Bobby Okvist airing it out over a triple-overhead wave at The Wedge. Photo: Ben Ginsberg
During the summer months, the Wedge is generally the only heavy place to surf from Long Beach to Oceanside. Everyone from everywhere shows up when it gets over 10-feet, either to spectate or to test the water and try not to die. But there’s a crew of chargers out there that deserves a little more credit than they get: the real underground surf community of the Wedge.
I surf, so I am not going to get into boogie boarding talk here, but Anthony Savoji is the Kala of the spot. He regulates everything from how close your kids play to the water to how many waves you are allowed to get. He also air drops from the peak when it’s maxing out. Most of the coverage I have seen show a few guys that show up one or two days out of the whole summer and since they are relevant, they get all the exposure. I put in a good amount of time out there this summer, so here is the breakdown of who is really going hard and not holding back.
Spencer Pirdy has no fear. He can read the lineup perfectly, and last time I checked, no one sponsors him because he’s not 18, doing half turns and kissing the surf industry’s ass. Riding everything from a 10′ log to pumping Mavericks, Pirdy is one of those guys at the Wedge that everyone’s watching.
And Spencer’s not the only one they’re watching. After this summer, Bobby Okvist is pretty much my favorite surfer. The guy will rush anything, do a full rotation 360 air, and pull it all with a perfect fluidity and style. Addy Giddings got more sick shots at the Wedge this summer than most professionals get in five years. You can find him on the beach by the rocks all day, every day, frothing like a pirate. And Ryan Hurley is the finless soft top boogie board pioneer. He has always been insane in big waves. The guy just doesn’t care.
“Do you ever get scared of dying in big waves?” I asked him one day. “Well, now that I’m older,” he responded, “sometimes I think it would suck to die and not be able to make it home to watch Dexter.” Pat Towersey is always out there being an all-around waterman, doing everything from bodysurfing, boogie boarding, and surfing. He’s not scared and kills it. Chad Towersey, Pat’s older brother, is a lineup regulator and super solid surfer that will just put his head down and go without question. Zane Waysz is another die-hard local goofy foot photo magnet that can also be found living on the beach all summer, either riding a soft top or a normal board, and finding all the thickest barrels. And last but definitely not least, there is Tyler Gunter. I’m not even sure if this kid can drive legally, but he will drop in on a 15-foot wave knowing full well that there’s a 5-foot backwash. I am not a big fan of groms these days – a lot of them have no respect and will drop in on you without hesitation. But Tyler Gunter is the “it” kid in Newport, and will be schooling people on the WCT in the future.
If you weren’t mentioned here and you feel like you should have been, I apologize. This breakdown is based on my experience surfing the best summer I have seen at the Wedge since I was born. Lastly, please save the comments on how I am blowing the place up. It’s not some secret spot. Every time it is 10-feet or bigger, every news station is there, and thousands of people line the beach like the thunder dome.
