Sunday, January 8, 2012

Surf's Up Along the California Coast

Surfers paddling out into the surf at Half Moon Bay, California.

As I was driving around running errands on Friday I heard on the radio there was a big wave warning for the California Coast this weekend.  They were telling visitors to the beach to be careful and not to linger too long on the edges of coastal cliffs.

Hooeee. I thought I might drive over and see some big curls!

There is a big, one-day surf contest called the Mavericks and they actually don't want you going over to Half Moon Bay to observe it. In recent years some of the big waves have hit the cliffs and knocked over a couple of people in the audience. They were lucky that is all that happened.

But today was not the Mavericks day--the contest officials pick one day when the surf will be the highest of the season and this was not the day. I hauled along my video gear in vain--well, it was just my iPhone. So, just to prove I was there, I rolled a little anyway and did catch one guy (near the end) taking a very short little ride.


So the good news is that no waves came along and knocked anyone off a cliff. But the better news is that it was about 70 degrees over at Half Moon Bay today--right in the middle of winter at what can be the very chilly California Coast. Lovely.

Nobody has figured out a way to tax this! Or regulate it! Or hold a focus group on it! Or a charrette!   And there is no Master Plan affecting its future.

And then--another reason to be happy:  I was just in Denver, Colorado ... 

My brother-in-law Dan keeps in shape clearing the snow, 12/22/2011.


Nothing against Denver, but I think surfing is better exercise.

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