Surfing will make its debut in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but the sport made its debut in the Bay Area more than 130 years ago in Santa Cruz. The Bay Area is where the invention of the wetsuit began. And, the best surfers come to the Bay Area for the biggest waves.
In this installment of our award-winning documentary series, we’ll take you to three main areas that attract people from all over the world: San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, and the World Surfing Reserve in Santa Cruz. Surfing in the Bay Area is not for the faint-hearted. Sometimes it’s all about survival. The water is cold, there are sharks and whales, and conditions are rough.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Featured interviews include Santa Cruz historian Kim Stoner, Jane “The Lane” McKenzie, Mavericks founder Jeff Clark, big wave surfers Grant Washburn, Bianca Valenti, Luca Padua, Thomas Lundgard. Also featured, renowned surfing photographer Sachi Cunningham and the co-founder of “Brown Girl Surf” in Oakland, Mira Manickam-Shirley.
