California Vacation Guide 2015 - 42

SURFING

8 Great Surf Breaks & Towns

Santa Cruz

Watch top surfers take to challenging waves, try
it yourself on friendlier breaks, or just hang out
with the locals
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Rincon Point » This break south of Santa Barbara goes on
and on until surfers' legs go rubbery. See where they recover:
late breakfast at Esau's Café, 10 minutes north in Carpinteria.
santabarbaraca.com LESSONS Santa Barbara Adventure
Company; sbadventureco.com
Malibu » Check out the perfect break (and the celebs) along
this iconic stretch of sand, trimmed by some of the state's
priciest real estate. Get the vibe at Zuma Jay's, the town's
oldest surf shop. discoverlosangeles.com LESSONS Malibu Surf
Shack; malibusurfshack.com

San Diego

With due
respect to
all the other
wave-lapped
realms on
this planet,
California
is surﬁng.

Huntington Beach » "Surf City, USA" has it all: acrobatic surfers near Huntington Pier, the International Surﬁng Museum,
awesome breakfast burritos at The Sugar Shack, and loads of
surf-themed shops. surfcityusa.com LESSONS Corky Carroll's
Surf School; surfschool.net
San Clemente » See surf memorabilia at Surﬁng Heritage
Foundation, watch the wave action near the pier and at
T Street, or head south to legendary Trestles at San Onofre
State Beach. anaheimoc.org LESSONS San Clemente Surf
School; sanclementesurﬂessons.com
North San Diego County » Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff-bythe-Sea, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, La Jolla-welcome
to surﬁng's string of pearls. Perhaps best known: Swami's
in Encinitas, immortalized in the Beach Boys' "Surﬁn' USA."
sandiego.org LESSONS Surf Diva (La Jolla); surfdiva.com
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Bolinas » At this tiny hamlet on the edge of Point Reyes National Seashore, look for beginner-friendly waves, a kick-back
vibe, and barbecued oysters at Coast Cafe. pointreyes.org
LESSONS Bolinas Surf Lessons; surfbolinas.com

LETTING EVERYTHING GO FOR THE WAVE

hough California made it mainstream, surfing remains
an intensely private affair. Each surfer has his or her own
reason for sliding into the water to revel in a joy that is joyously beyond words. Since 1885, when a trio of Hawaiian princes
surfed the mouth of the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, surfers
have prowled the coast, forgoing responsibility and personal hygiene, sleeping in vans, huddling around driftwood fires (especially
in pre-wetsuit days), and leaving chairs empty in corporate meetings for the love of something only the surfer understands. How it
feels when you come to your feet on your board, aware of nothing
but sensation and the moment. How it feels right in your heart.
How it isn't just about the wave. It's sitting on your board,
circled by friends in waters of gold satin as the sun sinks below the
Pacific horizon, dark pelicans swinging low, the stinging kiss of salt
on your lips.
But truthfully, surfers don't care about the history, the global
reach of California surf culture, the sunset or-lets be totally
honest here-even their friends. Surfers care about the moment,
swinging to their feet, wave and heart surging as the world falls
away. -KEN McALPINE
42 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM

Santa Cruz » Walk along West Cliff Drive to see surfers riding
epic Steamer Lane. Visit Santa Cruz Surﬁng Museum, then,
outside iconic Dream Inn, see the mural honoring wetsuit
pioneer (and local) Jack O'Neill. santacruz.org LESSONS Club
Ed Surf School; club-ed.com

The Sugar Shack,
Huntington Beach

CHRIS BURKARD; ALEXA MILLER; KODIAK GREENWOOD

west to the sea. The draw is as inexorable as the tides. Maybe it's
just chemistry: With bodies made up of roughly two-thirds water,
perhaps we are just going back home.

Half Moon Bay » In winter, big-wave experts ride the gargantuan Mavericks break. Watch from coastal bluffs, then see
jaw-dropping photos at Maverick's Surf Shop, or relax by ﬁre
pits at Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. halfmoonbaychamber.org
LESSONS Jetty Betty Surf School; jettybettysurfschool.com

http://www.santabarbaraca.com http://www.sbadventureco.com http://www.discoverlosangeles.com http://www.malibusurfshack.com http://www.surfcityusa.com http://www.surfschool.net http://www.anaheimoc.org http://www.sanclementesurflessons.com http://www.sandiego.org http://www.surfdiva.com http://www.pointreyes.org http://www.surfbolinas.com http://www.halfmoonbaychamber.org http://www.jettybettysurfschool.com http://www.santacruz.org http://www.club-ed.com http://www.VISITCALIFORNIA.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Vacation Guide 2015