An old Central Cal surfers rememebers.

by Peter Ortali
(Newtown, Connecticut)

Even though I have lived and worked in New York and Connecticut for the last 25 years I have never forgotten, and never will forget growing up in and surfing around Central California and San Francisco.

I learned to surf at Cowel's beach, Santa Cruz, around 1967. My first board was a Vinny Bryant that was 10'6".

I soon graduated to the "new" short boards and moved up from Cowels to Steamers and my favorite spots Sewers, Pleasure Point and the Hook. Now this was before I could drive so I was dependent on my older friends for rides to the breaks. I lived close to Moss Landing but everyone wanted to go to Santa Cruz.


As soon as I got my license at 16, 1972, I went to my home home break, Moss Landing, everyday. We wore no leashes at that point as a point of pride (dumb). We surfed mid beach, the jetty and the pier and beach breaks heading down to the Salinas river mouth. By now I rode a 7' x 17" wide single fin that was good up to 12' to 15'and did well on smaller stuff too. Charley the Harbour Master at the time had a connection with Dick Brewer, in Hawaii, and had about ten little boards with square noses and multiple wings and one to three fins. The whole crew took turns riding the Brewer boards, but my blue rocket was the best.

It was a great three years and I think the Landing is still one of the best breaks in the world - at any size.

I went to college in San Luis Obispo for two years and surfed Hazard Canyon and my personal favorite, Pico Creek. Now you have to understand at the time this was 1973-75 and I was surfing these areas alone or with a few friends. Many times at Pico I would surf all day by myself in 5 to 6 foot waves, camp in my truck and do the same day after day.


I transfered to the S.F. Academy of Art and lived and surfed San Francisco for the next seven years. I surfed OB, mainly VFW's, and had my share of pound outs trying to get out on big days. I can still remember watching guys from the side taking off on monsters that pitched out as far as they were high. The few times I was able to make it out on double or triple overhead days I had incredible and terrifying days. It is a place of awesome power but incredible surf.

Worst experience. A group of us were caught in a rip. It was so strong there was no going sideways. I literally paddled for an hour in one spot. I wanted to quit but my friends reminded me of the alternative. So we finally made it into an area where the waves were breaking and rode them into the beach. I lay there for half an hour with my arms shaking.

Best days> Fort Point at sunrise. Off shores, the skyline, sunrise and 6-8 foot waves. Three hours of surfing before work! I could see the break from the ad agency I worked at. If it was still pumping I would go at lunch and again after work.

By this time I was on a 5'8" Mark Richards Twin Fin and a 7'6" x 16" single fin board for the big days.

Then I moved to New York and have had a long and great career in advertising and design. I have not surfed since. But I look at Surfermag.com everyday and remember.

Even at 53 years old I can shut my eyes and feel the glide along a glassy wall or the weightless feel of exploding up the face and coming back down with the lip. No one except a surfer understands that it is a way of life no a sport.

Everyone keep cool and be good to your brothers - you live in paradise.