Free Republic

The group followed ‘Surfin’ Safari’ with the first song Brian Wilson ever wrote.The Beach Boys caught a wave and rode it into the US Top 10 for the first time in May 1963, when “Surfin’ U.S.A.” reached No.3. After an earlier Top 20 single with “Surfin’ Safari,” Brian Wilson’s adaptation of Chuck Berry’s melody really established the group as nationwide names. But the choice of follow-up single was going to be crucial. By August, following some singles co-written with Mike Love, it was time for Brian to get his initial credit as a solo writer, and for the first time...

A former champion surfer, Mary Setterholm suffered sexual abuse and turned to prostitution before finding a new path. Next month, she’ll begin the master’s of divinity program at Columbia University’s Union Theological Seminary. Real life stories of redemption and healing don't get much better than this. How long until Lifetime turns it into a movie? From the Los Angeles Times: It's another beautiful day in paradise and I'm out on the ocean, riding waves with a former national surfing champion and onetime prostitute who's about to join a seminary. Go ahead, try to name one other state where I could...

SAN DIEGO – Former San Diego Police Chief Jerry Sanders jumped to an early lead Tuesday night in his bid to be the city's next mayor as he received 57 percent of the vote to Donna Frye's 43 percent with about 30 percent of precincts counted. Absentee-ballot results were released by the Registrar of Voters shortly after the polls closed at 8 p.m., with Sanders winning 59 percent of those ballots. Sanders arrived at Golden Hall shortly after 9 p.m., where he told reporters he was confident. "I think San Diegans had a clear choice in this election," he said....

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The presiding judge of the San Diego Superior Court recused all 124 judges on the bench from hearing a lawsuit attempting to block write-in candidate Councilwoman Donna Frye from becoming mayor. Judge John Einhorn said he made the decision Wednesday because one of Frye's election rivals, incumbent Mayor Dick Murphy, was a judge for 15 years before he was elected mayor in 2000. Several judges have contributed to Murphy's campaigns, and Einhorn wanted to avoid any appearance of favoritism. Einhorn arranged with California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George to have the case heard by Charles...

<p>Shark attack victim: I want to 'go home and surf'</p> <p>NEW YORK (CNN) -- 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton was surfing in Hawaii on October 31 when she was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark, losing her left arm about four inches below the shoulder. Less than a month later, she hit the waves again. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper spoke to her about her recovery.</p>