Crowd thinning WNW swell hits South Bay over New Year’s weekend.
Careful wave selection was the key to survival Sunday morning at the Jetty. Photo by Gus McConnell
Crowds of surfers, who have been a problem since the start of the pandemic, were not a problem at the Jetty in El Segundo this weekend. At least not in the water. The reason was a board snapping, double overhead swell that began Friday evening and peaked Sunday morning. Cold water and colder air added to the intimidation factor. Fortunately, the offshore winds that have lingered for over a month, helped the closeouts hold up long enough for Tyler Hatzikian, Matt Mohagan, Kenny Brechtelsbauer and not many others to make it out of some of the barrels. — Kevin Cody