As surf fans around the world were glued to their devices watching the world’s best big wave surfers take on The Eddie, a select few San Diego surfers weren’t able to tune in. They were busy confronting the winter awakening of one of the area’s heaviest slabs. The biggest swell dished out by the North Pacific so far this season lit up the California coast, providing a few moments of glory amidst the carnage of broken boards and pummeling closeouts.
San Diego-based photographer Sean Evans knew exactly where all the action would be. While most spots in town were maxed out, he set up shop at a certain San Diego reef harnessing and amplifying the ocean’s energy. When he showed up in the morning the tide was still too high, but once it began to drain in the late morning, the wave machine started to turn on.
“Around 10:30 a.m. the set of the day came in,” said Evans. “Then after that it started to stay consistent.”
The crowd soon ballooned to 30 to 40 surfers, some charging massive tubes big enough to drive a car through, while others just sat in the water to experience the energy. Evans was worried that the fog that blanketed the coast would make it impossible to document the session, but luckily it parted just enough to be captured by land and drone angles.
Tubes like this were on offer all day. Photo: Sean Evans
“It was super shifty,” explained Evans. “The guys were doing their best to survive because the waves that were (closing out) the channel were death-defying. It was gnarly. During the entire time I was there, there were really only eight or so ‘good’ waves and four of them were ridden. There were only a few makes.”
More boards were demolished than tubes made. Unsurprisingly, Evans says local Skip McCullough was the standout with the most waves. But he also gave honorable mentions to Gabe Garcia, Matias Segura, and Mick Davey.
Before San Diego’s tube hounds got a chance to catch their breath, another swell arrived on Christmas Eve – possibly even bigger than the swell of the 22nd. There are more slabby beatdowns and tubes on the menu – we can guarantee that.
