Created by Hemet sculptor Matthew Antichevich under a $92,000 commission from the Cardiff Botanical Society, the sculpture was installed three years ago just outside the San Elijo State Beach campground. Critics immediately blasted it as effeminate, not enough like a surfer -- more a ballet dancer than a macho rider of waves.
Since its installation in 2007 along Highway 101 in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, the statue named “Magic Carpet Ride” by its creator Matthew Antichevich has taken on many faces. Much discussed & maligned, eaten by ‘Jaws’, crowned with a pumpkin head, and dressed as everything from a clown to Zorro – the delight and debate that is the “Cardiff Kook” happily rages on…The Cardiff Kook occupies a prominent piece of real estate near some of the most popular surf breaks along the San Diego coastline. Once erected, both surfers & non-surfers immediately began chiming in over what many agree is a poor representation of the ‘true’ surfer form. Perhaps it’s the limp wrists, arms splayed in a strange manner, ’stink-bug’ stance, or portrayal atop a sputtering spray – instead of an epic wave… The Kook has heard it all, and has since become the target of pranksters far and wide.
Love him or hate him; the Kook is here to stay! So come on in, view our extensive Cardiff Kook image library, upload your own pics, post some comments, have some fun and keep the positive vibes rolling.
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2013 Cardiff Kook Calendars Are Here!
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The first anniversary Kook Calendar "The Magic Carpet Ride gets historic" featuring pictures of a surfing sculpture in goofy garb will be for sale in Encinitas the first week of October 2011.The 13-month calendar ---- inspired by a local Chamber-- gives a month-by-month glance at costumes that have adorned the city's "The Magic Carpet Ride" sculpture at Chesterfield Drive and South Coast Highway 101. Graphic artist Fred Caldwell said the images he took for the calendar celebrate the fun residents have had interacting with the piece - from silly to solem. He also praised Antichevich's work."I've done bronze casting myself, and I know what's involved in creating something lifelike," Caldwell said. "In my opinion, from the surfboard to the anatomy to the pedestal it's standing on, it's a world-class sculpture. With all of the outfits (people) started putting on him, I couldn't resist taking pictures," Caldwell said. He said he created a postcard from one of his images shortly after July, when a papier-mache great white shark, complete with fins, was constructed approaching and then engulfing the surfer."It sold really well," Caldwell said, so he decided to create a calendar. The calendars are available for $14 at several Encinitas businesses..Seaside Market, Hansen Surfboards, Queen Eileen's, Coast Hwy Traders & more. The pranks have been covered extensively by local news media, and the Wall Street Journal printed an article about the statue and its many costumes in August. Caldwell said that kind of attention is great for the city."It's fun," he said. "People look at the calendar and they smile every time they turn the page on it."
Ten percent of the proceeds from the calendar go to non-profit charities.
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