Surf’s Up, California Here We Come!
California surfing is more than just a recreational pastime for many people - it is an obsession, an institution and a religion. Growing up just outside of the city of San Francisco, I was exposed to this phenomenon at an early age. The Pacific Ocean has always been a favored choice for California surfing, where the waves are perfect, the weather conditions ideal, and the beaches clean and safe.
During my teenage years, it was common to sneak out of classes and go to the beach. We would load the boards up on the roof rack, pack some food and water, grab our wetsuits and head west. If the waves were terrible, not to fret, for we still found ourselves on the fringes of the Pacific, where most people in landlocked states dream of California surfing and never see the ocean.
Some people believe that it is easy to just locate a beach on the coast, throw on your suit and start paddling. Only very ignorant people attempt such a thing. The best waves are known to be off the coast of Santa Cruz and parts of Southern California, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a secluded beach that only you have thought of for surfing. Normally if no one is in the vicinity, the waves are either bad or you have to contend with sharks. Though there will be no signs, it is a safe bet to look elsewhere along the coast if you have never gone California surfing.
If you have discovered a prime location for trying out your board, it is probably normal that you will confront some odd and territorial creatures that are inextricably tied to California surfing: the surfer. These half-men/half-seal creatures will usually appear in groups, and can be friendly or aggressive depending on where you go and how competent you are at the sport. If you understand the unspoken etiquette that exists among these men folk, such as giving space to those around you or not taking someone else’s wave than you may get out alive. However, some of these surfers can spare no time or modicum of courtesy to ask you kindly to get off their beach. They may just surf over your head if you get in the way and let the sharks finish you off.
All in all, California surfing is not something to fear, but something to behold. If you are fortunate enough to attend a California surfing competition, you will see some of the best surfers in the world compete at an outstanding level. For many, surfing is an infinite love affair with the sea, and the reason many guys who would ordinarily hold down regular jobs, drop everything and court it so regularly. Many say that California surfing is the closest thing to spirituality they have found, and it may just be.