Windansea Beach

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Windansea Beach encompasses a historic stretch of scenic coastline located in La Jolla, a community in San Diego, California. It is named after an oceanfront hotel that burned down in the late 1940s. Geographically, it is defined by the beachfront extending north of Palomar Avenue (Big Rock) and south of Westbourne Street (Simmons). Historically, it is defined by some of the most progressive and colorful characters in California surf history.

The Surf Shack at Windansea Beach

The main peak at Windansea is a classic reef break and has long been famous among the region's most skilled surfers for its reliable waves and consistently good form. The geographic location of Windansea's reefs is ideally situated to host a broad variety of swell directions, especially the fickle south swells that often seem to elude other San Diego County, California beaches. During the summer months, when most locations are experiencing two-to-three feet surf, it isn't unusual for Windansea to pick up six-to-eight foot surf. Other breaks in the vicinity of Windansea include Middles, Turtles, and Simmons, named after Bob Simmons (who died at that break in 1954), and Big Rock.

The focal point and cultural icon at Windansea is a simple palm-covered shack, located beneath the narrow parking lot, just in front of the main peak. It was originally constructed in 1946 by original locals Woody Ekstrom, Fred Kenyon and Don Okey. The site gained notoriety for its annual summer luaus before police cracked down on the out-of-control event in the early 1950s. The social hub is a narrow parking lot, located on the bluffs overlooking the Windansea shack. The facilities are not very accommodating for visitors. The parking lot offers just a few spaces and there are no drinking fountains, showers or public restrooms. "The Surf Shack at Windansea Beach" was designated as an historical landmark by the San Diego Historical Resources Board on May 27, 1998.[1]

Windansea has served as home break at one time or another to many notable surfers, including Pat Curren, Mike Diffenderfer, Joey Cabell, Mickey Munoz and Butch Van Artsdalen. As far as its impact on surf culture and the development of the sport, it ranks at the top of the list along with Malibu, San Onofre and Huntington Beach. Steve Pezman, former publisher of Surfer magazine and current publisher of The Surfer's Journal, called Windansea locals in the early 1960s "the heaviest surf crew ever."

The famous Windansea Surf Club[2] featured a veritable who's who of hot young surfers during the sport's Golden Age. Founded by Chuck Hasley in 1962, the Club attracted high profile members such as The Endless Summer star and first Vice President Mike Hynson, Skip Frye, Joey Cabell, Del Cannon, Mike Purpose and Rusty Miller. Other notable surfers who cut their teeth at Windansea include Andy Tyler, Tom Ortner, Brew Briggs, Chris O'Rourke, Richard Kenvin, Miko Fleming, Peter King, Saxon Boucher, George Felactu and Longboard Larry.

In 1963, Mike Dormer and Lee Teacher built the six foot, 400 pound concrete statue out of cement, iron, a mop, a light bulb, and a beer can. The statue mysteriously appeared on the rocks over Windnsea beach in La Jolla, holding a beer in one hand while gazing out over the ocean in search of the perfect wave. This concrete surf god got attention in newspapers across the country. In 1964 Hot Curl became a star. Hot Curl was the inspiration Hollywood was looking for when it filled the screens at movie houses with a string of "Beach Party" movies. In the summer of 1964, the Hot Curl image appeared in several scenes of "Muscle Beach Party" starring Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Buddy Hackett, and Don Rickles. Dozens of young surfers got signed as well. Hot Curl was a comic relief to the problems of society. Hot Curl was a free soul. He loved the ocean. He was designed to de-intensify things a little. Hot Curl is a reminder of simpler times.

[edit] Literary note

The title article in Tom Wolfe's book of essays, The Pump House Gang, is about a group of surfers from Windansea Beach who "attended the Watts riots as if it were the Rose Bowl game in Pasadena." (see [3] for an excerpt)