Wild West: Biggest Swell in Decades Slams California

Biggest is not always best. And in the case of last week’s Wild West swell — the biggest in decades to hit California — truth is, it was only actually good at a handful of spots during short windows of tide and wind, and/or at tucked-in nook-and-cranny novelty waves. (It also wreaked 17 different kinds of havoc across the state, washing over roadways, breaking piers and into harbors.) Yeah, it was a historic surf event which’ll be talked about in parking lots and lineups and coffee shops for years, and it rearranged the relationship with where we surf, but it (mostly) ended up being more spectacle than participatory. And above we present the spectacle, including a mad return to Todos Santos. With more on the way, especially Friday and Saturday across Southern California. ----------------------------------- Subscribe: Become a Surfline Premium Member: ----------------------------------