The first news of 2014 was on the battlegrounds of “The Bay.” Bodyboarder and “Blue Crush” actor Christopher Taloa, after being hassled on the hill, organized a Facebook campaign on January 20 to open up the bay, peacefully
“The place is prepped and ready for loving individuals to play in the loving waters of aloha,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “See all you people there and let’s enjoy Martin Luther King Junior’s holiday like the King would have wanted us to.”
Surfers came from all over for what they thought would be their first taste of the right hand perfection. But ironically, the planned takeover led to a Bay Boy reunion, with locals dominating the point.
Another cultural surf wall fell in January when Redondo Beach’s Body Glove became the title sponsor of the 2013-14 Mavericks Invitational. Maverick’s is the backyard of Body Glove rival O’Neill Wetsuits.
“It was as heavy as 20-foot Mavs gets,” said Body Glove team rider Alex Gray, of Palos Verdes. Gray is a member of the the small, elite group of international big wave surfers. He earned his slot when he was named a finalist in the 2012 Billabong Ride of the Year contest for a disgusting tube at Teahupoo. He worked safety on a waverunner at the Maverick’s contest.
“Due to the long period and west swell direction, every wave was ‘slabbing’ [barreling hard] on the bowl,” he said.
South African big wave rider Grant “Twiggy” Baker took home the win.
“There are two contests you need to win to be remembered as a big wave rider — the Eddie Aikau in Hawaii and Mavericks. I’m honored to have won one of them,” he said.
Body Glove and Dive n’ Surf would also sponsored the Big Wave World Tour Todos Santos and the Oregon Pro events..
On March 1, the biggest swell in 30 years hit the South Bay. Break Wall was as big as it gets and local surf pro Chris Wells was on it. He paddled out on what he thought was just a 12-foot day.
“It changed so fast, breaking on the boil with waves feathering by the buoy.” he said. “It was high tide and really dicey, one swell on top of a swell, wreck over wreck, overamp frothing.”
Out on the horizon, Wells saw a massive set coming to slam the line-up.
“It was a four wave set,” he said. “I was so far out, I could see the back of the Avenues. I’ve never been so far out in my life.”
Wells caught waves that day that put him in contention 2013-14 South Bay Boardriders Club Big Wave Challenge.
But on the same massive swell, Alex Gray took off on a now legendary bomb at Torrance Beach. The beach break is not known as a big wave spot because it has no shape on big waves
“His bomb looked like Puerto Escondido and not the South Bay,” Wells said. “Only he could have wanted that wave, and pulled it off.”
The Big Wave finalist included Ted Robinson, Matt Walls, Wells, and Marcelo Malinco. But no one disputed the judges’ decision to name Grey the winner. Gray split his winnings with the other finalist.
Also in March, Gray took down 23 of the world’s best big wave riders to win the the Dive N’ Surf Oregon Pro Big Wave Contest.
In April, retired lifeguard John Macfarlane and former professional surfer and Hap Jacobs teamrider Sparky Hudson were inducted into the Hermosa Beach Surfer Walk of Fame. Also inducted, in the Pioneers category were Bob “Beach Captain” Bergstrom, ski and surf filmmaker Warren Miller, Becher Anderson, Academy Award winning film editor Stu Linder, Dick “Mo” Meine and Fenton “Fent” Scholes. Meine passed away just two weeks the induction, leaving Scholes, 95, as just one of two last surviving members of the Palos Verdes Surf Club.
On the same day, the first LA Surf Awards were presented at the 7th annual Spyderfest. Awards. Photographer Mike Balzer and Ted Robinson received the California Icon Award, Alex Gray was named Breakout Surfer of the Year and Bob Hurley accepted the Breakout Surf Brand of the Year award.
In June, In front of the entrance of the Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach, Bill and Bob Meistrell, two of the most influential men in the history of surfing and diving, and two of the South Bay’s most beloved watermen were memorialized on June 5th with the unveiling of a bronze sculptures depicting the twins as young Los Angeles County Lifeguards. The sculptures were by former pro surfer Chris Barela, who grew up surfing Hermosa Beach breaks. After the statue unveilings, Redondo Beach Mayor Steven Aspel cut the ribbon at the newly remodeled Dive N. Surf shop and Body Glove headquarters.
The summer of 2014 will be remembered for sharks and big south swells. In June local shark footage began appearing on Youtube videos and on social media. Sightings became so common that a shark attack seemed inevitable. If finally happened July 5, one of the busiest weekends of the year. A fisherman on the Manhattan Beach pier hooked a seven-foot great white and while the shark fought to free itself, it crashed into a swimmer training for the Dwight Crum Pier to Pier Swim, held each August. Surfers, paddlers and fellow swimmers, brought the lacerated swimmer to shore. Though cut up, he did not suffer lasting injuries.
On August 27, Hurricane Marie Swell hit South California, lighting up nooks and crannies in San Pedro and Palos Verdes, missing Torrance and Hermosa Beach, closing out Manhattan Beach and El Porto. Former pro Mike Purpus made the trek up to Malibu for the first time in 31 years.
“The first thing I noticed out in the line-up was how much water was moving around the channel. I looked down at the Sunset Beach-esque barrels with paddling surfers appearing like red ants storming the hill,” he said.
Purpus would catch waves that he said rivaled Hurricane Kathleen in 1976.
September 6 saw a surprise party for legendary surfboard craftsmen Hap Jacobs. Friends, family, fellow surf legends and Jacobs team riders stretching back to the 50s attended the party at Captain Kid’s in Redondo Beach.
In November, the Surfing Heritage Cultural Center in San Clemente honored Jacobs with an exhibit celebrating his 60 years of shaping. Attendees included, ‘66 World Champ Nat Young, Robert August of “The Endless Summer,” LJ Richards and Tom Morey.
The Redondo Union High and Mira Costa High Surf Team rivalry has been going on since the formation of the surf league. This year’s contest on December 13 at the Hermosa Beach pier. saw Costa’s Dane Zaun drop into barrels that scored him two perfect 10s, giving the contest to Costa.
The local surf community will miss Palos Verdes Surf Club founding member Dick “Mo” Meine, retired lifeguard and Easy Reader “Surfing Santa” Paul Matthies, surfers Frank Grannis,surfer Skylar Nelson, Chris Hill, Doug Schneider and Los Angeles County Lifeguard Tom Barnett. ER
