Santa Cruz County - 2008 Official Traveler's Guide - (Page 40) exploring Santa cruz cou Santa Cruz is reputed to be the birthplace of mainland surfing, when in the 1800’s, visiting Hawaiian princes surfed the mouth of the San Lorenzo River on redwood surfboards crafted from a local lumber mill. Nearly half a century later, local teenagers began crafting hand-made wooden surf boards. Prompted by surfers from southern California drawn to the surf breaks on the Santa Cruz County coastline, the teens perfected their boards and created friendships. Thus, Santa Cruz surfing emerged out of camaraderie between northern and southern Californians. Local surf legend Jack O’Neill pioneered the modern-day wetsuit, creating his first models from neoprene. He then designed a “shorty,” a “long john” and a long-sleeved beaver-tail and surfboards and get you up on the waves. Once you’re ready, grab your big stick and head to Capitola Village beach or Pleasure Point and challenge yourself at “The Hook.” If you’re not ready to take to the waves, stay dry and hang loose at Lighthouse Point. The Point overlooks Steamer Lane, where talented tube riders shoot the curl at Santa Cruz’s legendary surfing spot. But a surfboard isn’t the only way to enjoy the waves. Skim boards, paddle boards and boogie boards are available for rent at most surf shops. Surf kayaking is an exhilarating sport gaining in popularity. Kiteboarding combines the best of windsurfing and wakeboarding with kites designed to get gigantic air. Waddell Beach, north of Santa Cruz, is the hot spot for this adrenaline-packed sport with top riders grabbing as much as 40 feet of air off the cresting waves. Beginning as a rebellious surfing spin-off, skateboarding has been part of local culture since the early 1960s. Visiting skaters can grind at four area skateboard parks: the Ken Wormhoudt Skate Park at Mike Fox Park in Santa Cruz, Ramsay Park in Watsonville, the Jim Keefe Skate Park at Highlands County Park in Ben Lomond, and the Tim Brauch Memorial Skate Park at Skypark in Scotts Valley. While surfing and skating tend to define Santa Cruz County’s sporting reputation, the area is also a veritable mecca for mountain bikers. With an enviable number of parks, Santa Cruz County has countless trails geared for bikes. Winding single tracks through shaded 40 jacket. The surfing experience was enhanced, based in large part to the early wetsuits that helped keep surfers warm. Cowell Beach next to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf is undeniably the best place to learn to surf. Surf instructors provide wetsuits “ Santa cruz, california is an absolutely great place for mountain-bike riding – frankly, for my money, you just can’t go wrong ” SeVen-tiMe tour de France Winner Lance arMStrong Photo: Pasatiempo Golf Course 2 0 0 8 O f f i c i a l S a n ta c r u z c O u n t y t r av e l e r ’ S G u i d e
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