HIGH LIFE : Best Beaches? It’s a Matter of Surf, Sand, Girls, Boys
Bikinis . . . suntan oil . . . muscles . . . surfboards.
No doubt, the top spot to relax or play has to be where the surf meets the sand. But is one local beach better than another?
Which beaches are the most popular with surfers? With girls looking for guys? With guys looking for girls? With everybody looking to avoid tourists?
Here are some responses to this week’s hot topic: “Which is Orange County’s best beach and why?”
“Newport Beach--it’s got rippin’ tides.”
--Jeff Pulfer, 15,
sophomore, Bethel Baptist
“Balboa--there are a lot of cute guys.”
--Melissa Morley, 18,
senior, Bethel Baptist
“Balboa--it has a lot of things to do other than collecting seashells.”
--Julie Barrett, 17,
senior, Brea-Olinda
“Newport Beach--the surfing conditions.”
--Robert Wheatley, 16,
sophomore, Brea-Olinda
“Newport Beach--it’s the cleanest.”
--Laura Christoffersen, 16,
senior, Brea-Olinda
“Victoria in Laguna Beach--the water is pretty clear and usually warm, also, it’s not too crowded and in a very pretty area.”
--Erin Griffin, 18,
senior, Capistrano Valley
“Trestles in San Clemente--there’s so many surfers. Girls mainly go to the beach to get tan and to meet rad guys.”
--Erin Rebel, 15,
junior, Capistrano Valley
“Big Corona--the ethnically diverse makeup of the beach-goers.”
--Morgan Evans, 16,
junior, Corona del Mar
“Lower Trestles in San Clemente--for waves; it’s the most fun place to surf because the masses of humanity at more well-known beaches like Newport Beach bug me. Still, one is lucky to find uncrowded waves at Trestles.”
--Alex McClintock, 16,
sophomore, Corona del Mar
“Newport Beach--between 15th and 18th streets when the south flow kicks in, but there are too many tourists there from New York.”
--Jim Middlemas, 16,
sophomore, Corona del Mar
“Laguna Beach--it has those nice art shows and all those great shopping centers.”
--Nadine Tsutsui, 17,
senior, Cypress
“Huntington Beach--the OP pro (surfing) tournaments seem to attract the best-looking guys in California.”
--Connie Camargo, 17,
Jeanie Lee, 17,
seniors, Cypress
“Laguna Beach--there’s a lot of things to do there, like playing basketball and volleyball, plus it has nice restaurants and shops.”
--Victoria Kogan, 17,
senior, Cypress
“Three Arch Bay--it’s secluded, close to the water and has a cool breeze.”
--Vicki Kennedy, 18,
senior, Dana Hills
“Moss Point in Laguna Beach--it is a secluded beach that only locals know about. You get a genuinely natural California atmosphere.”
--Chris Stevens, 17,
senior, Dana Hills
“Laguna Beach’s Main Beach--not particularly because of the waves or anything, but there are a lot of things happening in that area--it’s interesting.”
--Brandy Elser, 16
senior, Dana Hills
“Balboa--it has the most and the best guys.”
--Julie Nitkin, 15,
junior, Edison
“Huntington Beach--there’s good facilities and lots of fire pits so you can stay there longer.”
--Steve Bringham, 17,
senior, El Dorado
“San Clemente--the waves and the girls.”
--Mike Cavlovic, 14,
freshman, El Toro
“Salt Creek--it always has competitions, and it’s a lot of fun.”
--Kim Cohen, 15,
junior, El Toro
“The Wedge--mostly kids and it’s happening.”
--Carrie Hardeman, 14
sophomore, Fountain Valley
“Newport Beach--it appeals to all sorts of people; it’s less crowded than Huntington; it provides an area for kids, surfers and those who just are going for the sun. It also has easy access to Balboa as well as many other key points of interest in the area.”
--Dane Hamada, 17,
junior, Garden Grove
“You have a pier (at Huntington Beach) to take a nice walk on, great surf for those who enjoy water sports, coarse sand that won’t blow in the winds like at Newport, and snack stands every couple of hundred feet. What more could a beach-goer ask for?”
--Joe Dean, 17,
junior, Garden Grove
“Huntington Beach--it has the best waves.”
--Kristine Williams, 15,
sophomore, Loara
“Newport Beach--it’s rad.”
--Meeka Houston, 15,
junior, Los Alamitos
“Huntington Beach--the pier, and my friends go there.”
--Julie Rockafellor, 14,
sophomore, Marina
“San Clemente Pier--there’s a lot of cute guys and friendly people; also, San Clemente is kept clean and the sand is not too rocky.”
--Monica Barth, 16,
senior, Mission Viejo
“Huntington Cliff--it’s neat down there and there are good waves.”
--Rob Trounce, 17,
senior, Ocean View
“Seal Beach--it’s got the cute little shopping center and you can buy fresh barbecued food. You can bike as there are a lot of winding streets with slopes and valleys--it’s a biker’s paradise. It’s also a clean beach and it has a nice pier. In fact, the last time I went, there was a wedding taking place right on the pier. It has a small-town atmosphere and everyone’s so friendly.”
--Amy Mohan, 17,
senior, Orange
“Newport Beach--the girls.”
--Jorge Rivero, 17,
senior, Santa Ana
“Balboa--it’s got the Pavilion, shops and the pier.”
--Carin Ming, 14, sophomore,
Southern California Christian
“Laguna Beach--the scenery is beautiful and the beach is clean.”
--Uyenly Bui, 16,
junior, Trabuco Hills
“San Onofre--it’s mainly a surfing beach and good waves attract cute guys. It is also a beach that is not quite as crowded as the more trendy and popular beaches.”
--Joelle Jackson, 15,
junior, Trabuco Hills
“San Clemente--there are many varieties of people; the waves are usually good and many kids my age go there.”
--Matt LeRay, 16,
junior, Trabuco Hills
“Newport Beach--better surf.”
--Shannon Shank, 14,
sophomore, Tustin
Next Week’s Hot Topic: “What do you like most about summer school?”
Hot Topic responses gathered by Chris Bergerud, Julie Cosgro, Roxane Dyrud, Julie Graves, Darcy Griffin, Kristin Hardeman, Stephanie Jeffers, Lynda Kim, Chai Mai, Monica Neal, Gabriel Saldivar, Dawn Stone, Tricia Wertner, Tina Wheatley and Patrick Yoon.