Onlookers honk and wave as they enjoy the procession that honors Malibu’s surf culture
By Barbara Burke
Special to The Malibu Times
Commemorating wonderful times in the 1950s and ’60s, when radios played Surf City, Little Deuce Coupe and Mustang Sally, and surf culture was at its apex, a cheerful convoy of 20 classic Woodies, all decked out with holiday wreaths and ornaments and, of course, sporting a panoply of car bumpers and stickers, gathered on Dec. 17 at the Paradise Cove parking lot for the 20th Annual Malibu Christmas Woodie Parade.
“I’ve never seen anything so special and celebratory of the holiday season,” Jane Seymour exclaimed. “This parade honors surf culture and Christmas and it’s amazing to see the people who built, preserved, cherished and decorated the Woodies.”
Seymour, accompanied by her two granddaughters, Willow Simon, 10, and Luna Simon, 8, joined Woodie Parade organizer John Zambetti in his 1941 Ford Super Deluxe Woodie bearing the license plate MLBZ RUL, honoring his longtime local band, Malibooz.
Woodies are fascinating vehicles. In the 1960s, one could pick one up for a few hundred bucks. Their commodious interiors proved practical for surfers to haul surfboards, and soon, a wonderful surf music and culture was born.
These days, the classic cars fetch high prices at auction. Southern California has proven one of the best locations to own a Woodie because its temperate climate has helped to preserve their wood.
“I’ve been participating all 20 years of the Malibu event because the Woodies are reminiscent of the great days,” said David Franklin, owner of a ’49 Woodie Ford, as he queued in the line for the parade. “I used to own a Rolls Royce Woodie, which took a full five years to restore.”
Smiling, David’s wife, Susan, chimed in, “Our Rolls Royce Woodie won the best in show one year. The Woodie parades are always a lot of fun, and we’ve made very good friends participating in these events.”
Soon, the jovial cavalcade left Paradise Cove and slowly drove east on Pacific Coast Highway, accompanied by horns honking appreciatively and thumbs up from curious and delighted passersby. There were long Woodies, with surfboards on their roof, shorter Woodies stuffed with smiling and waving occupants, one Woodie with a beautifully crafted canoe on top, and yet another — a ’67 Volkswagen Woodie convertible — with a small, charming Christmas tree nestled in its back bed.
The parade procession hung a right at the Ralphs Center, briefly traveled along Malibu Road, and made its way winding through the circuitous roads in Serra Retreat, finally arriving at AviatorNation Dreamland and being warmly greeted by an excited crowd of fans.
Little Woody Holden, 3, was wide-eyed as he saw the Woodies pull into the parking lot. “Woody loves cars,” his mom Caileen Holden said. “So, of course, I had to take him to the Woodie parade.”
Art Sanders, KNX Radio announcer, and his wife, Candy Kayne, brought Candy’s famous cookies for all to enjoy.
“Dreamland is a very good friend of John Z’s and we want to help continue the tradition of the Woodie Parade in Malibu,” said Sergio Torres, general manager of Dreamland as attendees filled the venue to enjoy coffee and tea. “It’s great for the participants to exhibit their beautiful cars and share the holiday spirit.”
Malibuite Bill Sampson, who proudly drives his ’48 Mercury Woodie, said,“Many thanks to John Zambetti for arranging and hosting the Woodie Parade for so many years!”
For his part, Zambetti was beaming, saying, “We are so happy to celebrate 20 years of the Malibu Christmas Woodie Parade! Having so many people participate this year in our local Malibu tradition is terrific and we are hoping for many more parades!”
The Malibu Times asked some attendees why they are so intrigued by the Woodies and Malibu’s annual holiday parade.
“We love the cars, the company and the ambiance,” said Françoise Desrochers, who, along with her husband, Norman own the ’67 Volkswagen showcasing the Christmas tree. As she spoke, Norman went all out, arranging a depiction of a car race and sprinkling it with white snow.
“I love the Woodie Parade because it’s like time travel to 1953 Mayberry.” said Jannie Cercone, who was accompanied by Theordore, an animated Irish Setter who was entranced with the whole affair. Cercone added, “It’s just so fun!”