Surf II

The distinctive steel sculpture, located just south of the Port of Everett Boat Launch (located at 10th Street & West Marine View Drive), was Everett’s first piece of public art when it was formally dedicated on July 8, 1976. However, Surf II was initially installed on the east side of Colby Avenue close to California Street in downtown Everett. It was part of a plan to rejuvenate and beautify the downtown area, particularly Colby Avenue. The sculpture was designed by Stanley Wanlass of Astoria, Oregon, who was selected from about 40 artists for the commission. Standing 14 feet at its highest point, the steel piece features nine fingers-like pieces that jut upward to create an abstract shape. Sculptor Wanlass said the design was inspired by his love for water and trees. The sculpture weighs 40,000 pounds and cost $18,900. At the Colby site, it sat in a small pond surrounded by a mini amphitheater. Surf II was controversial in its early days. Some defended it as a downtown focal point that would help Everett strengthen its identity. Other dubbed it “Big Foot” or “Whale’s Tail” and scoffed at it as a waste of money. One disgruntled group even hung the mayor in effigy on the sculpture. Around 1983, Surf II was moved to its North Waterfront site, where its abstract wave shape seems more compatible with the marine environment.