trying to merge the sounds of crashing ocean waves with rockabilly melodies.

Quentin Tarantino selected “Miserlou” as the theme of his 1994 film “Pulp Fiction.”