Santa Cruz native Evan Quarnstrom left his favorite surfboard halfway around the world — on purpose. He gifted it to a surfer in Madagascar he had met who needed it more than he did. But he misses it. Here, he reflects on the bond between a surfer and board and the memories and surfer friends he made from Brazil to Indonesia to Madagascar during his almost two-year travel adventure.
Coast Life
Posted inFood & Drink
Eaters Digest: Woodhouse X STS9 Wilder Santa Cruz Session IPA
As summer warms up, Santa Cruz’s Woodhouse Brewing releases a collaboration beer to celebrate next month’s two-night visit to UCSC’s Quarry Amphitheater by Sound Tribe Sector 9. Lily Belli has that and other local brews to try this week, plus local foodie events and more.
Posted inCoast Life
As ‘Free Otter 841′ movement grows, expert warns that officials have little choice but to capture it
Although fish and wildlife officials continue efforts to capture the surfboard-stealing sea otter known as Otter 841 and bring her into captivity, local pushback is growing. Some Santa Cruzans and visitors want to see the otter remain in the wild: “I think the ocean belongs to the otter, so we should just let the otter be in her ocean,” said one.
Posted inCity Life
Sleepy John Sandidge prepares for ‘Please Stand By’ swan song
KPIG’s “Please Stand By” has brought touring and local musicians to perform live on the two-hour Sunday morning radio show dating back 35 years, and Sleepy John Sandidge has big things in store for Aug. 6, his last turn behind the mic at 107.5 FM.
Posted inCity Life
Don’t sleep on Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s ‘Shrew’ this summer
Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s 2023 season is in full swing, but with high-profile productions of “King Lear” and “The Book of Will” also on the slate, it would be easy to overlook “The Taming of the Shrew.” That would be a mistake, Wallace Baine writes.
Posted inCity Life
Santa Cruz mural lovers, bookmark this site
Santa Cruz’s mural scene has blossomed in recent years, and local Greg Rose has taken it upon himself to catalog and map them out in all their glory at a website dedicated to the county’s bounty.
Posted inCoast Life
Otter 841 continues to evade capture off Cowell Beach; effort could take weeks
Santa Cruz’s infamous surfboard-stealing otter remained at large after the latest unsuccessful attempt Monday afternoon by wildlife officials to take it into custody for study. A spokesperson for the Monterey Bay Aquarium said scientists believe that could take days to weeks.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
From topography to typography: How a graphic designer’s love of Aptos inspired the next ubiquitous commercial typeface
Steven Matteson’s font Aptos, named for an area of Santa Cruz County he came to appreciate deeply as an escape during a stint over the hill, will be the default for the hundreds of millions who use Microsoft products such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. “This is kind of like a holy grail situation for people in my line of work,” the 58-year-old says.
Posted inCoast Life
Santa Cruz’s surfboard-stealing sea otter is still at large
The 5-year-old female southern sea otter has been exhibiting unusual aggressive behavior toward surfers over the past month around Santa Cruz’s renowned Steamer Lane surf break. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is searching for the animal to bring it into captivity, but as of Wednesday evening, agents had not yet secured the otter.
Posted inCity Life
Halloween, Taylor Swift and Vivaldi by candlelight? Cocoanut Grove has you covered
Hundreds of onstage candles will light the way for a series of concerts beginning in October at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s Cocoanut Grove, with a string quartet taking on spooky movie classics, the ever-growing catalog of Taylor Swift and classical standby “The Four Seasons.”