Art. Since 2013, when the 25-year-old became one of the few Santa Cruz surfers ever to qualify for the World Tour, Young has spent much of his time bouncing between events and sleeping in airports. SURFER has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Neighboring Santa Clara County to the east has been hit harder by the virus. About Steamer Lane Design. Now if you go to The Lane after school, there’s a bunch of little kids in the lineup having a good time, and it didn’t used to be that kind of place. How to do a Frontside Cutback With Josh Kerr, 10 Things You Should Take on Your Next Surf Road Trip, 6 Female-Founded Surfwear Brands We Tested This Summer, Jon Wayne Freeman "Charges" The Wedge, Seeks Sponsorship Deal. "It's kind of a shit show, to be honest with you, but I'm excited. He’s had some strong performances on Tour, finishing out the 2015 season in the top 10. A well known surf spot in Santa Cruz where waves crash right next to a cliff of death and if you don't hit the cliff of death then you'll hit the rock of death that's 2 feet under the water and just so happens to be right where the waves break. The splintered wood and bent metal washing in and out of the rocks below sent a fairly strong message to the contest directors, but the hijinks didn’t stop there. Can This Unsponsored, Middle-Aged Man Save Surfing? Subscribe to SURFER’s Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. Billy Kemper is calling this cavernous monster the wave of his life, The latest escalation in the decades-old dispute over access to the exclusive coast, Channel Islands, …Lost and Firewire now offer mid-length models for mass consumption, Revisiting the mythical MLK Day swell from 7 years ago today, Slater’s ridiculous session in Barbados might never be topped. He began freelancing for the Orange County Register and relocated to south Florida in 2001, when he was awarded a fellowship through the Freedom Forum. Steamer Lane. At the tip of the point, a long finger of rock gradually descends to the water’s edge, where surfers time their jump with incoming swells. But he wasn’t hassling the weekend warriors, or sending outsiders like me to the beach. Through decades of local surfers walking down to the jump spot, smooth footholds have been worn into the stone. The bite occurred behind his right knee, hit an artery and he bled to death. Out in the lineup at The Lane, the tide was high and the waves were wonky from backwash, but Young had no problem finding a few runners at The Slot. SURFER’s Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. And, like Virostko before him, Young commands the attention of the entire lineup every time he paddles out at The Lane. ], Celebrating surfing's most iconic watering holes, Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy cool shit, Kerouacian liberation awaits, as long as you pack right, DIY guides for repairing a buckled board, a dinged nose and a broken fin box. “I remember they had a party here in the yard when I was about 5 years old, and they were showing a surf movie,” Young explained. Photo: Trefz Longtime local legends Jack O'Neill (right) and son Pat O'Neill (left) who collectively made everyone's lives a little more enjoyable at the Lane. Subscribe to our free newsletter and stay up-to-date with the latest from [This feature originally appeared in “Hidden In Plain Sight,” our October 2016 Issue, on newsstands and available for download now. A typical entry lists information in the following sequence: Name, age, country of citizenship and reason for notability, established cause of death, reference. Coronado grew up in Southern California and graduated from USC. By the early 2000s, many saw Santa Cruz lineups as the cold-water equivalent of a Western B-movie saloon, where a posse of high-flying, hard-charging outlaws ruled and outsiders were met with fierce intimidation. As his nickname implies, Virostko is small in stature, but his wiry goatee and dark, intense eyes give him a brooding air. About Steamer Lane Design We believe the way something is made and what it's made out of matter, which is why all of our products are made with 100% American grown, sustainably harvested wood. Gary Coronado has been a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times since 2016. Death is Not The End - Men's Tshirt $ 29.99. “I was basically trying to surf as good as the guys from Flea’s era without getting caught up in the stuff they were doing outside of the ocean. Old guys came up to shake his hand and wish him luck this year on Tour, while awkward tweens simply shouted things like “Go Nat!” from a distance. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) ... test, and vaccinate and the care of our people.” Biden warned that the death toll from coronavirus infections would hit 500,000 in February. They surfed The Lane every day together, tackled massive waves at Mavericks together, and redefined aerial surfing together. California needs to home deliver COVID-19 vaccines to seniors and people with disabilities, Home delivery of COVID-19 shots is a goal tucked into a contract awarded by the Newsom administration to Blue Shield of California, L.A. Unified gets 100 doses but needs thousands to reopen schools. Big-wave rider Nick Lamb, 22, left, talks to film director and surfer Joshua "Pomegranate" Pomer, 36, right, before going in the water at Steamer's Lane, Santa Cruz, Calif., August 2, 2010. According to Virostko, as a kid growing up on Santa Cruz’s west side in the ’80s, his daily bicycle commute to The Lane was a white-knuckle affair. The L.A. Unified School District doled out 100 vaccine doses Wednesday for school staff, but its leaders are demanding immunizations for at least 25,000 workers to reopen elementary campuses. He’s eight years sober now, married with two young daughters, and he wants to leave the past behind. Time and again they created confusion in the judges stands [by not leaving the lineup while the contest was on], where glare had already hindered surfer identification.”. Barron was a beloved character in the Santa Cruz surfing community who spent much of his time volunteering as a surf instructor for charities like the Mauli Ola Foundation and Wounded Warriors. The county has reported 2,339 cases and 129 deaths. The pressure-cooker intensity of the Santa Cruz surf scene made surfing in the area unappealing to all but a handful of strong-headed kids, and those who stuck it out transformed into a tough, tight-knit pack. He started swimming in, completely naked, and when he got on the rocks the older guys started yelling, ‘Call the cops! A surfer is dwarfed by a wave crashing at Lighthouse Point on Tuesday in Santa Cruz before heading out to surf at Steamer Lane as a strong west-northwest swell poured into local breaks. But Young believes he can do better, and he’s willing to work as hard as he has to in order to prove it. He’d crane his head around street corners to check if the coast was clear, and then pedal like his life depended on it. Photos: Trefz, Young is known for the powerful backside snap he’s honed on The Lane’s open faces, but he’s also no slouch in hollow fare. But it had been a tough stretch for Barron leading up to the end of his life. Barron was the most colorful, offbeat character in a town famous for producing weirdos. As we loaded our boards and wetsuits into the the truck bed, Young was stopped by fans and well-wishers strolling down West Cliff. As we drove from The Lane over to Arrow Surf & Sport after our session, Virostko explained that he had no interest in discussing the dark period of the late ’00s any more than he already has. Neighboring Santa Clara County to the east has been hit harder by the virus. They surfed The Lane every day together, tackled massive waves at Mavericks together, and redefined aerial surfing together. “When I got older, I’d see them around town, but I wouldn’t see them in the water as much, and I fully knew what was going on with the drugs and everything. EPIC STYLE FOR YOUR EPIC WAYS. Santa Cruz had produced many talented surfers over the years, including Kevin Reed, Vince Collier, and Richard Schmidt, but this was something different. Rosie was also friends with all the best surfers on the West Side, so Young had a rotating cast of Santa Cruz surf royalty hanging at the house when he was growing up. Young is freckle-faced and straw-haired, almost cartoonish in his physical embodiment of the California surfer archetype. According to the article, “Before the meet ended, five surfboards were stolen from two Hawaiian surfers. In his post-pro surf career, he splits his time between working construction and running Fleahab, a sober-living facility in town. Police evacuated Azusa Pacific University late Wednesday afternoon after someone sent the school an emailed bomb threat. Nat Young's 20ft wave and Mavericks Size Wave Nearly Kills Man at Steamer Lane Now home, Young told me he planned to sleep in, so I should meet him at his place at 7 a.m.—a whole 15 minutes after sunrise. “It was tough for anyone else to catch waves because they’d be in the middle of this feeding frenzy of our friends trying to out-surf each other, do bigger airs and better tricks,” says Virostko. By signing up you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. . Young, pumping the breaks at the Harbor Mouth. In a way, it was almost like they were role models because they showed me what not to do. I was basically trying to surf as good as them without getting caught up in the stuff they were doing outside of the ocean. A couple walks along Main Beach in Santa Cruz, where the Beach Boardwalk is shuttered. Photo: Chachi, From the top of the Santa Cruz lighthouse, Young overlooks the iconic Steamer Lane lineup, which has molded generations of local standouts. Most met a non-surfing demise or died of natural causes. Azusa Pacific University evacuated after bomb threat; no explosives found. Surfers Memorial wears a mask at Santa Cruz’s Steamer Lane, a well-known surf spot. This kid’s on acid!’ So this crowd gathered around and everyone was freaking out watching him climb up the rocks naked. The county has reported 2,339 cases and 129 deaths. Santa Cruz's Adam Bartlett and Keanna Miller were among the division winners at the National Scholastic Surfing Association's Northwest season opener at Steamer Lane over the weekend. His dad, Dennis, surfed, but it was mainly Rosie who got him in the water. We believe the way something is made and what it's made out of matter, which is why all of our products are made with 100% American grown, sustainably harvested wood. SURFER Magazine. Pacific ocean fog smothering Seamer Lane yesterday. Surfers Memorial wears a mask at Santa Cruz's Steamer Lane, a well-known surf spot. Localism intensified through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, and drugs found a foothold within the surf community, further destabilizing the already fragile social ecosystems that existed at some of the best breaks. “I really try to teach them the importance of exercise while you’re recovering, and it really helps to get them in the water. He wore wetsuits decorated like superhero costumes, did handstands on skateboards and bombed hills upside down, and came up laughing after being mowed down by mutant waves at Mavericks. He somehow survived the fall, which served as the starting point for Virostko’s long and difficult road to recovery and sobriety. On his first wave, Young stood up and drew an unwavering line to the trough before getting low to his board, loading up all his weight over his heels, and rocketing up the face. For birds, it’s a different story, Burrowing mammals are able to escape the heat, new study finds, while birds are declining. She was a longboarder, and she took Young to the beach all the time, got him into Junior Lifeguards, and brought him on camping trips along the coast of Northern Baja. When I visited Steamer Lane, I was shocked by how many of my fellow tourists slowly packed the beaches, and joined me at the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum to see relics like the ironing board Burt Landess rode many tides ago. I’m stoked to see people make a full circle, and I think people trust me because they know that I’ve been through it too. These aerial photos show the deserted scene. Twitch Streamer Ohlana Dies at 26: Report. And thieves weren’t the only dissidents. Here, Young goes left in the land of rights. Entries for each day are listed alphabetically by surname. Still, the overlook is a poignant spot to remember those who surf on in eternity. Santa Cruz filmmaker Joshua Pomer’s 2010 documentary The Westsiders showed the crew’s unraveling as certain members of the group fought losing battles with alcohol and drug addiction, climaxing with Virostko falling off a cliff just north of town in Davenport after a sleepless night on mushrooms. (Dan Coyro -- Santa Cruz Sentinel file) Posts about Steamer Lance written by John. Surfers who obsess over technique will often argue that all great surfing stems from a great bottom turn, and after years of surfing the steep rights at The Lane, Young’s backside bottom turn is faultless. Virostko is one of the best surfers ever to come from the area, which makes him a kind of local celebrity. On our way, we stopped at a West Side coffee shop where Young’s friend Noah Wegrich, a stylish goofyfooter also born and raised in the Santa Cruz area, joined our caravan. It’s just that I never wanted to have to deal with the same struggles I saw them dealing with.”[Nat Young]. ... 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A surfer prepares to jump into the surf while a young couple shares a kiss at the end of Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz. Even in his downtime, Young sticks to a strict routine, balancing surf sessions with fitness training, the next event never far from his mind. You just wake up one day and your best friend is gone.”. It was an idyllic scene, as if we were surfing through a Monet painting, and it was hard to imagine any kind of dispute over waves or drug-fueled punch-ups breaking the serenity. Steamer Lane has become the site of the largest surf-kayak competition in the world, but many of the angry e-mailers point out that surfers own Steamer Lane almost every day of the year. Don’t get me wrong, they were all good guys, and they were really friendly to me growing up. On paper, Young and Virostko have a lot in common: they both grew up in the same neighborhood, both were the children of divorced parents, and both showed incredible talent on a surfboard at a young age. SR – CA Santa Cruz – Steamer Lane (Middle Peak) SR – CA Santa Cruz – Steamer Lane (The Point) SR – CA Santa Cruz – Steamer Lane (The Slot) ... $ 29.99. Octo - Men's Tshirt $ 29.99. From the ’90s into the early ’00s, Virostko and co. used the rampy rights at The Slot—the steep-faced wave that hugs the cliff at Steamer Lane—to push the limits of progressive surfing. It’s just that I never wanted to have to deal with the same struggles I saw them dealing with.”. A Steamer Lane regular, Collier was known throughout the surf community here and abroad as a local enforcer. Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm and Sea World closed due to coronavirus . On days where waves are..." Explore. There’s a reason that Steamer Lane has been the go-to spot for generations of Santa Cruz standouts. Going from being a fucking idiot to actually succeeding in life, it’s pretty special.”. But around the same time, hard drugs swept through the local surf scene, derailing many standout surfers like Anthony Ruffo. The sun was just beginning to creep up over Soquel Point as I made my way down West Cliff Drive toward Nat Young’s house. If you went looking for the moment Santa Cruz, California, began its reputation as a rough-and-tumble surf town, you’d probably end up on the cliff at Steamer Lane the night before the 1969 Smirnoff International Pro-Am was set to start. If one of the older locals happened to spot him on his way to The Lane with surfboard in hand, a beat-down would likely ensue. He was also a celebrated local artist who immersed himself in his work, constantly creating colorful, abstract paintings and taking part in art shows in the area. But not everyone succeeded in navigating the long, windy road to sobriety. 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His mother had recently passed away, he’d parted ways with longtime sponsor Volcom, and he was struggling to make ends meet. Brian Dillon, of Santa Cruz, goes head-over-heels working on his flip technique at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz on Monday. Donald Harris surfed all over the world, from Huntington Beach in Southern California to Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz to Queensland, Australia, to Bali and the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia. Photography Techniques. But there’s still a balance, there are things that still need to be respected, and I think people understand that.”. Several local surfers weren’t giving up their favorite spot just because of a contest. Jan 12, 2015 - See 283 photos and 10 tips from 973 visitors to Steamer Lane. There was one outlaw in the lineup, however. 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But that lifelong bond ended on May 5, 2015, when Barron collapsed in his home with a ruptured aorta, caused by the combination of a genetic heart disorder and methamphetamine use. Santa Cruz saw an explosion of talent in the 1990s and 2000s. A set approached and Virostko let the lumpy frontrunner pass before spinning around on the second wave—an oily overhead wall. Young grabbed an armful of boards to test drive, and we loaded up his black Tacoma and set off to find some waves along an isolated stretch of coast just north of town. Shop Now. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — A Bonny Doon woman who was injured in a hit-and-run crash as she was walking her dog near Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz … Barron was the mascot for an entire generation of Santa Cruz surfers who lived loud and brash and with no notion of tomorrow, and his passing marked the end of an era. A very pretty glittering blue-ish green. The 5 Most Influential Airs of the Decade, The 5 Most Pivotal Moments of the Decade in Big-Wave Surfing, Kerby Brown Defies Death at This Demented-Looking Left. The competition between our friends was fierce, and everyone else just got caught in the crossfire.”, A true son of Santa Cruz, Young has a diverse repertoire of airs at his disposal, although it’s his powerful, on-rail surfing that sets him apart on the World Tour. Quinn Comer, left, and Alyssa Anzalone, both of Santa Cruz, walk to the end of Lighthouse Point to jump into the surf in Santa Cruz. Researchers have discovered a "dramatic increase" in the number of great white sharks swimming in Monterey Bay in recent years, including an area off Santa Cruz County where a … “It’s definitely not as intense as it used to be with the localism and the fighting and everything. XXL Swell Dec 17, 2018 Santa Cruz, California. We stopped to check a fickle slab that needs a very specific tide and swell direction to make the long, muddy trek to the beach worthwhile. Santa Cruz’s reputation for producing unhinged surfers only grew from there. That stuff was beyond your typical grom hazing. Young has lived on this property with his mom, Rosie, since his parents split up when he was 5 years old. On the wall sat a blown-up cover shot featuring Young getting a thick backside barrel along the shark-infested coastline north of town. “When we were growing up, the older guys just treated us like shit,” Virostko explains. Don’t get me wrong, they were all good guys, and they were really friendly to me growing up. The water was cool and clear, and curious seals popped up all around us to take stock of the midmorning surf pack. All rights reserved. It was only a chest-high wave, but when Young hit the lip, spray flew 10 feet into the air. A couple walk past Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, which houses the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. Bright, gracious, persevering big-wave surfer from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii; winner of the 1958 Makaha International contest, and one of the original California-born surfers who helped shape big-wave riding in the late '50s and early '60s. Photography. This surfing classic from Bruce Brown features wave riding action from Ala Moana, Makaha, Classic Trestles, Huntington Pier, Steamer Lane, Waimea, and other surfing hot spots. You don’t get to say anything, you don’t get to be by them when they’re dying. Once you pass the small town of Davenport, you’re surrounded by nothing but overgrown pastures, twisting pines, and a vast, blue horizon. That phrase has become a kind of rallying cry in the surf community, and although Young is far from the kind of loud, brash personalities that Santa Cruz has become known for, it makes sense that he would amass a following among local surfers. It’s just that I never wanted to have to deal with the same struggles I saw them dealing with.”, Although Young grew up amid intense localism and hard-partying surf stars, he has taken a different route with his surfing. At Steamer Lane and surrounding reefbreaks, Mel charged massive waves with the same style he'd use to throw down radical maneuvers in smaller waves. According to a Sports Illustrated article from the time, that’s when local surfers decided they didn’t approve of a bunch of interlopers taking over their home break for a day, and they’d make their feelings known by pushing the judging tower—along with a VW bus—off the cliff.
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