Story and photos (CivicCouch.com)
“Chasing Unicorns” is a follow-up on my first feature length feature film, “Chasing El Nino,” which premiered at the 2016 Hermosa Beach Surfers Walk of Fame pre party. I spent the 2015-2016 winter chasing the big El Nino swells that brought triple overhead waves to the South Bay with pounding regularity.
The 2016-2017 winter was different. I spent it chasing unicorns. Like unicorns, this year’s swells, as often as not, proved mythical. Surfers and photographers would meet in the beach parking lots in the early mornings, anticipating the forecasted big swells. The swells arrived and looked great. But like the unicorn, when the surfers paddled out the waves proved elusive. They jacked up into giant closeouts, or disappeared altogether. The smaller swells were good. There were sandbars up and down the South Bay. But then a large swell would arrive and destroy the sand bars.
Fortunately, there were some big makeable days, or at least the local chargers made the wave look ridable.
“Chasing Unicorns” features the South Bay’s well known chargers, some new local chargers and out of town traveling pros looking for swells near LAX.
The video premiers April 28, following the Hermosa Beach Surfers Walk of Fame pre party at the Hermosa Beach Community Center. Please show your support the the surfers who uphold South Bay’s surfing tradition. Doors open at 6 p.m.710 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach. ER HBSWOF
