Newport Beach (The Wedge)

Starting off our road trip in California Katie and I flew in a little early to get adjusted to the time and get supplies for our Yosemite leg of the trip.  We flew in on a Tuesday afternoon to LAX airport.  The first night we decided to hit up Chipotle's for dinner.  We had dinner with Katie's dad and Christine.  That night we also planned out what we'd do the next day.  I really wanted to eat In n out and go see The Wedge, a famous surf break. 

The next day we took the trek down to Newport Beach.  The commute was about an hour away.  When we arrived I was blown away at how crowded it was on a Wednesday morning.  There were tons of people in and out of the water.  The waves were not as big as reported but big enough for some 6ft (Hawaiian scale) close out sets.  Creating these big waves was a hurricane just southwest of Cali, hurricane Marie was generating winds just a few hundred miles off shore.  There were only bodysurfers at the main break, and a few bodyboarders and a surfer on the break right over from The Wedge.  Some of the guys on boards were taking a few cracks from the close out sets.  The bodysurfers at the main break were making the waves look easy, taking vertical drops and driving through some big barrels.  Most of the barrels for the bodysurfers were unmakeable but I bet they had a mean view from inside the barrels.  You can bet if I had a wetsuit some fins and a board I would have been out there.  Maybe next time...

After watching the waves Katie and I hit up REI for some supplies for the road trip.  It is always like Disneyland for hikers going in there, wanting to buy everything I walked out with a handful of things.  A quick stop at In n Out made it better.  That night we got to visit Katie's good friend Laura and her boyfriend Roy.  One of my goals for this trip was to see some bears.  Roy said there were a few bears in his backyard just hours before we arrived to his place.  I could only pray I get to see a bear or some kind of apex predator on this trip.  That night we got dinner at a pub and picked up Christian from the airport.  After we picked him up he jetted down to see some his family he hadn't seen in a while.    The day after we mulled around and ran a few more errands.  Picked up some food for the camp trip and had dinner with some family.  On Friday we start our epic road trip...

As we approached the beach it was lined with spectators watching some waves. 

On the left side of the picture is the break called 'The Wedge'.

This is what it looked like when we saw a set come in.  A bodysurfer takes a vertical drop in a tube. 

The cones were the barrier for the common folks.  In the distance a bodysurfer preps himself before heading into the chaos. 

Lifeguards walked the beach making sure no one got swept out to sea. 

There was also a boat full of lifeguards making sure that the surfers didn't get into too much trouble. 

This bodysurfer made it look easy dropping into a wave at the Wedge. 

I wondered why there were no surfers or bodyboarders out at the main break.  Supposedly after 10:30 am all surfers with boards need to come out and let the bodysurfers get a crack at the waves. 

One break down there were two bodyboarders that entered the water. 

These guys for sure got some on the head from this wave. 

The previous bodyboarders lured some beginners into the water as well.  This guy has a foam board that you might find at the ABC store down the road.  He also has NO swim fins! 

  Ten minutes into his session his board gets ripped away from him trying to catch white wash.  He makes it to shore and the lifeguards approach him to talk to him about the dangers of going in unprepared.  He could have drowned. 

On a decent size wave a bodyboarder flies high with a move called the invert.

  For my hour at The Wedge bodysurfers reigned supreme catching waves like this one.  Simply amazing. 

The Wedge from Ryan Chang on Vimeo.

The night after visiting The Wedge we had dinner at a family members house.  I got a chance to sneak away outside and capture the sunset.  The second picture is downtown LA.  You can see all the smog from the city.  Even though the smog is bad it created some brilliant colors in the sky.