Crowds Soak Up Rays at Beaches

With dry Santa Ana winds pushing temperatures into the low 80s Sunday after days of drenching rain, county residents crowded the beaches, freeways and bicycle lanes in pursuit of the sun’s hot rays.

The unusually warm February weather, expected to continue through today, brought out about 5,000 sun worshipers to Huntington Beach, 15,000 to Laguna Beach, and a swarm of 60,000 to Newport Beach, lifeguards reported.

Lifeguards, operating with skeleton crews, reported only one rescue by late Sunday in the calm surf. Most sunbathers soaked themselves with tanning lotion and kept out of the water.

18,000 Pack Seal Beach

At Seal Beach four lifeguards watched 18,000 people pack the beach, close to a normal weekday turnout during the summer. At Laguna Beach, one of three lifeguards on duty along the city’s 3.5 miles of shoreline said he was keeping his fingers crossed.

“Hopefully, the only problem will be at 5:30 or 6 o’clock when everyone hits the road. That is one massive traffic jam,” lifeguard Mark Closterman said.

Other than a few minor collisions on congested bicycle paths, few problems were reported at the beaches.

Lifeguards at Huntington Beach pulled a tired swimmer, Salvador Gonzalez, 20, of La Mirada, from a riptide, lifeguard John Carpenter said.

The high of 84 degrees in Santa Ana did not break the record high of 89 set in 1951, according to county records. The temperatures at local beaches peaked in the 70s and by 4 p.m. Newport Beach reported a more seasonal temperature of 68 degrees. Water temperatures were in the 50s.

High-Pressure System Building

Meteorologists said that a high-pressure system is building over Nevada while a similar system guards the coastline from incoming weather systems. The inland pressure has begun to push dry, well-heated desert air westward.

North to northeast Santa Ana winds of 15 to 25 m.p.h.--with gusts to 35 m.p.h. in some exposed areas--will be blowing through the valleys and out to the ocean today, forecasters said.

In Laguna Beach, the high temperatures did not deter dedicated basketball enthusiasts from pounding seaside courts all afternoon at Main Beach. While a score of men played, dozens looked on or waited their turn on the asphalt.

Harry Ashmore, 21, a Cypress College student by night and electrician by day, said the superior location attracts many to the courts. The two half-courts were in use all day as teams played in friendly but intense competition.

“We get in some fights because we referee ourselves,” Ashmore said. “When you foul then you have to give the ball up and toward the end of the game no one wants to do that.”

Along the boardwalk at Laguna Beach, visitors were treated to 1950s melodies by a group of three men called Sizzle. With sweat dripping down their faces, the men sang favorites such as “Under the Boardwalk” and “Blue Moon,” complete with synchronized choreography and high-pitched solos.

As onlookers bobbed their heads to the music or mouthed the words to the familiar tunes, the three continued what they called their “self-promoting.” During short breaks between songs, Derrick McLaughlin told listeners, “We do parties, weddings and other social occasions. We’ll even sing for your divorce, if you want us to.”