Beloved Laguna Beach Town Greeter ~

Here in Southern California in beautiful Laguna Beach, as you enter the town ..  there is a large statue of a beloved figure that has become legendary in the town’s history ~ My brother, mom and others who remember him well have told me the story of the man behind the statue that made them smile many years ago ~

Eiler Larsen passed away in 1975 but for 33 years he stood on the corner of the main entrance into the town of Laguna Beach and greeted ALL with a big, warm, friendly smile, waving and shouting HELLO THERE to motorists and tourists – the town’s ambassador of goodwill ~

 Eiler, as the town greeter, left an indelible mark and the town remembers him with two statues that greets all as you enter the scenic town of Laguna Beach .. just north of San Diego ~

From a Times article – “Laguna Beach returned the salute, naming him its official greeter. In good weather and bad, Larsen would stand on South Coast Highway waving to drivers and pedestrians and booming out a big hello. A block-long lane bears his name, and two life-size statues on South Coast Highway — where he called out greetings for 33 years — honor the bearded, wild-haired fixture of the quirky, artsy seaside town.

‘They may think I’m crazy,” Larsen once said, “but when a motorist comes to town, tired and weary of the traffic, and smiles when he leaves, does it matter what they think?’

Larsen was born in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1890. At 19, he traveled to Siberia, where he sold Danish butter. He soon immigrated to the United States and attended college in Minnesota. But wanderlust caught him, and he hopped a freighter to South America. He had wandered the world, walking the Appalachian Trail with his dog. Eventually returning to the U.S. and strolling down Colorado Boulevard, bringing up the rear of the Rose Parade one year.

But when he got to Laguna Beach, Eiler Larsen was so captivated by it that he stayed and welcomed the rest of the world there.

His favorite place to welcome tourists was a spot in front of Hotel Laguna. In honor of his contributions to the city, the City Council named Eiler ‘The Official Greeter of Laguna Beach and Goodwill Ambassador’ in 1963. Beginning in 1965, Eiler’s health began to fail. Although he was rapidly loosing strength, he continued to greet visitors whenever he felt up to it. After he died in 1975 at the age of 84, sightseers unaware of his demise continued to look for him.”

He loved people and now his love is being returned and remembered by the town of Laguna Beach that keeps his legend alive ~