SANTA CRUZ — Al Mitchell’s family knew better. They knew every time he said he was going to make a quick run to the store that it was going to take hours.
An avid artist, old car enthusiast and lover of all things aquatic — he surfed, served as a lifeguard, and educator in his heyday — he’d likely stop along West Cliff Drive and stare over the Pacific Ocean. He’d do the same from the wharf, making sure to stop by Gilda’s restaurant to socialize. Mitchell was as good at talking as he was listening.
“He didn’t fish, but he told fish stories,” said Eric Mitchell, his son. “He’s talk about how huge the waves used to be. It made for a good story.”
Al Mitchell’s colorful stories have ended. The visionary behind the Santa Cruz State Junior Lifeguards program started in 1966, Mitchell died of natural causes July 25 at Dominican Hospital. He was 84.
But others are sharing stories about the man who accomplished so much in the community. Mitchell made a life of teaching, encouraging and inspiring others.
“His passion was keeping people safe,” Eric said. “He gave us a lot of flexibility in our young adulthood and it was great. A lot of my friends were scared of my dad because he was a teacher, an authority figure. I knew a softer side and he was a cool cat.”
The Mitchell name will live forever in this community. Mitchell’s Cove, a popular dog-friendly beach located along West Cliff Drive between Woodrow Avenue and Almar Avenue, is named after Al. (Mitchell Brothers Surfboards, run by his brothers Ralph and John, were some of the first boards manufactured in the city.)
“Enjoy the water. Enjoy the surf. Enjoy the surroundings,” Mitchell said in a 2011 YouTube interview, when asked what he thought could make surfing better in Santa Cruz.
While Mitchell lent his hand in shaping, it wasn’t his only impact on the community. The Santa Cruz High and San Jose State alumnus served as industrial arts teacher at Mission Hill Middle School for more than 35 years.
Mitchell, a former U.S. Marine, made a road trip to Southern California in 1964 that heavily contributed to the growth of the lifesaving community in Santa Cruz. He witnessed a uniformed junior guard marching in unison at Huntington Beach. He was impressed.
When he returned from his trip, he told Dean Hovey, then the Santa Cruz lifeguard supervisor, that he needed to start a junior program and bring that same level of discipline to Santa Cruz’s youth. The program was founded in 1966, under Hovey’s direction and Mitchell’s volunteer support. Their vision was to help the local youth be comfortable and competent in the ocean environment.
Mitchell brought forth many of the modern day professional lifesaving practices still utilized by city lifeguards.
“He was such a right-on, positive, stand-up person,” said Richard Schmidt, who was hired by Mitchell as city beach lifeguard. “He never had a bad thing to say about anything. He’d tell you what he thought, though.”
Mitchell spent his summers as an ocean lifeguard at Castle Beach (Seabright) for the State Parks, before the Harbor was built. He also worked at Santa Cruz’s Main Beach from the 1950s through the ’80s, serving as lifeguard supervisor for nearly two decades.
The City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department flew its flags at half-staff from July 30 through Aug. 1 to pay tribute to Mitchell. So did the Santa Cruz Surf Museum.
“I’d say two-thirds of the Westside kids went through one of his classes,” said Britten Miles, a retired firefighter who served in the lifeguarding program from 1984-2011. “He was a mentor in a lot of ways.”
A memorial or paddle hasn’t yet been announced due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Miles said he’d love to sponsor a bench honoring Mitchell put in above Mitchell’s Cove. “It totally makes sense. I’d love to see that happen,” he said.
Mitchell was also known as one of the few surfers in Santa Cruz in the 1950s. He learned at Cowell Beach in the time before wetsuits and leashes. Some of his favorite breaks were The Hook, Steamer Lane, and of course Mitchell’s Cove, which is located down the street from where he grew up.
Mitchell loved to throw a barbecue at Harvey West Park following the annual Rough Water Swim around the wharf.
“As a 6-year-old, he told me to paddle to the wharf and back from Cowell’s,” said Eric, noting his dad was by his side the whole way. “He told me, ‘The better you paddle, the more waves you’ll catch. And the more waves you catch, the better you’ll surf.’ When I was 10, he took me to the Lane. He taught me to surf. To be taught by someone with a wave named after him, I was blown away.”
Mitchell is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Ruth Ann, his children Eric (Alison), Nick (Amy), and Kirsten (Josh), nine grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Earl and Clara Mitchell, and his five siblings.
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