Welcome to the Westside.
Santa Cruz and the surf brand O’Neill go together like Gisele Bündchen and Kelly Slater. A seamless fit. Founded by the pirate-looking Jack O’Neill in San Francisco in the early 1950s but quickly moved to Santa Cruz, the outfit has been making very fine wetsuits since and has also been hosting “Coldwater Classics” for decades in waters that demand the aforementioned fine wetsuits.
Happy marketing though quite surprising that hometown Santa Cruz has not hosted for more than ten years. Well, all that is set to change in a matter of weeks as the World Qualifying Series 1000 event plunges in to the historically significant Steamer Lane.
“It’s pretty epic to have the Cold Water Classic back after all these years,” local Nat Young told Lookout Santa Cruz. “It’s been such a big part of the surf culture up here in Santa Cruz. The Lane is just such an amphitheater of a wave. You look back and the whole cliff is just lined with people, and you can hear all of them out there while you’re in the water.”
Young counts himself a past winner alongside Tom Curren, Martin Potter and Peter “The Condor” Mel.
A WQS 1000 is the bottom of the World Surf League barrel and it is lightly strange that the event is not rated higher. Does Santa Monica hate cold water?
It would seem such with the only truly chilly waves on tour being Bells and J-Bay and maybe the Lemoore if the tule fog drops in.
Burrrr.
But will you head to the Lane to watch in person or will the 1000 rating put you off?
Giselly.
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Vin Scully Blvd after our recent historical season…ended with a mason ho chin burn on the sandy wedge!
In the 1990s I lived a couple blocks from the Lane for two years, and in Santa Cruz for four years. I got lots of great waves there. I miss it. Now only rich people can afford to live there, unless you can tolerate grim housing options.
Proudly sponsored by Crystal Meth
With a touch of fentanyl thrown in, not too much hopefully.
Don’t tell kaipo.
Wave is soft. Locals are hard. Not worthy of a big time event.
Check out middle peak mid winter and get back to me lol
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
I once surfed “the lane” in a 3/2 in February within mere days of being in boardies FOP from an Aussie Summer. It was over 5 years ago and I’m still shivering. Fun wave. Literally one. I had to go in. Brrrrr indeed!
The viewing audience of 1000 level CS is exclusively parents of competitors, sleepy security guards, and stoners unable to muster the motivation to find anything else to watch.
didn’t surf while I was there (balls deep in my unfit, no surf decade), but SC did serve up one of the funnier things i’ve seen while out walking:
a wide eyed young fellow skated past me on a board converted to look like a small flying carpet, looked me square in the eye and from the very depths of his soul told me that in no uncertain terms “magic is reeeeallll!”.
Zoltan has reproduced?
Son of Zoltan maybe.
hugs not drugs while keeping it surreal…did he hang-glide it off the cliffs?
he may have tried, the state the wee fella was in. eyes like dinner plates.
Don’t forget past local champion Kieran Horn!
You really pushing for that Ke11y guy to Steam her lane…
When you have an organization with a bunch of VALS who have no idea what they are doing or surfing history you get a WQS 1000 at Steamer Lane.
A steaming pile of lame!
plenty of kelp…no need to fuck with it!
Kelp yourself!
You should be asking does O’Neill hate cold water if they are stumping up measly prizemoney.
Richie collins also a past winner.
In strange twist of fate, it appears that the tennis tour is a dumb wannabe surf tour:
https://www.washingtonpost….
That board looks fucked, now you can see why!
https://www.instagram.com/r…
gender bender fender board and rider
Aka switchfoot!
Have you heard the news?
https://youtu.be/1JNmz17gnMw
my girl!
Give him a boost
2nd time around!
I hope Bobby presented it!