Surface Motion
H arbor Begins to Cite Illegal Surfing
Harbormaster Brian Foss begins citing surfers who pursued their sport in the channel. Reaction among surfers ranges from cooperation to open defiance.
"Hemmed in at the harbor"
Photo by Bill Lovejoy
Santa Cruz Sentinel photo and caption
Sunday, March 13, 1977: Photo feature shows a surfer walking on plenty of solid sandbar, past a section of the jet pump system. Boards had become very short in those days, or perhaps it is a kneeboard. Note single fin.
"The Harbor that Turns Itself Into a Lake"
Watsonville Register Pajaronian photo
Wednesday, May 4, 1977: The Harbor has been closed for almost five months, after a large storm brought a huge amount of sand and clogged the mouth. The Watsonville Register Pajaronian runs an article with a great deal of Harbor shoaling history. This reporter makes note of the changes that happened since the Harbor appeared, from the widening of the beach to the west to the loss of sand as far away as Capitola. He notes that the current dredge is inadequate for the job.
Commentary: The reference to the lake is ironic, since in the winter the Harbor seems to naturally return to its original state, as Woods Lagoon. Another irony is in the photo, which harkens back to 1964 when an early dredge struggled on the very same spot.
Thursday, December 1, 1977: Two boats beached in one week because they tried to avoid surfers and broached, subsequently getting rolled and damaged by high waves.
Commentary: This Sentinel article remarks Boat Owners 0, Surfers 2. This refers to the two beached boats the surfers had caused. It mentions that the year before the score was Boat Owners 1, Surfers 0, implying that a surfer had been injured or killed.
