A message from above
A few years ago, I found myself walking from Cardiff Reef to Seaside, contemplating the age-old question: If God is all good and all powerful,...
Waterspot
John Peck: Aloha, Pipeline’s crown prince
I was 14 years old when I saw the center spread of John Peck doing the impossible. At least it was impossible then, in 1963,...
Surfing: The healthiest activity ever
After 63 years surfing, I am convinced that surfing is the healthiest sport, even though it’s not a sport, that anyone can do. Don’t believe...
Menehune invade La Jolla
The menehune are mythical little people known in Hawaii for their mischievous ways. Think warm-climate, surfing leprechauns. The name menehune was borrowed by the Windansea...
See you at the Boardroom Show
By the mid-1980s, Scott Bass ranked highly among an underground Del Mar surf crew that included Dean and Craig Hollingsworth, Chris Olivas, Mike Emerson, Kevin...
The best surfer in the world
“The best surfer in the world is the one having the most fun.” —Phil Edwards A moderate northwest swell wrapped into Cardiff Reef when...
The Super Girl of Oceanside is from Coast Rica
“Native legends abound with the exploits of those who attained distinction among their fellows by their skill and daring in the sport (surfing) indulged in...
Legends of science and surfing
It’s been over 32 years since I first sat with surfers Sam Armstrong, John Otterson, Fred Borelli, Ignacio Felix, Rusty Preisendorfer, Tyler Callaway and Debbie...
Localism revisited
Through circumstances beyond my control, I lived in the L.A. suburb of Montebello from my birth in 1948 through my departure for Hawaii in 1968....
See you tomorrow
I didn’t know Richard “RC” Cordes when I lived in Maui in 1969. Years later, we compared notes and found that we had both been...
Waterman of the Year
Being a surfer was always something I wore as a badge of honor. But this was a junior achievement badge compared to becoming a “Waterman,”...
Still paving paradise
A meadow gets paved over. A two-bedroom house with 70 years of sprawling landscaping is knocked down to make way for four, million dollar-plus drywall...
Ozzy Osbourne’s surf movie
I’ve known Jesse Schluntz since he was a teenage surf filmmaker struggling to stay awake through San Dieguito math classes. His films featured local talent...
What you can’t see can kill you
You may think that all the cement being poured in North County has no effect on ocean quality. I invite you to think again. All...
Did the first surf leash belong to a pig?
Whether a bodyboard from Costco or a Channel Islands four-fin from Surf Ride, most wave-riding vehicles sold today either come with a surf leash or...