Big days at the Hermosa pier
Mike Purpus surfing off the end of the Hermosa Beach pier in 1975. Photo courtesy of Mike Purpus During a recent big storm swell, the south side of the Hermosa Beach pier had the best ridable waves in the South Bay. Photos taken confirmed it. But surfers had such a difficult time paddling out that some were rumored to have jumped off the pier If true, it wouldn’t have been the first time. It was one day in the mid-70s when I had just returned from Hawaii. Ronnie Williamson and Ty Page were the only ones in the water when I got to the pier. They were surfing perfect 10-foot waves. I ran out on the pier with Terry Stevens and my 7-foot-2 Gerry Lopez Pipeline gun. A lifeguard followed me out and let me and Terry jump off the end. He said that we got one free pass and that was it. Shane Frontino gets upside down at the Hermosa pier during a big storm swell earlier this month. Photo A few months later the Red Car Reefs were breaking on another big, stormy afternoon. Mike Benavidez and Chris Barela were out ripping after school. Terry Stevens ran out to jump off the end of the pier with two lifeguards chasing him. They told Terry he couldn’t jump because their boss was watching. Terry…
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