Surfing at Capitola, California
December, 2013
During his brief visit, we went with Andy to his favorite surf spot at Capitola. The picture above is as close as I came to catching him riding a wave. That odd-shaped black spot on the wave is part of his foot (wearing a wetsuit boot), just before he completely submerged. At the back of the wave, the tip of his board is surfacing. You will just have to trust me on this . . . Andy had a nice ride on that wave. I'm sorry I missed it, Andy.
But that ride came later. Our first visit was one week earlier - too cold for surfing, but there was a bright sun and nice views.
One week later, we came back. The weather was warmer and the surf more inviting. Andy got into his wetsuit and took his surfboard into the water.
Surfing was part of California culture long before the Beach Boys sang about it; there has been a Surf Club in Santa Cruz since the 1930s. This spot, called The Hook, is one of several near the city of Capitola, at a point south of Santa Cruz on the northern edge of the bay between Santa Cruz and Monterey. Andy has been coming here since his high school days. His board came from western Australia; he brought it home with him after he worked a harvest there in 2004. We store it for him in our garage.
The surf is good here but the water is cold year round. That's where Jack O'Neill comes into the story. He settled near Capitola after starting what is thought to be the world's first surf shop, eventually becoming the O'Neill surf company, and he's credited with inventing the modern wetsuit. For that, Andy (and everyone else who surfs in northern California) is grateful.
