Locals only!
The ink is not yet dry on the the banner “Angriest Man in Surfing” but Malibu’s Andy Lyons, who earned the title by smashing a rock into a yellow alternative crafted surfboard then paddling out beyond the pier, may have competition down the coast in tony La Jolla.
Local news is reporting that police in the area have stepped up surveillance around Windansea after a spike in wantonly violent surf altercations in the water and on shore.
Per La Jolla Light:
The afternoon of Aug. 13, a male surfer and some others in the water got into an argument that led to “throwing some punches” and the surfer being held underwater for “what he estimated was about 30 seconds,” according to SDPD Officer Brian Avera, who oversees investigations in the department’s Northern Division, which includes La Jolla. The surfer did not give a reason for the argument in his statement to police.
“It was a very dangerous situation,” Avera said. “If anyone has been taken underwater and thought they were going to die, that is going to get our attention.”
There have been problems at Windansea for years, “almost to the point that it is a generational issue,” Avera said. But this was the first major altercation to be reported to the Police Department, he said.
“In general, we have had fights in the area … that are more of a territory thing; people feel it is their area to surf,” Avera said. “So we are certainly going to be vigilant and make sure we are allocating our resources throughout La Jolla to make sure it stays safe. We are dedicating more personnel, seven days a week, even overtime, to the area.”
In the Malibu case, the man who owned the alternative craft surfboard (wrongly identified as a “boy” early on), refused to go to the police, earning Lyons’ respect.
The underwater surfer, apparently, chose to involve law enforcement and may gain appreciation from onetime Stab editor Ashton Goggans.
Have you views, in any case, evolved as they relate to surf violence or are you still a grumpy local?
More as the story develops.