What would Lars Magnus Ericsson think?
The Swedish telephone pioneer left the company that bears his name around the turn of the last century. He died in 1926.
He may have heard of San Diego. He might have heard of surfing , which European explorers had discovered several generations before, and which emerged from obscurity in the early 20th century.
Whatever his opinion, by the turn of the next century, the company bearing his name would be the third-largest telecommunications employer in San Diego.
What’s more, it would be hosting a surfing competition for charity.
This is the second year Ericsson Wireless Communications, Inc. has been title sponsor for the UCSD Cancer Center Luau & Longboard Invitational. The eighth annual event will be Aug. 26, at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Last year’s invitational raised more than $200,000, and this year organizers are trying to bring in even more. Proceeds fund research at the UCSD center.
The event features famous surfers riding alongside local celebrities and executives. A Polynesian party , with food, entertainment, a silent auction of surfing memorabilia and awards recognizing the day’s surfing , is also part of the event.
More information on sponsorships, team entries and tickets is available by calling the cancer center at (858) 822-0023 or by visiting the event Web site at (www.luau.ucsd.edu).
Which brings to mind the question: What would Lars Magnus Ericsson have thought of surfing the Internet?
If he was an electrical engineer worth his salt, he probably would have found it as thrilling as a ride on a 12-foot wave.
