The Mellow Wave By Neil Pearlberg
of Capitola
Capitola’s rich history extends beyond the town, the esplanade, its pristine beach and out onto the blue Pacific, where surfers have for generations enjoyed the one of finest surf breaks in California. While the neighboring town of Santa Cruz sports worldwide recognition as the home of mainland surfing, and to where a countless number of the world’s finest board riders have hailed from, many of the greats first “cut their teeth” learning to surf on the mellow wave of Capitola. “The wave has not changed since I first began surfing there in 1960,” said David Adams. “I remember as an eighth grader when my family moved to Soquel, I would take my “Doolittle” surfboard, and paddle down the Soquel Creek, all the way to the ocean to surf.” The Van Slatter family name ran deep in the early days of Capitola surf history, with Van Slatter being the mentor for many a young surfer, including David Adams. “He taught the kids about the rules of surfing, its history and deep roots.” Adams said. Van Slatter’s mother Peggy Slatter who ran a surf school at the Pleasure Point Plunge, began the Begonia Festival, or “Water Parade” as it was first called back since its inception in the mid 1950’s, and whose father Herman Slatter was the first lifeguard at Capitola beach. Adams described Herman Slatter, as a
huge barrel-chested man, who wore only shorts and a pith helmet, and whose deep baritone voice would carry across the beach and ocean, pinpointing any unruly kid, who was even thinking of getting out of hand. “We were all scared of him, but we later found out that he was Johnny Weissmuller’s stunt double in the Tarzan movies, so we figured out he couldn’t be that frightening if he was Tarzan,” Adams said with a wry smile. In 1964, when upon the completion of the Santa Cruz Yacht harbor, disaster struck Capitola when the sand began to disappear from the beach. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers who constructed the yacht harbor four miles away, did not realize the adverse effect the harbor walls would effect the sand flow of the coastline. For two years, sand was transported in to replenish Capitola Beach, a town that relied heavily on the tourist industry during the warmer months. Needing a more permanent solution to capture the disappearing sand, a rock jetty was built at the South end of the beach, which provided an im-
mediate solution for the problem. “We thought loss of sand would ruin our wave, but it never did,” said Adams, “The surf at all three breaks of Capitola, the main peak, Toes Over, and Bombora, all happen because of a rock shelf on the ocean floor, which insures they will all be there for future generations to enjoy. If you head out to the line-up to surf Capitola today, you will be greeted with a friendly “Hello,” and where, more often than not, you will sit shoulder to shoulder with someone who has surfed there for decades and who will gladly share with you tales of surfing their most memorable wave. No matter what your skill is as a surfer, whether amateur or professional, young or old, the surf break and friendly vibe at Capitola is place where you should respectfully pay a visit from time to time. Like an old friend, she will greet you, and you will always leave in better spirits than where you first arrived... that is the Aloha of Capitola.
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