Original Surfaris

The Original Surfaris
Background information
Origin	Fullerton/La Habra, California, United States
Genres	Surf rock
Years active	1962–1965
Labels	Impact; Regand; Northridge; Reprise Records; Del-Fi Records; Felsted; Sundazed Records
Past members	Bob Bernard Mike "Sticks" Biondo Bobby Esco Jim Tran Al Valdez Chuck Vehle Larry Weed Doug Wiseman

The Original Surfaris were a surf music American band of the early 1960s.

In 1960, three young friends, Al Valdez at the piano, Mike Biondo on drums, and Richard Lippy played at the 8th grade graduation dance of St. Mary's Elementary School in Fullerton, California.

In the summer of the same year, Valdez, Biondo, guitarist Bobby Esco, and sax player Bob Bernard formed The Vogues and started playing at school assemblies.

Guitarist Larry Weed, with a country and western musical background, replaced Esco soon after. Weed, notably, used to wear his belt buckle on the side when onstage, "so he would not scratch the back of his Fender guitar."

In late 1961, a Sunday morning all-Mexican television show on KCHOP channel 13 announced that they were looking for musical groups to play on the show, and Valdez's mother phoned the show to submit the candidacy of the band her son was playing in. The Vogues, with Doug Wiseman having replaced Bob Bernard on sax, were contacted by Victor Regina, owner of a pizza stand on Western Avenue, also doubling as a music agent, who helped them, under the new name he gave them, The Customs, record their first single, "Steppin' Out" and "Hi Hat", both written by former member Bobby Esco. Because Regina had put up all the money for the recording session, he took sole credit as the composer of the two songs.

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