Cardiff Kook

[1] The sculpture is mounted on a 6-foot high granite base with poetry inscription by Robert Nanninga,[2] and is in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Encinitas, California, United States.

[10] The sculpture was intended to depict a surfer performing a "(backside) floater", but the Botanical Society's budget could not cover the cost of an additional water/wave component.

[13] According to Antichevich and to Michael Ames Clark (then-chairman of the Botanical Society's selection committee), the sculpture represented the joy and awkwardness of a young boy learning how to surf, in acknowledgement of the area's attraction to novice surfers.

[7][10][13] The early criticism surprised both the Botanical Society and artist Matthew Antichevich,[10] who stated that he did not expect the piece to be as widely misunderstood as it was upon its unveiling.

[12] At the sculpture's installation, Deputy Mayor Jerome Stocks defended the piece and answered critics with "Well, you go raise your own 90,000 dollars and put up a statue that you like.".

[3][7] The list of such pranks is extensive, often coordinated with current events: a pink pleated skirt, bikini top and lucha libre wrestling mask;[15] a Zorro costume;[16] a pumpkin head (at Halloween);[16] a Santa Claus hat (at Christmas);[16] a full Uncle Sam costume for United States Independence Day;[16] the hood of the prisoner on a box photograph from Abu Ghraib prison;[10] a clown costume;[17] a loincloth and surrounded by a prehistoric setting while being snatched up by a sculpted pterodactyl in flight;[18] and a papier mâché statue of a shark about to swallow up the surfer from beneath.

[5][7][16][17][19] The shark costume was one of two prank additions to the sculpture performed by local artist Eric Hardtke, himself a sculptor who works in bronze and stone, and accomplices.

Since the large alterations of the Cardiff Kook began, merchandise such as calendars have been created as a sort of souvenir for tourists to purchase when visiting the city of Encinitas.

While such pranks are officially discouraged by Encinitas mayor Dan Dalager and city authorities, it is unofficially acknowledged that the sculpture's repeated costuming or vandalism is a boost to Cardiff's tourist trade.