A few weeks ago, in early June, Southern California shifted its collective attention. The forecasts had been promising "the biggest south swell in years."
If you've lived in or around Newport Beach for any amount of time, you know that big south swells tend to focus their energy most prominently on one corner of jetty and sand: The Wedge.
The Wedge owes its existence to an accident of engineering. Wave energy reflects off the large Newport Harbor jetty, collides with the incoming swell, and stands up into one of the most recognizable waves on the California coast.
Unlike many overhyped swells coming from distant storms somewhere in the South Pacific, this one delivered.
What struck me most wasn't just the size of the surf, it was how the raw power of the ocean still captures people’s attention.
For those several days, "Have you seen the Wedge yet?" was how almost every conversation started.
It felt like the Super Bowl was in town.
Traffic backed up all the way to the 55 as thousands of people tried to get down to the tip of the Balboa Peninsula just to see it.
Even my young kids were fascinated. "Dad! The body surfers looked like little ants just going ZOOM down the wave!"
Some heroes were made. Plenty of wipeouts too.
The swell lasted a few days, then the ocean settled back into its usual rhythm and the crowds went back to theirs. Until the next big south swell.
Few surf spots have earned their place in the cultural zeitgeist quite like Newport Beach’s Wedge.
