Civic Couch
South Bay
ROAD TRIP
I
Central Cal
N S I D E
December Swells
South Bay Surf Series #1
COVER: Los Angeles has never looked so good!
January Opens With A Bang
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Contributing Photographers: Jeff Yusa, Ricky Lesser, Ken Pagliaro and Brad Jacobson Cover: Colin Weinberg photo:jacobson
DECEMBER
Jalian Johnston getting and early Chri photos: Jacobson
CIVIC
2 COUCH
R SHOTS
istmas present
CIVIC
3 COUCH
Red Skies At Night Dane Zaun photo: Lesser
A legend legendary spot. Mike Purpus still going strong Clearingat thea sand in Ventura. photo:jacobson
Andy Prunauer Photo: Yusa
CHRIS
WELLS QUALITY ~ PRECISION ~ INNOVATION ~ SERVICE www.oakfoils.blogspot.com
The Easy Way Out Photo: Pagliaro
CIVIC
4 COUCH
Shaun Burell photo: Jacobson
Marcelo Malinco Photo:Jacobson
South Bay Beach Break
Photo:Jacobson
Chris Wells Photo: Yusa
Pat Webber King of Burnout Photo:Jacobson
Jalian Johnston Double vision.
photo: Yusa Insert photo: Jacobson
Ahhhhhhh photo:jacobson
WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WA
photo: Yusa
photo:jacobson
AVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES WAVES
photo:jacobson
photo: Yusa
WAVES
Kelly Zaun photo: Lesser
Wall photo: Lesser
Matt Pagan Flying over the bushes photo: jacobson
Empty Roller photo: jacobson
Steve Howe Slotted
photo: jacobson
Chad Yoakley photos: Jacobson
Wave Playground Jalian Johnston photo: jacobson
SOUTH B In the men
challengers
tow-in surfer
manhattan
the semis w
dered South
tle for secon
In the wom
naga edge
To accom
and beach day.
The E January 2
BAY SURF SERIES CONTEST #1 (written by the south bay surfriders club) en’s open, old guy Ted Robinson, 48, put on a clinic for his younger ers. The former ASP pro, turned long board pro, turn big wave surfer proved he’s not forgotten how to rip the one-to-three foot anhattan beach slop where he got his start. Robinson squeaked through with a couple of thirds, then took control of the finals. Bewilouth Bay surf league starts Kelly Zaun and Kent Nishiya had to setsecond and third. mens open, youth did prevail when mira costa surfer Rachel Tomied out Becca Rosen and last years series winner Natalie Anzivino. modate the large number of entries, contest director Matt Walls beach marshal Wright Adaza ran 2 heats simultaneously through the E.T. SBBC contest, the second in the series of monthly contest is 21st at 26th street in Manhattan Beach.
SOUTH BAY SURF SERIES CONTEST #1 RESULTS Men’s Open: Long Board: 1. Ted Robinson 2. Kelly Zaun 3. Kent Nishiya
1. Tommy Ostendorf 2. Hudson Riche 3. Jiro Lkeda
Womens Open:
Masters (40-59):
1. Rachel Tominaga 2. Becca Rosen
1. Ted Robinson 2. Matt Walls
3. Natalie Anzivino
3. Warren Kushner
Juniors:
Legends (50 and over)
1. Kelly Zaun 2. Kent Nishiya 3. Jordan Robinson
1. Scott Daley 2. Mike Purpus 3. Derek Levy
Boys (14 and inder) 1. Chris Stimpfl 2. Jack Rowan 3. Kyle Beatty
Groms (12 and under) 1. Sam Reichel 2. Cole Warner 3. Jeff McBride
Micro Groms (9 and under) 1. Luke Snyder 2. Shane Moseley 3. Matt Hahn
The Swell That Woke Up The So
This is the easy way out???
outh Bay
First Winter Swell
Matt Mohegan photos: jacobson
First Winter Swell
Mike McCabe
VENTURA
First Winter
ter
Swell
First Win Swe
Tyler Hatzikian photos: jacobson
Morning Game Plan - Jacobson
rst
nter
well
-Jacobson
Dane Zaun early birthday present photo: jacobson
First Winter Swell
Randy Meistrell
Charlie Carver
photo:
photo:
Pagliaro
Pagliaro
First Winter Swell
Sunny Garcia
photo:
Pagliaro
Balaram Stack Charging
the
photos: jacobson
South Bay
First Winter Swell
Tracey Meistrell photo: jacobson
First Winter Swell
First Winter Swell
Nat Young photo: jacobson
First Winter Swell
Empty Bomb photo:jacobson
Balaram photo:jacobson
FEB / MARCH
6 CIVIC COUCH
First Winter Swell
FEB / MARCH
7 CIVIC COUCH
First Winter Swell
Morning Gold
photo: jacobson
PLEASE let this be the last wave of the set!!!
The beach looked good too
First Winter Swell
One last look - photo: jacobson
Matt Pagan In-between swells Launch photo: jacobson
First Winter Swell
Balaram lining up the wave
photo: jacobson
First Winter Swell
All photos: jacobson
Matt Pagan
Jamie Meistrell
First Winter Swell
Sneaking a view
Dane Zaun photo: jacobson
First Winter Swell
Standing Tall
Matt Mohegan stands tall, ready to run through photo: jacobson
First Winter Swell
Sunny Garcia
photo: Pagliaro
Derek Levy Putting on a Show
photo: Pagliaro
First Winter Swell
Dane Zaun Walking Out - photo: Pagliaro
“Surfing, alone among sports, generates laughter at a skill into an art, but an inexplicable and useless urg — Matt Warshaw photo: jacobson
First Winter Swell
at its very suggestion, and this is because it turns not
ge into a vital way of life�
First Winter Swell
Tyler Hatzikian Holding
his line
photo: jacobson
Matt Meistrell photo: jacobson
First Winter Swell
First Winter ter
Swell
ter
Swell
First Wi
Ready...Set........
First Winter Swell
Jamie Meistrell-Rodeo
Dane Zaun
photo: Lesser
photo: Lesser
First Winter Swell
Kelly Zaun
photo: Lesser
Dane Zaun Drawling Lines photo:jacobson
First Winter Swell
BEACH SCENE F W irst
inter
Swell
ROAD TRIP
SE
Ci
Noah Collins pre-paddle out
SEARCHING NORTH
ivic
Couch Took Seven South Bay Surfers, a Cameraman and a Videographer on a Search For Waves
Central Cal Surf Trip (written by Brad Jacobson) The south bay boardriders “big wave contest” waiting period started on December 1st. The contest had everyone on edge for that next big swell. As luck would have it, the south bay went flat on December 1st. After a week long flat spell, lo-
the day before I called.
cal surfers were getting antsy for
would be too jet lagged and tired but
waves so we went out in search of
I made the call anyway. First reply, “no”. Understandable. You need young energy for a good surf trip. I text Conor Beatty and hear nothing back. Noah Collins is stoked and ready to leave NOW. His parents only request was that I got him back by 5pm Sunday to attend his fathers birthday party. No problem. I feel good about the crew. 4 surfers ,myself shooting stills and Mike Pagan shooting video. Tight fit for one car but doable with racks. We set to leave at 6pm on Saturday. I get a text from Conor at 1pm Sat-
them.
Checking out the surf charts, it looked as if there was a big, steep swell coming in a few days. This swell was too steep to catch the south bay but was going to hit the morro bay area.
I started placing calls. It’s
never a good idea to bring a bunch of surfers to a strange break, especially central california.
The locals there love to keep their spots quiet. I figured that I would call a bunch of people and only get a few people available. First call was Wells, he’s always up for a good swell. “Hell ya, I’m in!”. I needed a good “guide” so I called Jalian next. He lived up there for a few years. “I love the idea, let’s do it”. Justin Genest loves big surf. Called him and got an instant “yes”. Ok, 3 up and 3 in. Matt Pagan had got back from Hawaii
I figured he
urday stating that he missed my text and wanted to go if we had room.
Hmm, Conor is Mr. Personality and would make the trip a lot more fun. We could take another car and ev-
eryone would be much more comfortable for the 4 hour drive.
We will
ROAD TRIP
have to stay away from the local spots but it will be fun. OK, Conor is in.
Matt calls me around 3pm with 20 questions. “Where are we going to surf...Where are we staying.”. He says he is still thinking about it and will get back to me. What if he decides to go? That would be 5 surfers....not really smiled apon in central california. Conor calls back after I hang up with Matt. “Is it cool if I bring Angelo Luhrsen?” Sure, why not. If we are going BIG than let’s do it. I’ve heard good things about Angelo but never met him. “The kid charges big waves”. Good to have him along incase we find bombs. Matt calls me back at 5pm, one hour before departure. I pick him up on the way to Conors. continued on next page ->
ROAD TRIP
Justin Genest, rocky take-off
We roll into Morro Bay shortly after 11pm. The original hotel that I found online took one look at us and turned us away.
“We need a new approach” said Justin. “Everyone stay in the car except 4 of us. We will go in and get the rooms.” This worked better. The guy behind the counter at the second hotel was reluctant but we told him that we would only be in the room for a few hours because we were getting up early to surf .
He gave us the keys and locked the “managers office” door behind us. After testing the 1970’s style “Magic fingers massaging bed” we closed our eyes for a few hours.
We got up before the sun and headed to morro bay for a surf check. Still to dark to see much. We could tell that there was a swell but had no idea how big.
Eager to see a heavily localized spot just a few minutes down the road, we loaded up and headed down. Maybe we’ll be ok if we stagger 7 of us down the wooded trail and leave 2 guys up in the car. It didn’t work. Each twosome in our staggered group got an ear full from some locals.
We de-
cided to respect the spot, view it and leave.
Some of us shed a tear as we looked at double over head, peeling surf that we could not touch.
Matt and the “Magic Fingers” machine
Matt taking a whack at our first stop
The view from the line-up was incredible
ROAD TRIP
From there we headed north. We made it as far as Cambria before turning around. Nothing we saw was as good as the “local spot”. The only thing that spot did for us was set our standards too high. We found a punchy beach break just north of Morro Bay. It didn’t have the size we were hoping for, but the head high sets looked fun. Jalian stroked in to the first wave and scored an in-and-out barrel! It went downhill from there. The tide dropped basically closing out the beach break. The guys surfed long enough to work up a hunger. Jalian knew a great mexican restaurant in Morro Bay so we packed up and headed south. We decided to get our lunch to go and eat it over at morro bay for one last check. As we pulled into the dirt lot we saw waves rolling up the solo rock in the back of the line-up. Stoked, everyone cramed down their lunch and suited up. It was good to finally see waves with size. The surf was so fun that I had to break the only promise I made. To Mr. Collins...sorry that your son was not at your birthday party.
The Crew In Our Lovely Hotel Room Back Row, L-R: Matt Pagan, Justin Genest, Conor Beatty Front Row, L-R: Angelo Luhrsen, Noah Collins, Jalian Johnston, Mike Pagan, Brad Jacobson, Chris Wells
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Matt Pagan Morro Bay
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Matt Pagan
PARTING SHOT Justin Genest COVER SHOT
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Jalian Johnston
Chris Wells
Matt Pagan
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Jalian Johnston
PARTING SHOT Good thing the other guy was jumping out the back!