With a unique coastline featuring extraordinary coves and majestic cliffs,Palos Verdes boasts some of the best surf spots in the world. All across the Peninsula, from Torrance Beach to RAT Beach to Haggerty’s and Lunada Bay, surf spots play host to a deep and colorful surf culture that’s been around since the 1930s and remains vibrant today.
Local surfers agree there are great surfing options, but remind outsiders to proceed with caution and respect, as depending on the swell, the waves breaking around the hill can range from user-friendly beach breaks to heavy, expert-only slabs.
Considered one of the best and most pristine areas in LA County, Bluff Cove a great example of one of the hill’s protected marine preserves that’s a favorite for local surfers and intrepid coastline hikers alike. It also happens to be one of the places surfing was first practiced when it landed in California.
According to historical accounts written by Sam Gnerre for the South Bay History blog, surfers have been converging on Palos Verdes for more than six decades. The Palos Verdes Surfing Club, which was founded in the mid 1930s, was one of the first in California and is still considered one of the most enduring mainland surfing clubs in the United States.
Exemplifying a kind of PV serenity that’s now nearly impossible to achieve anywhere in LA County, for at least 25 years during surfing’s rise to the mainstream in nearby places like Huntington Beach, PVSC’s all-male cadre was lucky enough to savor the then mostly unridden gems that drifted in from the Pacific.
Beyond their own surf sessions, the PVSC was a foundational piece of SoCal’s collaborative surf culture. “In addition to its own activities,” Gnerre writes “the PVSC organized and conducted surfing contests and popular paddleboard race events between themselves and other clubs that had begun to spring up along the Southern California coast.” This was no small feat back then, especially considering the equipment they were working with.
The typical surfboard in the first half of the 20th century measured between nine and12 feet long and could weigh over 100 pounds. Imagine making the trek down the steep PV cliffs to the surf, let alone hauling your board around California to compete! Just like today, the challenges of this raw landscape never stopped the most dedicated, hard-core surfers from chasing the waves. Thankfully for most, the average short board today weighs about six or seven pounds, and the average longboard about 15 pounds.
Surf technology has changed considerably over the years bringing the sport into the 21st century but surfing in Palos Verdes has always been a part of who we are on the hill. These days, both of the high schools have competitive surf teams, and the Peninsula is home to world-class professional surfers. Like local Alex Gray, a professional surfer for more than 20 years who says,“Surfing is the bond between adventure, culture, and new experiences.”
If the past informs the future, surfing in Palos Verdes is here to stay.
