Celebrating 75 years, Surf City revisits its past while planning for the future

Chris Medlin remembers growing up in Surf City where he felt like he knew everyone, where he and his childhood friends went down to the south end of Surf City and dove off what they called “the wall” to snorkel and explore.

As the town celebrates its 75 anniversary, Medlin, who is now 46, reflected on his lifetime of memories that start back in the '80s.

Back then, "you pretty much knew everybody you come across," Medlin said.

Some of his most memorable moments growing up in Surf City include eating at Batts Grill, going to the Surf City Waterslide, and of course, fishing.

“Mom and dad would be up on the pier, catching spots, and the kids would be down like playing on the beach or in the arcade,” Medlin said. “They’d just catch tons of spots and put them in the freezer for the next year.”

More: 5 things to know about Surf City

Surf City's past

Surf City is located partly on Topsail Island and partly on the mainland, and the history of the way the island is connected to the mainland dates back to 1941, before the town was officially founded.

The town used to be a small fishing village that was home to a handful of families where farmers would herd their cattle over to the island to graze in the winter months. Then the military built a pontoon bridge to connect the island to the mainland for Camp Davis.

Surf City became a town in 1949. Then, in 1955, the bridge that most people still remember, the steel swing bridge, was built. This bridge carried generations of Surf City locals and visitors to and from Topsail Island.

Surf City today

Over the years, Medlin said, there have been several significant changes: The beach has gotten narrower; more businesses are springing up throughout the town; and the most obvious one to a lot of visitors is the new bridge.

Medlin said he works on the island and lives on the mainland, so he spent years of his life waiting on the old steel swing bridge to turn.

Now, visitors and locals travel over the 65-foot-high bridge, which opened in 2019.

Chris Medlin’s father, Douglas Medlin, served as mayor and councilman in Surf City and worked toward making the new bridge a reality.

From the archives: Longtime Surf City official steps down as mayor

Through the eyes of lifelong residents

Douglas Medlin first came to Surf City when he was 3 years old, which was 72 years ago, and he has seen a lot of growth, the most change being in the past 10 years.

Surf City's population has more than doubled since 2010 when the population was 1,931. In 2020, the population was 3,911, and more people are continuing to move into the Surf City and Hampstead areas of Pender County.

Current Mayor Teresa Batts was also born and raised in Surf City and is a part of the five generations of family members who grew up in the town.

Although Batts agreed that the town has grown and changed, she said "you still have that community feel."

Douglas Medlin said he is glad to see the growth, but also noted that the town has taken steps to maintain its small-town feel.

For example, the town set the maximum building height to 48 feet on the island and 54 feet on the mainland.

“Everywhere else you go, you’ve got all these big high-rises on the ocean front,” he said.

The town also maintains its community feel through events that bring people together, Medlin said.

"That's what I love about Surf City," he said.

Attracting newcomers

Alex Kindred and Ann Chiu moved to Surf City from Illinois and Michigan with their families just under a couple of years ago and said the small-town community is what they love so much about the town.

Chiu and her family walk and bike pretty much everywhere when they are on the island to enjoy the weather.

Coming from the Midwest, where Chui said everyone is very friendly, she was surprised to see just how much friendlier everyone in the Surf City community is. “Everyone is willing to make friends,” Chui said.

Both Chiu and Kindred regularly bring their kids to the beach to play during the day.

'Surf City, here we come': How did the Pender town get its name? Hint: Not from the song.

Baristas at Surf City Coffee Andi Shapiro and Shantel Hoyle echoed the sentiment that Surf City is a welcoming community. “Everybody watches out for everybody,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro originally came from Huntington Beach, California, which is the inspiration for the Beach Boy’s song “Surf City,” but said she appreciates this less commercialized and more relaxed Surf City.

Molly Whiting is new to the area since last September, and although she lives in Wilmington, she travels daily to work in Surf City at Ecological Marine Adventures.

Whiting said that she would love to eventually live in Surf City. “It’s very family oriented," she said. "Everyone’s kind of on their own time. It seems pretty relaxed.”

"A lot of them, once they get here and especially, if they come and vacation a few times, then after that, we've got 'em hooked," Douglas Medlin said.

More: As Surf City sees waves of growth, can the Pender County town get bigger?

What's ahead

The town council is working on its upcoming comprehensive land-use plan, and supporting the town's growth with the proper infrastructure on the mainland is a major focus, Batts said.

The town will be updating ordinances that will give the planning department more focus on water and sewer infrastructure.

Although the mainland development has grown, Batts said she thinks the island will stay the same because there's not a lot of room for more businesses other than the ones already there. She said that most of the island in Surf City's limits are residential areas and she expects that to stay the same.

How can you join the celebration?

The town of Surf City will hold its 75 Anniversary Celebration from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, March 23 at the Welcome Center, 102 N. Shore Drive.

Attendees will be able to participate in a free walk through of the town of Surf City exhibit that features history, major events and town services of Surf City. There will also be live music, entertainment and food trucks in the parking lot.

The exhibit hours are:

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 24

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, March 25

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 26

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Surf City, NC, celebrates 75th anniversary while planning for growth