“Disgust and consternation” percolate after Santa Monica named North America’s best beach

"It's a yucky place..."

North America, stretching from Panama all the way up to Kaffeklubben Island, is as diverse a continent as any of the seven. Snow-capped mountains, rolling deserts and tens of thousands of miles of coastline. The weight placed upon the shoulders of the World Travel Awards’ judges this year, sitting in front of postcards from Waikiki, Cape Cod and Myrtle Beach and needing to pick a winner, extremely great.

Surfers, generally migratory, have long appreciated the World Travel Rewards “stablished in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.”

Very helpful for surfers planning that next shred-cation, or at least very helpful until this year when Santa Monica was named North America’s Leading Beach Destination.

The Los Angeles-adjacent homeless camp, featuring sewage-y water, consistent 2-foot closeouts and the stink of progressive policy gone wrong, beat out Vancouver Island, Maui and last year’s winner Miami Beach to take home the hardware.

Clearwater Beach, in Florida, was also beaten out.

I once went to Clearwater Beach during a tour of Florida for Surfing Magazine. The town is basically owned by Scientology and I tried to go have lunch in the Flag Service building but was blocked by guards then chased by twenty-year-olds wearing khaki pants and light blue polo shirts back to my car. It was a weird scene but the khaki/light blue was the part I found the strangest, for some reason. It lacked… le style.

Back to Santa Monica, though. Are you a fan or disgusted and consternated by its selection?

More as the story develops.