An Aptos surfer whose close encounter with a great white shark went viral is sharing what happened from his perspective, including the moment he realized a drone hovering overhead was trying to warn him of danger.
Surfing
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
To honor the women of the water, Santa Cruz needs a female surf statue
Santa Cruz’s iconic surfer statue has long celebrated the city’s surf culture – but it tells only half the story, write two veteran Santa Cruz surfers, Kaila Pearson and Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf Mavericks in 1999. From Antoinette Swan and the Hawaiian princes to generations of pioneering women who challenged barriers in the lineup, women have helped shape Santa Cruz surfing from the beginning, they argue. A companion statue honoring the women of the water would, they write, recognize women’s often-overlooked contributions and reflect the full history of our surf town. If Santa Cruz values its surfing heritage, they believe, it should make that legacy visible for future generations.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Why a female surfer statue matters: Two Santa Cruz surfers share their stories
Local female surfers Kaila Pearson and Sarah Gerhardt explain why the statue project matters to the Santa Cruz County community and to them personally.
Posted inLatest News
Black Surf Santa Cruz to hold annual Liberation Paddle-Out to commemorate Juneteenth
Black Surf Santa Cruz is hosting its sixth annual Liberation Paddle-Out to commemorate the Juneteenth holiday. The paddle-out is scheduled at 3 p.m. Friday, with the festivities beginning at noon at Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Shaun Burns: Lessons from my six-month sabbatical from the sea
Professional surfer and Santa Cruz native Shaun Burns just spent six months out of the water after a recent surfing injury. He learned something many Santa Cruz County locals forget: The ocean is a gift, not a guarantee. Here, he reminds us that Saturday is International Surfing Day and argues that surfing is about far more than catching waves — it also provides mental relief, community and a deeper connection to the coast.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
We don’t need a female surf statue; we need to make surfing safer for women in Santa Cruz
Longtime Santa Cruz surfer Alaya Vautier has spent three decades in the water and says sexism, racism and exclusion remain deeply embedded in local surf culture. While she respects the intentions behind a female surf statue – now proposed for Capitola – she believes symbolism alone cannot address those problems and might even reinforce narrow ideas about who belongs in the lineup.
Posted inLatest News
Team behind proposed female surfer statue sets sights on a new location for 2027 installation
The “To Honor the Women of the Water” project team is shifting to the Capitola Esplanade for its female surfer statue, rather than the East Cliff Dirt Farm in Pleasure Point, to be the home of the statue after it was appealed. The Capitola City Council is expected to vote on the project in the coming months.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
Longest-running longboard surf contest in the U.S. returns to Steamer Lane
The Santa Cruz Longboard Union Club Invitational, the longest-running longboard surf contest in the United States, returns to Steamer Lane this Memorial Day weekend.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I helped design the male surfer statue – here’s why the female surfer monument deserves to move forward
The proposed monument to women surfers in Pleasure Point is drawing both strong support and familiar resistance. But as a co-creator of Santa Cruz’s iconic “To Honor Surfing” statue, author Brian W. Curtis says he’s seen how meaningful public art can shape community identity. He believes the monument is thoughtfully designed and locally rooted and, since it’s privately funded, he says it won’t cost taxpayers anything. It’s time, he writes, to trust the vision and recognize the women who help define our surf culture.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The last patch of old Santa Cruz dirt: Pleasure Point’s female surf statue is kicking up a community dilemma
OPINION: While Pleasure Point’s female surfer statue has broad support, Nikki Hotvedt takes issue with the proposed location and a process she says has moved forward too quickly.
