▁of ▁a ▁tra dem ark ▁dispute ▁between ▁the ▁California ▁coast al ▁cities ▁of ▁Hun ting ton ▁Beach ▁and ▁Santa ▁Cruz . ▁Both ▁cities ▁histor ically ▁claimed ▁the ▁" Sur f ▁City " ▁mon iker , ▁but ▁the ▁dispute ▁intens ified ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁after ▁the ▁Hun ting ton ▁Beach ▁Conference ▁and ▁Vis itors ▁Bureau ▁successfully ▁file d ▁the ▁" Sur f ▁City ▁USA " ▁tra dem ark ▁with ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Pat ent ▁and ▁Tra dem ark ▁Office . ▁ ▁A ▁settlement ▁was ▁eventually ▁reached ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁which ▁allows ▁Hun ting ton ▁Beach ▁to ▁retain ▁the ▁tra dem ark . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁cities ▁of ▁Hun ting ton ▁Beach ▁and ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁both ▁claim ▁to ▁be ▁" Sur f ▁City ", ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁respective ▁sur f ing ▁culture . ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁first ▁recorded ▁sur f ing ▁in ▁California , ▁by ▁Hawai ians . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Sur f ing ▁Museum , ▁ 1 1 ▁world - class ▁sur f ▁breaks ▁such ▁as ▁Ste amer ▁Lane ▁which ▁create ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁sur f ing ▁waves ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁and ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁O ' Ne ill ▁Cold ▁Water ▁Classic ▁and ▁other ▁international ▁sur f ing ▁cont ests . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Hun ting ton ▁Beach ▁is ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Open ▁of ▁Sur f ing ▁and ▁the ▁International ▁Sur f ing ▁Museum . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the