Born into a troubled home life, the Santa Cruz legend dubbed ‘Mr. Radical’ threw himself full speed into the natural playgrounds that surrounded him in the 1970s and 80s. His acumen and fearlessness gave him early notoriety, but he says that fame, fortune and accolades were never what he sought. Nonetheless, he was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame on Thursday night. He and his wife drove to the ceremony in the van they live in near Steamer Lane.
Surfing
Posted inCoast Life
Return of a Classic: The Cold Water, a longtime Santa Cruz surf tradition, is back from a seven-year slumber
O’Neill and the World Surf League are dusting off the cobwebs on one of surfing’s top contest venues, Steamer Lane. For many years Santa Cruz was a regular stop for surfing’s elite-level competition, and it built a reputation as the quintessential surfing amphitheater.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I failed at surfing, but Elkhorn Slough’s otters changed my life
Marisa Messina, an MBA student at Stanford, wanted to be a surfer, but could never quite get vertical on her board. She stumbled into kayaking and fell in love with the harmony she observed among the creatures at Moss Landing’s Elkhorn Slough. Here, she takes us on her journey and urges us to imitate and learn from the animals, plants and algae that surround us.
Posted inLatest News
Surfing in the desert? A developer’s plan for a surf lagoon sparks outrage
A developer plans to build a large surfing pool in La Quinta. Critics argue it would require too much water as California grapples with drought.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I quit my job to surf and hike across the world; you can do it, too
Santa Cruz native Evan Quarnstrom quit his job with the International Surfing Association to travel the world. He’s been to Brazil, Colombia, Chile and right now, he’s in Bali, “where fast, powerful, waves that break over shallow coral reefs have been quite the contrast from the more mellow, sloping point breaks that I learned to surf on at home in Santa Cruz.” He’s also taken time to grieve his late father, Dean Quarnstrom, to come to terms with his famous local family and consider what sort of life he wants to lead. He reminds us that, with a bit of courage, we, too, could pick up and change our lives.
Posted inCoast Life
Calm after the storm: Nat Young’s pro surfing comeback a byproduct of passion, perseverance, family
Santa Cruz surfer Nat Young is the top professional wave rider that Surf City has ever produced. But hanging onto your spot among the World Surf League’s top competitors is no small feat and Young’s tumultuous land life — watching his mom Rosie lose an extended battle with cancer — took a severe toll on his psyche. Sixteen months after her death, Young’s spirited and meditative comeback is in full swing. And this is only Chapter 1.
Posted inCoast Life
Soul shaper: Why does surfboard craftsman Ward Coffey do it all by hand? It’s the only way he knows
There are no machine politics to be played out in this Westside Santa Cruz shaping bay, one of the last of its kind in this surf-mad town or, in fact, any others like it around the world. As technological progress — or disruption — has defined the modern surfboard-shaping experience, Ward Coffey’s business has managed to keep it delightfully old-school and down to earth.
Posted inCoast Life
‘I do belong here’: A community leader explains how the outdoors can feel like a scary, non-inclusive place
Says local United Way head Keisha Browder: “We went to Natural Bridges and then to Henry Cowell. And it was like, ‘Wow.’ So beautiful. And I’m saying, ‘I do belong here.’” She is participating Sunday in the second annual Liberation Paddle Out, part of Santa Cruz’s celebration of Juneteenth.
Posted inCoast Life
‘We love you, Bucky’: Surf community mourns iconic board shaper swallowed up by addiction at 41
Tyrone “Buck” Noe was a second-generation surfboard shaper in Santa Cruz who followed in the footsteps of his father, for both good and bad. Like his father 18 years earlier, he was memorialized at Lighthouse Field and Steamer Lane on Saturday. His sister, Meara, tells his story achingly well.
Posted inCoast Life
‘We’re here for you’: In wake of tragedy, Santa Cruz surfing community doubles down on generation next
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when a proudly miscreant tone and attitude dominated Santa Cruz surf culture. Some of those who survived that tough period, including big-wave champion Darryl “Flea” Virostko, are trying to pay it forward. Meanwhile, those assembled at Steamer Lane on Thursday afternoon mourned two recent deaths and tried to put them into perspective.
