Just got to the west coast on monday, just in time for some swell. Anyways… we hit up silver strand on Monday afternoon. (little did i know at the time about its fabled “localism”). seemed like a good place… mainly because there was only ONE GUY OUT on the whole stretch (jetty to jetty). Not to mention it was reeling, solid 6’-8’+. I mean it was thick and juicy (esp by my florida standards). So me and the buddies paddle out (2 of 5 didn’t make it outside, no suprise), but thats not the point…
when we get back to our trailer (rented from military base) we are greeted with some fine Sharpie artwork. “go home kooks” “f-ck blah blah” “SSL locals” you get the point.
Anyone else deal with this BS before? I mean, what a joke, these guys obviously cant hit it up themselves, so they gotta take it out on our trailer?? im all about showing respect to locals… but this was unprovoked, retarded, and a serious pain in the ass for us.
I would love to have found some ssl and grinded some faces in the sand. Probably just some groms or whatnot, but i just had to vent.
And to all SSL sharpie holders: Watch your ass… cause one day your gonna get whats comin. And work on those nooodle arms too.
i dunno, man…this florida kook had a great time out west (although all the credit for that goes to bobby in ventura and allan in san clemente…you guys (and your respective chicks) are friggin’ awesome).
i still am having a good time… i just couldn;t believe the chip some people carry on their shoulder. i would hate to have people coming and cloggin up my local lineup too, but this was definately NOT the case that day. bizarre
This reminds me of an incident at my local beach where some kids wanted to have a go at my car 'till I “educated them” about the fact that I’d been a “local” here since the time they were diapered and lickin popsickles… Some kids are just being vandals and it has nothing to do with surfing.
One of my favorite stories…a guy I was aquainted with had owned a home there, lived there full time for over fifteen years, worked on one of the bases, and a guy was walking down his street one night and saw his surfboard in his garage, and told him he’d better not ever paddle out there…figured people must really look different out of wetsuits.
Sorry to hear that, The Silver Strand isn’t a place that I would call pristine surf that needed to be protected. It’s just one big ol beach break of San Diego Co. I’m suprised that there was anyone trolling around there, that break really doesn’t work unless it’s a south swell. It was probably some rich kids from Coronado that didn’t have the balls to confront you face to face…There mom probably car pooled them in the Escalade to do the dirty work.
Usually that kind of crap is done by prepube teens, wax on the windshield, tire flat, rock throwing, sharpie pen etc.
I hope you got some waves, next time drop a line to swaylocks and we can turn you on to some better surf.
I think he is refering to “the strand” in oxnard , a rather uncrappy beach break that dish’s up sum of the best barrels in all of socal, but I could be wrong.
Campbell, Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Those kinds of people are the real kooks, and they can sour an otherwise fun trip. It has happened to many of us.
Next time you travel out here, ask on Swaylocks if anyone is in the area you intend to go. My wife and I have a house with extra rooms, and we like visitors. We’d be happy to put you up and point you in the right direction for friendly surf.
I roll with my camera quite often. I snapped this photo right before Orange Ave. getting off the bridge (Coronado Bridge). It seems that the people in Coronado like to write stuff on peoples cars. The other side of this SUV said “Freeway Terrorist”.
I was out north of silver strand on a South when the Lifeguard Truck pulled up and asked for the new faces to kindly get out of the water and go home. He said it over his P.A. system on the truck. He was really polite but you could tell he had been cut off one to many times by a couple of people he had not seen before. The fact is…it gets really good in Coronado… sometimes. Full grinding, spitting barells. The people that live there have to wait a long time for a good day but when it comes…it’s on. I could see why they get pissed…but writing on someones car? Bunch of clowns if you ask me. Did you see the skatepark? Whole different story there! Legit 12 foot bowl, no crowds and the locals are stoked to see you skate it.
One time I had a lifeguard call me out of the water in my old home town of Imperial Beach,Ca. When I finally got out of the water, the L.G. truck came racing up to me as if to chew me out for not listening.
The lifeguard stuck his head out of the truck and said Hey you uhh??? Herb? Herb Spitzer…is that you?..Come to be that the lifeguard in question was Oscar a roommate of my older bro Bob.They lived together in an old converted orphan’s summer cabin next to the old Palm ave. Lifeguard tower/HQ.Dempsy Holder was the landlord and lived in a trailer in the back with his cats and dogs.It was called,“The White House”.
Oscar apologized to me and said he was worried that My Bro Ray and myself would get sucked into the jetty…ya right!..lol…Herb
If you’re talking about Silver Strand in Oxnard, I feel for ya’. Looks like it’s going through it’s seven year cycle. The last crew are getting older, some move away, some go to jail, some die, so the last few years have been kinda mellow…but now it looks like their little brothers, nephews and kids are taking over. Regenerating the cycle of psycho that place is so well known for. I won’t surf there anymore unless I can park in my buddy’s driveway AND paddle out with him and even then I still get stink-eye and a smart-ass remark or two. No great loss for me though, there’s still plenty of great spots in Ventura County that don’t have the hassles of SS.
Definitely hit up Swaylocks before your next trip, I’m sure you’ll get some great advice on where and when to go out. Hell, I’m almost always available around here. I’ll show you some sweet spots with few hassles.
My favorite Oxnard localism story is from 1978. I was a student at UCSB and my housemates went down to Hollywood By The Sea for a surf (warm October day straight offshore). They were checking it and an island style gent pulled up next to them and pulled up his shirt- showing them his pistol and said with a warm smile on his face
“it’s too blindy for non-locals today”. They got in the car and came back to IV. We are still laughing about that, “too blindy for non-locals”. Hilarious
It takes a real pussy to write on someone’s car. Get someone with a cell phone and a zoom lens to photo the vandals so you can take them and their parents to court and make them pay for damages plus. While your friend does that, take out your tripple 6 oz glassed epoxy bomber (and some back up) and bust up every board that drops in on you. I believe in Cali that violent localism has recently been getting more attention in the criminal courts. Don’t let the pricks get away with it. The ocean belong to everyone, not just the kooks who can’t get out of thier back yard.
It takes a real pussy to write on someone’s car. Get someone with a cell phone and a zoom lens to photo the vandals so you can take them and their parents to court and make them pay for damages plus. While your friend does that, take out your tripple 6 oz glassed epoxy bomber (and some back up) and bust up every board that drops in on you. I believe in Cali that violent localism has recently been getting more attention in the criminal courts. Don’t let the pricks get away with it. The ocean belong to everyone, not just the kooks who can’t get out of thier back yard.
Aloha Punasurf -
I agree w/ your points.
One thing going against the Florida guys is showing up w/ 5 guys and a trailer. Going there by yourself can be more seamless. On the other hand, there’s no science behind what punks can do.
Another area of contention over the last few years has been the local pro’s bringing the photgraphers. Feathers get ruffled
yeah it was defrinatley a bummer. But kind of a blessing too, we headed back to Pt. Mugu and found some killer waves. No one out, and this time the paddle was no problem at all (i.e. my bros made it out). Camped out at the base for two nights, waves in the morning were pretty unreal, though the drift was pretty swift. Anyone else surf Mugu?? we kept walking right up to the “live fire, no tresspassing past this point” sign, and drifting down the lineup, then walking back up (just west of the rv parkmaybe 1/4-1/2 mile) . Didn;t find any other access points to the beach on the base, Ive heard about a few other peaks, but we couldn;t find any places that were legal to get to.
surfed Leo Carillo too, (i think) , down the PCH, just south of neptunes net, by the lifeguard station. pretty nice right, though the tide/wind backed it down after an hour or so.
Headin down to mexico tomorrow morning. Gonna get past ensenada and start making some turns toward the beach. Any one got any reports or last minute advice on BAJA?? looks like the swell will be back up shortly. now the wind might be another story. ANy help would be appreciated. also ive heard the cops/feds are in need of some holiday cash, looks like im gonna have to feed more then just my mouth down there. thanks again everyone. hope you all get some good surf this upcoming week too. much karma to all.
I never take twenty dollar bills to Baja. Ones and fives. Separate your money. Have a little in your pocket and the rest somewhere else. Not where it will be found when you are searched. Assume you will be searched. Have Mex. car insurance and tourist card/passport or whatever is required nowdays. Don’t take any dope or weapons etc. Mike
I agree, 5 guys and a trailer to SS, bad idea. Actually going anywhere with 5 guys and boards isn’t too respectful. It will work very well in Mexico though…
