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Stoked for the Holidays

How to shop for the surfers in your life

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Aholiday confession, as I write this—I’ve done zero Christmas shopping. I don’t think the deck of Uno cards I impulsively grabbed in the checkout line the other day counts.

Caught in a flurried panic this morning about the holiday shopping crunch—and what I was going to write here this week—some thoughts for those of you, like me, who’ve yet to venture out into the holiday hordes.

I’m a big believer in shopping local and supporting small businesses all the time, but this time of year can really make or break some folks. Rather than funding Jeff Bezos’ next space mission, help keep our mom-and-pop shops afloat. There are so many small surf businesses in our area that could really use the support.

For starters, the area’s core surf shops are the backbone of our surf communities here in Dana Point and San Clemente. Help ’em out.

Whether it’s new clothes, wetsuits or whatever the surfy object of desire may be, we’re lucky to have a lot of great shops that employ a lot of great people. Swing into your favorite shop and see what they’ve got going on.

You may find that perfect gift, or you may score the ultimate deal; you’ll never know before you go. Oh, and wax makes

A local Christmas elf enjoys an epic day at the Surfing Santa competition at Salt Creek last month. Hosted by The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, the event benefits Surfers Healing, a nonprofit organization that shares the magic of wave-riding with autistic children. Photo: Courtesy of Surfing Santa Contest/Pacific Dream Photography/South County Photo Club

amazing stocking stuffers—and surfers can never have too much of it.

The same thing goes for surfboards. If you’re a parent keen on ordering that killer custom shape for your young frother, now’s the time. The board won’t be ready in time for Christmas, but an order form under the tree is a gift that keeps on giving (think fresh new board just in time for summer).

But if you want a board you can put a bow on, check the racks in the local shops. There’s no shortage of beautiful, locally made boards out there.

Some people are just plain hard to shop for. My younger brother lives in New Zealand, and figuring out what to get him and then shipping it to the other side of the world is a royal pain in the posterior.

Instead, for the past few years, I’ve made donations to charities in his name. It’s better than sending him something he may not want, and in the end, it’s something we both feel good about.

If you’re keen to support local charities, there are a bunch of outstanding organizations in the area doing amazing work.

A few groups to look into are Surfers Healing, which works with autistic kids; USA Surfing, which is the governing

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY CAPISTRANO VALLEY TOYOTA

GROM OF THE WEEK ISLA PINTO

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Learning to surf at the timeless talent pool that is Blackies in Newport Beach, Isla Pinto moved south to San Clemente with her family in 2021 and has been on a roll ever since.

“She started surfing almost every day and doing the dad push-in division at the WSA events,” her dad, David, told San Clemente Times. “She went from riding my board to riding her own 4-foot-8-inch six months later.”

Rolling into double digits over the summer, a now 10-year-old Isla has been working tirelessly on her surfing. Now competing in the paddle divisions of NSSA and WSA contests, she made a WSA final at Ocean Beach in October and backed that up with an NSSA final in Huntington Beach.

Staying hot in November, she made another WSA final up in the chilly waters of Morro Bay. Most recently, she made yet another WSA final, this time in her home waters at the San Clemente Pier.

“She is progressing quickly and enjoys it thoroughly,” her dad says with a smile. “She’s made some great friends of the solid younger girl crew that regularly surf Trestles.” SC

If you have a candidate for Grom of the Week, we want to know. Send an email to jakehoward1@gmail.com. body of America’s Olympic program; the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, which preserves and shares the sport’s rich history; and, of course, Surfrider Foundation.

Along that same vein, the Dana Point Surf Club and San Clemente Board Riders are the area’s two big surf clubs. Both are dedicated to bringing their respective surf communities together and having a positive impact.

Family-oriented and fun, if it’s something you may be interested in supporting or getting involved in, hit them up. Both clubs have active Instagram accounts and can be contacted directly.

And for those on a budget, you’re golden. I’m a big fan of USED Surf. It has an amazing inventory of boards, and its customer service is top-shelf. It’s worth stopping by if you’re in the market for a first surfboard for somebody or a board that won’t break the bank.

While you’re in San Clemente, the Rip Curl Trestles Surf Outlet is the goto for fantastic wetsuit deals.

If and when you shop around the streets of Dana Point and San Clemente, keep in mind, there are things surfers will always use: wax, wax remover, leashes, fins, ding repair kits, sunscreen—and the list goes on.

Even if you’re not on the hunt for the big-ticket items like a board or wetsuit, there are plenty of options to stoke out the surfers in your life.

Jake Howard is a local surfer and freelance writer who lives in San Clemente. A former editor at Surfer Magazine, The Surfer’s Journal and ESPN, today he writes for a number of publications, including Picket Fence Media, Surfline and the World Surf League. He also works with philanthropic organizations such as the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center and the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation. SC

SURF FORECAST

Water Temperature: 59-60 Degrees F Water Visibility and Conditions: 10-15’ Thursday: Small NW swell blends with a touch of fresh SSW swell, providing knee-thigh high surf to better-exposed breaks while standouts pull in waist-high sets. Clean surface conditions in the early morning from light/variable to locally light offshore wind out of the NE, though a medium tide will slow the small swell mix. Light onshore westerly wind picks up late-morning and builds through the afternoon for bumpier conditions. Outlook: The SSW swell picks up a touch through the weekend, keeping surf in the knee-waist high range at average breaks as summer focal points pull in a few larger sets. Morning surface conditions look generally favorable as light winds continue, trending to manageable onshore westerly wind each afternoon. A trend to deep early morning high tides will slow the dawn patrols over the weekend, so spots that can handle the extra water will be your best bet. Look for many breaks to improve as the tide drops through the mornings.