Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles Monday June 10, 2002 The Guardian
Some of the Californian surfers who were out with their boards over the weekend have been accused of making waves of a different kind. Allegations of violent intimidation have ended up in court and prompted soul-searching in what is traditionally seen as a laid-back sport.
Today a police chief from Palos Verdes, south of Los Angeles, is to meet a representative of the world's leading surfers' organisation in a bid to ensure that chasing away non-locals from good surfing beaches, known as localism, and fighting over the same wave, known as surf rage, do not get out of control.
The meeting follows a series of incidents which date back to January when surfer Tim Banas and his 18-year-old son, Tommy, arrived on a beach at Palos Verdes Estates, where wealthy local surfers jealously guard their surfing areas.
The Banases were told: "If you don't live here, don't surf here." A fight broke out and the younger Banas was alleged to have cracked a local surfer's skull with a rock. The Banases claimed they were the victims of the attack and brought a civil action against five locals.
Further north, at Fort Point under the Golden Gate Bridge, surfer Adam Browning had his nose broken and was held under water in March after being warned not to take to the water. Three local surfers have been charged with assault.
After the Palos Verdes fight, a video camera was placed on the beach in an effort to stop the violence but local surfers recently succeeded in their campaign to have it removed.
Today, local police chief Timm Browne will meet Matt McClain of the Surfrider Foundation, which represents more than 30,000 surfers, to try to stop the problems escalating.
The issue of localism has been around almost since surfing began. For years, Malibu surfers would paint the words "No Vals" on beachside walls to discourage their inland neighbours from the San Fernando Valley.
Surfers at San Luis Obispo also have a reputation for chasing off would-be surfers from the south. But in the last few months the issue has reached a head, with police and surfing bodies expressing concern that something worse than the current rock-throwing, tyre-slashing and punch-ups could happen.
"The oceans and the surf belong to everyone," Matt McClain said yesterday. "Part of the problem is that everywhere in southern California is just packed with people."
The meeting with the police is aimed at finding common ground. "We would like to have a dialogue," said Mr McClain. "There's got to be a way for people to go out without getting vibed out."