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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.
Other Surf Stuff
Capitola tiny surf
George Freeth Statue, Redondo Beach
Tim Kelly
Statue, Hermosa Beach
Seal jetty surf-1
Seal jetty surf -2
Ocean Beach-San Diego surf
Huntington
Surf & Sport Surf Team
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. Beg
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