OVER 500 SURFERS assembled on the beach near the Huntington Beach Pier Tuesday morning to set a new world record (City of HB image).

The weather was more overcast than sunny, but there was no June gloom in the hearts of the hundreds of surfers who on Tuesday morning lifted Huntington Beach into the Guinness Book of World Records.

MAYOR BARBARA DELGLEIZE holds up certificate of world record (City of HB photo).

A total of 511 surfers went into the water north of the city pier near the Ruby’s restaurant, joined hands in a funky polygon for one minute, and officially were recognized as part of the new record-holder for the largest “Paddle Out” ever.

The event was in support of an effort by the City of Huntington Beach to be named as the official surfing venue for the 2024 or 2028 Summer Olympic games if granted to Los Angeles. The sport of surfriding will be in the games for the first time in 2020 in Tokyo.

It all resulted in the “Surfing Circle of Honor,” followed by a celebration at the Paseo Hotel. Held on International Surfing Day, the big “circle” and its aftermath helped benefit the International Surfing Museum, located in Huntington Beach.

511 SURFERS setting a new world record for “Paddle Out” (City of HB image).