Breaks Remain ‘Killer’ For O.C. Surfers

Butch Itakua loves to surf so much that sometimes he opens his video shop in Irvine late because the surf is up.

After 25 years of surfing Orange County beaches, Itakua knows the spots. But like a migratory bird that returns to the same nest year after year, the San Clemente resident usually finds himself at the same spot.

“I like the river jetty between Newport Beach and Huntington Beach at the mouth of the Santa Ana River,” Itakua said. “I like the tube rides and the steepness of the waves.”

Itakua, 40, a native Hawaiian who is a cousin of surfing legend Gerry Lopez, doesn’t have any illusions about his place in the surfing order. He knows he’s not a Kelly Slater. But that’s the nice thing about surfing Orange County: you don’t have to be a legend to have a good time.

“Orange County has always had a rich history of surfing spots,” said Michael Marckx, marketing manager at Surfing magazine. “With its myriad of breaks to choose from, it offers good surf for the beginner and the expert, the longboarders and shortboarders. And while we don’t have a Killer Dana any longer, there are plenty of surfing spots to pick from.”

Before Dana Point became a harbor in 1970, Killer Dana was considered one of the best surfing spots in the world.

“That was before they physically changed the bottom of the ocean,” Marckx said.

“It was one of those seminal moments in surfing history. And for the first time, the surfing community had to sit back and watch as one of their playgrounds was taken away from them.”

But there are still plenty of good spots remaining. , Just don’t expect to find anything new.

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“If you’re expecting to find some pristine spot in the area, forget it,” Marckx said. “There isn’t any secret place waiting to be discovered.”

Although the spots remain the same and the crowds grow larger, at least the county hasn’t experienced the hard-core territorial battles that often arise in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

“I don’t know why, but Orange County doesn’t seem to have the problems that Malibu or Oxnard seem to have,” Marckx said.

That’s not to say there haven’t been been fistfights or squabbles over waves. But it appears that slicing tires or extreme acts of violence have been few on Orange County beaches.

So what are the best surfing spots in Orange County? For many, Trestles in San Onofre is the spot.

“When [Trestles] is on, it’s a world-class wave,” said Joel Tudor of San Diego, who is ranked first in the world in longboarding. “It can have the best shape and size of any wave in the world. . . . and it has a great left.”

Before it was opened to surfers in 1973, Trestles, which is located next to the Camp Pendleton Marine base, was legally off-limits. But because the spot was so good, a few took their chances in the restricted waters.

Marckx said before Trestles was opened to the public, it wasn’t uncommon for the Marines to throw rocks at surfers or shoot their weapons over their heads as a warning to get out of the water. Sometimes it was worse.

“There were actually two ways to get in [to Trestles],” recalled Itakua. “You could sneak in through this fence by a school north of Cotton’s Point. Or you could take your chances and jump the fence by the freeway and run down there as fast as you could.”

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Itakua recalled the time when he and a friend were caught by a Marine who confiscated their surfboards.

“That was back when Nixon was President,” he said. “When we jumped the fence to get in, there was this Marine who held a gun on us and told us to get in this truck. We later had to appear in front of this Marine judge in Oceanside where he fined us each $20. That was the price you had to pay to get your surfboard back. It was kind of funny when this Marine guard led us back to this shack that had chicken wire all around it. Inside there were all these surfboards that the Marines had taken. He said, ‘Get your board and get out.’ It was a trip.”

Trestles is divided into three parts: Lower, Middle and Upper. The Lower and Middle, which feature a hollow left and long rights, attract the biggest crowds.

You won’t find much disagreement about Trestles. Such world-class surfers as Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Shane Beschen, Jeff Booth, Lisa Andersen and Kim Mearig call it their favorite Orange County break.

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“I don’t get down to Orange County often, but when I can, I love to surf Trestles,” said Mearig, a former women’s world champion who lives in Santa Barbara. “The right point break at Lower Trestles is real clean.”

Beschen, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world in pro surfing, has surfed some of the best surf on the globe. And he still ranks Trestles as one of the best.

“It’s too bad they don’t have the U.S. Open at Trestles,” said Beschen. “It’s definitely the best wave in California.”

Famed Australian surfer Peter Townend, who was pro surfing’s first world champion in 1976 and was instrumental in the early development of the Assn. of Surfing Professionals, says Trestles stands alone as the premier spot.

“Trestles is the spot in Orange County and California,” Townend said. “However, since I live in Huntington Beach, I don’t get there that often. But I try to make it there a few times during the summer. It’s a summer ritual. You pack up a lunch and you walk the trail to the beach.”

But while Trestles offers the best Mother Nature can provide, be warned that it’s not for the beginner.

Said Marckx: “There isn’t really any localism at Trestles, but you get world-class surfers dropping by all the time. There is a pecking order and the level of surfing is exceptional to say the least.”

Trestles might be the county’s Mecca of surfing spots, but there are still other notable places: such as the Huntington Beach Pier.

“The one thing about Huntington Beach is that no mater the size, there are always waves. . . . and plenty of surfers too,” Townend said, laughing.

On any given day, there are hordes of surfers fighting for waves on both sides of the pier. Sometimes tempers flair. In any event, when it’s flat everywhere else, there are usually waves at the pier.

Townend, who has been surfing the pier for 15 years and now surfs with his sons, 11 and 13, said the pier offers the most consistent surf in Southern California.

Huntington Beach resident and surfing legend Corky Carroll agrees. “Huntington offers the most consistent waves known to man,” Carroll said. “It sometimes may not be that big, but there’s always waves.”

But although Carroll appreciates Huntington Beach’s consistency, he is also partial to Cotton’s Point, south of San Clemente.

Cotton’s--with its big lumpy left--is near La Casa Pacifica, which was President Nixon’s Western White House. Carroll had special privileges there during the Nixon years.

“I was the only one who was allowed to surf there,” Carroll said. “I had to get special permission from the Secret Service. I wrote them a letter and they did a background check and they gave me the OK.”

Just north of Dana Point is Salt Creek, where professional surfers such as Pat O’Connell and Terry Senate learned their craft. The San Clemente High surf team works out here.

“That’s my favorite spot,” said Australian Ian Cairns, a former world champion who founded the ASP. “The best wave I’ve ever had was a really hollow right-hander at Salt Creek. That was 12 years ago. But I still remember it.”

However, because Cairns lives in Laguna Beach, he does most of his surfing at Thalia Street in Laguna. “I just get my board and walk down to the beach. Have a little fun.”

Just south of Trestles is place that seems to stand still in time. Old Man’s at San Onofre comes close to capturing true surf spirit.

Ideal for the longboarder, Old Man’s offers a mellow environment, where beginners are not threatened by hotshots fighting for waves on the gentle rolling break.

“First it’s a great place to learn,” Tudor said. “Second, there’s such a sense of community that you really get an appreciation for the surfing roots.”

Other good spots to learn are San Clemente State Beach where wide-open beaches offer plenty spots for beginners. Doheny and Dana Point Harbor are also good spots for those starting out, said Marckx.

To the north, Blackies, on the north side of the Newport Beach Pierside, is another good beginner spot.

In Huntington Beach, any place away from the pier is good to learn. Bolsa Chica is good but Seal Beach is too fickle.

Marckx, definitely not a beginner, prefers Lower Trestles.

“It’s definitely on the Top 10 list of best waves in the world,” he said. “It’s like a magnet that seems to pick up every south swell out of the Pacific Ocean.”

Marckx said the only drawback is the crowds. “That’s a problem. But thank God for Baja.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Catch the Right Wave

Here are some tips for Orange County surfers, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned veteran.

(Please see newspaper for maps)

Huntington Beach

The slow-breaking waves at Bolsa Chica are popular with beginners and longboarders. The Cliffs is a treasure chest of uncrowded peaks that is especially fun in big surf. Huntington Pier is one of the most consistent breaks on the coast and maintains good shape under most swell conditions.

Newport Beach

The sand bar at the mouth of the Santa Ana River Jetty produces a fast, hollow wave. The most popular spot along a series of man-made jetties is 56th Street, which holds its shape up to eight feet. A good spot for beginners is Blackies, north of the pier.

Dana Point/San Clemente

Salt Creek features the fastest waves in South County. The development of Dana Point Harbor almost ruined the surfing at Doheny, but a big south swell still can produce long, shapely rights. “T” Street is a popular break with waves peeling both left and right off a triangular-shaped reef.

San Onofre

Upper and Lower Trestles are considered among the finest point breaks in California and are among the most heavily surfed spots by Orange County surfers. Church is usually not as big, but is also a quality point break. Old Man’s, at San Onofre State Beach, is a slow ride back to surfing’s roots.

--Compiled by Erik Hamilton

Starting Costs

Here are some estimated costs for a beginning surfer:

* Surfboards: Used boards can be bought for $50. But if it’s new, the cost can easily be $300-$500.

* Wetsuits: $100-$175

* Surf rack: $100-$150. A cheaper alternative, if you have a luggage rack, is to buy surfboard pads for about $50.

Source: ERIK HAMILTON