HUNTINGTON BEACH CALIFORNIA IS THE SURFING CAPITOL OF THE MAINLAND USA

Huntington Beach Surfing Photos and Information   California surfing

Surfing America introduced USA Amateur Surf Team in Huntington Beach, California on December 2, 2004 at the world-famous Huntington Beach Pier. The team launched it debut with International Surfing Association's (ISA) Quiksilver Junior World Championships in Tahiti. It included Bethany Hamilton, the promising 14-year-old surfer from Hanalei, Hawaii, who was attacked by a shark in October 2003 and lost her left arm.

Surfing America was recently formed as a Huntington Beach-based National Governing Body for surfing competitions for young amateurs. The City of Huntington Beach hosts over 50 days of surfing competitions, not including high school surfing meets with teams from Edison High School, Huntington Beach High School, Marina High School, Edison High School and Dwyer Middle School.

Huntington Beach hosts so many meets and competitions, in fact, that local surfers met with the City event planners several years ago requesting that the City limit rather than expand the number of competition days. Some of the world's great surfing professionals such as Timmy Turner come from Huntington Beach and use the area north and south of the Huntington Beach Pier for daily practice when not on the road.

Numerous organizations compete in Huntington Beach with nearly every demographic represented. Groups include: HB Wahines, a recently-formed club of ladies and girls who meet regularly to surf; HB Longboard Club is a loose-knit group comprised primarily of those growing up on longboard surfboards; HB Surf Series is a competition for amateur surfers from groms to seniors owned and operated by two Huntington Beach surfing pro brothers, Jeff and Barry Deffenbaugh; Christian Surfers United States and Black Surfing Association are but a few represented in local waters. Other larger organizations include NSA (National Surfing Association); NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association); WSA (Western Surfing Association which is changing from USSF-United States Surfing Federation with WRSA or Western Region Surfing Association); NSA (National Surfing League); and ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) with its World Tour. The list of groups and events is daunting, especially for newcomers or casual observers trying to understand competitive surfing.

The recently-formed Surfing America runs the North America Regional Office of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) from its Huntington Beach headquarters and administers the domestic pro surfing events that qualify pro athletes to ASP’s World Championship Tour. Huntington Beach hosts a stop on this world tour event, US Open of Surfing and Beach Games. Stops in the World Championship Tour series are rated with one to six stars.

Organizers of Surfing America designed an athletic development program from the bottom up, creating a framework, selecting teams from the best surfers in the nation and raising sponsorship money to pay for their expenses. Through creation of training standards and endorsement of surf schools, camps and recreation programs, the expressed goal is to build the ultimate USA Surf Team.

Hoping to host a 2005 World Junior Surfing Championships and 2006 World Surfing Games in Huntington Beach, the organizers have made necessary allies for funding and support with industry giants Billabong, Body Glove, O’Neill, OP, Quiksilver, Reef and Rip Curl. From a historical perspective Huntington Beach receives large crowds for surfing events when tied to other sports and entertainment such as skateboarding, BMX and concerts. In recent years, the crown jewel US Open of Surfing has provided a mixed bag with lackluster wave heights and shapes. Unlike Hawaii's Sunset Beach where the waves alone can carry spectator interest, Huntington Beach finds its greatest success in multi-faceted events with Surf Villages, demo booth giveaways and arenas with a variety of sports occurring simultaneously.

Huntington Beach is known for its lifestyle of casual, laid-back living and surf-friendly policies that permit wet feet and boards to be parked at local restaurants and shops. Some businesses along the California coast excuse tardiness or absence due to great surfing conditions and jokingly refer to the boardroom as the place where surfboards are kept. Huntington Beach's Surf City is possibly USA's best mainland moniker for the spirit Hawaiians know and love. They call it "Aloha."

Philips Fusion US Open of Surfing and Beach Games is a one-week surfing and extreme sports festival attracts world-class athletes from across the globe and features the US Open of Surfing, along with skateboarding and BMX biking competitions. The event includes music and a huge expo. For more information contact (310) 473-0411

Surf City, CA, --- Huntington Beach Pro/Junior Surf Series, the first Pro/Junior series ever in California is held at the famous Southside of the Huntington Beach Pier.  

The event seeks the best of the young up and coming rippers.  This new Pro/Junior format is a much-needed change.  It will help train young amateurs into strong, smart and experienced professional competitors, as well as give the young pros a chance to showcase their talents in front of a big venue, preparing them for the WQS and World Circuit Tours. Preparations are underway to make this the most competitive season yet.  These events will produce the next generation of California’s best.  The pier at Huntington is synonymous with the sport of surfing on mainland USA.  HB Pro/Junior Surf Series is proud to have all of its contests at this prestigious spot. 

Each event ran for three days. Pro/Junior surfers and Air Show contestants in Pro/Junior division for surfers who are 20 yrs. old or under. The Macho Airshow division is open to all ages.  Amateur surfers will compete on Sunday in the following divisions: Super Groms (11 & under), Boys (12-14), Juniors (15-17), Mens (18-28), Masters (29 & up), Longboard and Womens (age open).   Due to limited space, competitors are encouraged to pre-register to guarantee their entry into the competition.

The HB Pro/Junior Surf Series runs four man heats, with the top two advancing. The level of competition and excitement increases throughout the day as the top competitors move toward the finals.  The HB Pro/Junior Surf Series is USSF sanctioned (United States Surfing Federation).  Amateur surfers who reach the top four overall in the ratings are eligible to surf in the USSF Surfing championships.

JEFF DEFFENBAUGH has been surfing for over 20 years. From Jeff:

For someone who's never surfed Huntington's waves, it's extremely varied. Some days you've got perfect peaks and other days it's just plain horrible. Huntington is one of the only places where you've got so many different kinds of waves -- heaving shorebreaks, big, mushy outsiders, walled-up swells, peeling lines. It just takes so many different swells, and there are so many variables that change day to day. It's not like Lowers, where you can say, "Oh, the rights are better than the lefts today." Today, for example, I got up and checked it and it was just shorebreak. Later, my friend called me up and said, "The wind started blowing offshore and the tide went out. It was perfect -- where were you?" It helps to check it often. Huntington's best advantage is that you can just tear the lips off waves. The worst thing is that the best days are few and far between.

When beginning surfers get in the way--I can't tell you how many guys have paddled out there and don't have a clue what they're doing. When somebody gets in my way, I'll point down the beach and say, "This is where you should be! That way!" But Huntington is just so accessible that you can't control it. It's not like Windansea where you have this tight crew managing the break. Kooks getting in the way are an everyday event at Huntington.

It's kind of a tough call: on the one hand, these visitors are boosting the local economy and, on the other, they're clogging up the lineup. Yeah, but we don't see any changes. They just raised the annual beach-parking fee. Locals don't even get discounts, whereas in the past, they used to. I've kinda been in a bad mood lately. Just the other day, some guy who I've never seen before got in my way while I was paddling out and almost killed me. Then, he tried to say it was my fault. It's just so frustrating.

The best places to hang out in Huntington--There aren't any anymore. Let me tell you this: anybody who is a local hardly ever hangs out downtown. Huntington has become so large and spread out now. If I ever want to see any of the older crew, I usually head down to the Sugar Shack.

There really aren't any surf shops that cater to the Huntington locals. I can't even walk into a surf shop anymore and grab a bar of wax. The guy behind the counter looked at me the other day and said, "Can I help you with something?" I said, "I'm just grabbing a bar of wax." The guy was like, "Do you work here?" And I said, "Dude, my name is Jeff. My photo is right there on the wall." Then the manager stepped in and said, "You ****. That's Deffenbaugh." The kid replied, "I thought he was bigger." It bums me out: they gotta recognize the local crew.

Huntington Beach is the alleged Surf City: a land of palm trees, riots, reform madness, body art, heat sheets, pink stucco, tar babies and a surfing Walk of Fame. Huntington, like many of Hollywood's sagging heroes of yesteryear, has undergone some major cosmetic surgery over the past few years. The Pier alone has been reconstructed some half dozen times. Mom-and-pop liquor stores and surf shops have transformed into block-sized palaces equipped with movie theaters, health food and top-rate surf goods. Like it or not, the days of Huntington as a mellow little surf town are over. Despite all the surrounding changes, the waves remain unchanged. Diehards swear by the break, claiming it's the ultimate surfer's wave, and others just laugh and say that contest organizers can have it every day of the year, for all they care. Whatever the case, there are still classic California days to be had at the Pier. Just wake up early one morning and if it's a peaky swell with Santa Ana winds, you'll side with the diehards. The division between the two main breaks is a logical one. - Jeff Deffenbaugh is a good businessman, all around nice guy and is passionate about surfing.

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• Surfers Hall of Fame Recipients List and Bios

Surf Notes

• Cliffs  Long rolling, soft, easy waves. Good for beginner to intermediate. Access to the beach is difficult, and it's a steep walk down the cliffs. Parking is metered. How to Get There Between Warner Ave. and Golden West St. on Pacific Coast Highway. 
• Huntington Beach Pier  Consistent breaks on any swell. North side has a nice right all the way from outside to a fast inside section. South side has a nice left, fast inside section. Both sides get very crowded. The pier is located at Main St. and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. The south side of the pier is where most championships have been held. 
• Seal Beach (local SpOnGeR999@aol.com) submitted this:  Ok, where to begin.  Most surfers coming to SB surf next to the pier. The Seal Beach Pier has 2 main spots. The north side is generally for long boarders, short boarders and bodyboarders mellow long rolling lefts and short playful rights.  However, during the summer, black ball goes into effect, banning all Surfboards on the North side of the pier so that it can become a safe swimming/body boarding environment for families.  This usually takes place around 11 a.m.  The south side can offer a dangerous shorebreak -- inexperienced swimmers and bodyboarders are advised to stay out!!!!  Especially during winter months!!!!  The River Jetty (San Gabriel River) usually gets surfers in the aafternoon when people can't ride the pier.  I would advise staying out of the River!!!! Constant runoff contamination and strong currents when the tide is sucking can send you out to sea, you could end up way past the pier without even realizing. Plus, it's the only remaining spot in Seal Beach where you will find locals, generally good people unless you are in their way, making it dangerous to surf the river.  For beginners, the best place to surf is Crabs.  Crabs is a very mellow wave close to shore and directly in front of lifeguard tower. for experienced surfers only, you can venture into the river and sometimes find long peeling rights, Barracudas is a short right, next to the rocks with high risk factor involved. 
• Newport Beach River Jetty  The Surf  Very shallow break and fast. This is an advanced  spot to surf.  How to Get There  Follow Pacific Coast Highway south of Brookhurst  St. to just over the Santa Ana River Bridge. Make a right at Orange Ave. 
• Surfside Inconsistent breaks  The jetty referred to as "The Bowl." The wave rebounds off the jetty making it very fast and  steep. It breaks to the right only. The Hole  is fast, long and to the right. The lefts have a nice bowl on the inside. Very crowded. How to Get There Surfside is just off Anderson St. and Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach. Look for the Harbor House Cafe and go straight back to the beach from there. The jetty will be on your right. 
• Blackies The Surf  Peaky, fun waves right or left, but it gets very  crowded.   How to Get There  Blackies is the term used for the Newport Beach  Pier area -- follow the signs south on Newport  Blvd. from Pacific Coast Highway. It is the first  pier on the right. 
• The Wedge  Mostly summer swells. Bodysurfers or bodyboarders  rule the spot. However, starting to see more  people surf. It usually only breaks over 8 ft.  right on the beach. How to Get There  The Wedge is at the end of the Balboa Peninsula -  follow Balboa Blvd. south from Pacific Coast  Highway until you reach a split in the road.  Follow the road right and find parking at the end  of the street. 
• Laguna Beach  Very local spot. Good long lefts and racy to inside section. Stays glassy through most of the  day. How to Get There Brooks St. is just south of Broadway on Pacific  Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. It's about half a  mile south of Broadway and requires a walk down  some steps. 
• Salt Creek Highly overrated. Breaks on almost all swells.Fast wave with steep drop. Very crowded. Don't forget to feed the parking meters! How to Get There Salt Creek is the name for San Juan Creek -- Take Pacific Coast Highway to Doheny State Beach in Dana Point and park at the beach.
• Trestles Multiple breaks at Trestles keep almost anyone happy. Lowers is a crowded spot, which makes catching waves difficult. It could take you all day to get a wave in. Uppers and cottons would  not be as tough. Access to the beach is a long walk down a trail. How to Get There  Trestles is located off San Onofre State Beach Park there and walk north along the railroad  tracks to the trestles, which is basically a  series of railroad bridges. San Diego surfers break down the coastline with surgical precision. Here are the best spots in the county for surfing -- at any level of expertise
• Big Rock  Just south of Palomar Avenue, La Jolla  Moids. Lobster Lounge. The Rock. They all spell La Jolla's left tube. Between Windansea and La Jolla  Strand Park.  Expert
• Black's Beach (Torrey Pines City Beach)  La Jolla A nude sunbathing spot -- but who's looking. This is one of the best beach breaks in California. Expert 
• Sunset Cliffs  If you don't know where it is, you don't need to.  Expert
• North/South Garbage Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Ladera Street  Great peaks in front of Sunset Cliffs' Ladera Street.  Intermediate 
• Pipes, Cardiff  Swami's easygoing neighbor to the south. Intermediate  South Mission Jetty, Mission Beach   A blessing courtesy of the Army Corps of Engineers. Beginner 
• Swami's, Encinitas  North County's mystic beach and one of San Diego's classic point breaks. Expert 
• Tourmaline Surfing Park, Pacific Beach  The bunny slopes. Beginner 
• Windansea Beach, La Jolla Consistent, crowded, protected -- the best of the La Jolla reef breaks.   Expert 
• Horseshoes Between Marine Street and Coast Boulevard, La Jolla  La Jolla's answer to Australia's Shark Island.  Expert 
• Hospitals South end of Coast Boulevard, La Jolla  Why do you think they call it Hospitals?  Expert 
• Imperial Beach  A diverse cast of characters, and some of the most hollow tubes in the county.  Intermediate 
• Indicators Hill Street and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard Sunset Cliffs' outer big wave zone.  Expert 
•  La Jolla Shores Nice, slow and easy. Perfect for learning.  Beginner