Journal & Topics Media Group

Santa Cruz Is Swell

Surfing Is King In Comfy California Seaside Town

Surfer rides the waves at Lighthouse Point.

Bob Pearson came very close one day to being attacked by a shark in Australia. He’s also been caught in rip tides, and confronted by seals, sea snakes and crocodiles. On another occasion, he hit his head so hard on a beach rock that he bled profusely and suffered amnesia for a few days.

“It was the Vietnam era,” says Bob, who is almost 70. “We were healthy and we had to be a little crazy. It was heavy.”

Bob Pearson, one of the world’s best and most famous surfers displays some of the boards he has manufactured and shaped in his Santa Cruz shop.

In the charming, socially-liberal community of Santa Cruz, CA, Bob Pearson is “the man” when it comes to surfing. His youthful smile, and wide, white mustache is of a man who’s seen the surfing world having once been ranked No. 2 internationally. At first he thought he would become a teacher, which he did for a few years before the sunshine, saltwater and high waves of California’s Monterey Peninsula sank their claws into his psyche. Today, even with his best surfing days behind him, Pearson stays in the zone by owning Pearson Arrow, a world-renown company in Santa Cruz that manufactures and shapes surfboards of various colors and designs for enthusiasts everywhere and anywhere. Pearson makes about 2,000 boards a year in his shop knowing full well when the urge hits, he can drive just a few miles to one of the best surfing beaches on the globe and tackle the waves.

Santa Cruz became the epicenter of U.S. mainland surfing in 1885 fueled by a coastline with numerous beach breaks, points, and rocky reefs that absorb swell from just about any direction. This freak of nature sets the scene of rideable waves almost every day of the year.

“Petey” the dog gets some fresh air as he and his owner find a parking space at the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum at Lighthouse Point.

One of the most popular spots to surf and to watch in awe these unique sportsmen is at Lighthouse Point. Inside the lighthouse a museum tells the story of how surfing came to this part of the world. About 30 feet away, however, surfers, kept warm with wetsuits, wait patiently for a big one. When it arrives, they spend the next 30 seconds or so roaring toward the beach. Some of the surfers ride the waves all the way in. Others fall into the water as their surfboards shoot into the air like a missile. Within seconds, the boards are retrieved by their owners who begin to paddle away from the beach for a spot where they can wait for their next ride.

Food Vendor Jim Cochran, of Swanton Berry Farm, proudly displays his abundance of strawberries during recent Santa Cruz Farmer’s Market held in the community’s downtown area.

There is, of course, much more to Santa Cruz than surfing. The land to the east of the city is a sparkling region of rich earth where huge amounts of organic fruits and vegetables like broccoli and strawberries take advantage of the Mediterranean climate to grow in abundance. Throughout the year, local farmers bring their foods to the Santa Cruz Farmers Market where approximately 70 booths are set up on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays attracting thousands of shoppers.

Other notable spots to visit are the nearby redwood forests, the Santa Cruz branch of the University of California, and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

And naturally, like any other town along California’s Pacific coastline, charming restaurants and boutique hotels, like the West Cliff Inn, are aplenty.

Swimmers and sunbathers take in a nice, warm day at Santa Cruz Beach

Unlike San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland that lie 75 miles to the north, the people of Santa Cruz live and work here because they love the slower pace and the many opportunities.

“We’re only an hour away from Haight Ashbury,” remarked Pearson referring to the place where the rise of the Hippie Movement and 1967’s Summer of Love took place. “But it’s not flashy here. You could say it’s disarming.”

For more information, visit www.visitsantacruz.org and to learn more about West Cliff Inn visit www.westcliffinn.com

 

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