“She embodies everything about female empowerment. Doing what you want to do, how you want to do it, on your terms.”

Back in March, one of California’s original gal shredders, Janet MacPherson died, although it wasn’t exactly sudden, the old broad was eighty-four.

MacPherson, who started surfing after a trip to Hawaii in 1955, said sometimes men would chuck rocks at her ‘cause they didn’t dig a gal surfing.

It didn’t last long.

In an obituary in the NY Times, her son, the hotelier Shaun MacPherson, told ‘em, “Whenever Janet caught a wave, everyone — truly everyone — backed off and gave her the right of way. Janet was in a category of one.”

In the same obit, her daughter-in-law, Rachelle Hruska MacPherson, founder of the Lingua Franca label, said, “She embodies everything about female empowerment. Doing what you want to do, how you want to do it, on your terms. She never once mentioned being a feminist. She didn’t have to — she just was.”

Anyway, by virtue of being one of the first on the scene, ol Janet accumulated a vast property portfolio along the Malibu coast. And following her death, the family has been slowly offloading each piece, pretty house by pretty house.

A joint in Malibu Canyon fetched $4 million, another on PCH across the road from La Costa Beach is under contract for $2.6 mill.

Until her death in March, the house pictured, four beds, three bathrooms, along with a garage and a separate studio apartment, was bringing Janet ten grand a month.

If you want to buy the place it’s hovering around two-and-a-half mill, and you can buy the “California coastal-chic furnishings” if you want to chip in a little more.

Important note: if you buy, you get membership to La Costa Beach & Tennis Club, built right on the sand there on one of Malibu’s quieter beaches.

Yet to go on the market is a three-unit apartment building on Carbon Beach, a duplex looking over Broad Beach and another three-apartment complex above Point Dume.

A windfall for the kids, yes?

“Every shot of the place looks like a crime scene that’s been cleaned up…”

Four days ago, the WSL’s four million Instagram followers were gifted an innocuous promo spot for the Best and Western in Huntington Beach, California.

The Bee-Dubs HB ain’t the Raffles or the Four seasons, but what is? The hotel’s only hot tub gets a little crowded and the water suspiciously cloudy at times and the breakfast buffet is gonna cost y’fifty a head with a tip, but you’re on the beach, the beds are clean and the rooms are three times the size of their equivalent in Paris.

In the paid advertisement, San Clemente’s Anastasia Ashley, Queen Bitch on ABC’s The Ultimate Surfer and who appeared in a Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit Issue alongside Kate Upton and Chrissy Teigen, gives a little PG POV action in the hotel, wake up, guzzle the coffee, go surf with pals.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by World Surf League (@wsl)

It’s a a lovely spot from the noted influencer whose face is as sharp, as pointed as the beak of a stork and who has the mysterious beauty of things seasoned by storms.

The response from surf fans, however, has shocked even hardened media pundits.

First, from the world’s two most high-profile surfboard shapers.

Carissa Moore’s shaper Matt Biolos, “What is this garbage?”

Jon Pyzel, maker of John John Florence’s fleet, “Pro surfing 2022?”

From the maker of Tour Notes and Kelly Slater bandmate Peter King,
“Every shot of the place looks like a crime scene that’s been cleaned up.”

Others,

“Well if everyone didn’t already think the WSL was a joke I’m pretty sure this sealed the deal.”

“wsl what have you become.”

“Good to see you didn’t fire the creative geniuses that thought “The Ultimate Surfer” was a good idea.”

“I heard this is the new format for the WSL final 5…whomever checks into the most Mid West Best Western Hotels, with speed, power flow and waffles to go will be determined the undisputed world champion of the discounted parking, by Chris Cote…”

“HB police dept always hits up that @bestwestern for crack and hookers.”

“Eric Logan needs to go.”

“Jeesus christttt. You continue to fulfil Bobby Martinez’s premonition. This is painfully awful. If this has anything to do with surfing please let me know.”

“F*ck ELO and the WSL. What the heck happened to the world’s best surfers, in the world’s best waves ???”

“Corporate whores.”

Anastasia’s response to the furore was typically classy, “If anyone is hating on a free breakfast, with inflation I’ll eat all the waffles I can.”

Why the passionate response, y’think?

Is there racism in there that I can’t see?

Or too white?

An intersectional void?

Too sexless given hotness of cast?

As dear Charlie is fond of saying, more questions than answers at this time.