January 19 Palos Verdes

Fifteen minutes to the south of us a large headland juts out into the ocean .Palos Verdes . It sits up high and looks back on the beaches of the South Bay . Think MtMartha but only much bigger . There’s trees, hills , rugged cliffs, land and…… money . It attracts a certain type of clientele.Mini ranches, plush private schools , celebrity , Trump golf course , manicured gardens and gated communities . The views out to the Pacific Ocean and back at the thriving mass of LA fuel some of the most expensive real estate in America . We’ve only skirted the coastal road so far , it’s interior doesn’t interest me so much . It’s what lies beneath the cliffs that interests me more . Without studying the surf geography you know there’s got to be serious waves along here , this last week of big swell has shined the spotlight . Above lies a long walled left known as the cove . Just a mile or so up the road sits LAs most infamous wave ,Lunada Bay . This joint is legendary due to its fiercely guarded localism .Assaults , slashed tyres,stones and rocks landing on visiting surfers are some of the norms associated with this classic right hand point break . On arriving at the lookout the police were parked here .Its become policy when a swell arrives . I had a Facebook invitation from the Palos Verdes Park rangers and police inviting outsiders to come down and have a look and surf Lunada Bay . It’s weird that such hostility would be associated with such an affluent area. Beautiful tree lined streets with plush all American style homes with large grassed front lawns . Surely not here? I’m guessing they’re used to having things go their way up at Palos Verdes , surf included . Today offered up some real perspective on this location , it’s serious . 8 feet waves bussed their way through the line up . With a couple of large rocks to keep an eye on this wave can make a mess of you .Whoever surfs this place commands respect . Lunada Bay gets the thumbs up from me , this joint is a fucken serious location on its day .