A surfer gang at Lunada Bay may finally be wiping out

Los Angeles Times

12-10-2024

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It's understandable if the phrase 'surfer gang' causes you to immediately think of Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze in 'Point Break.'
Because that's totally what happened to me when I first saw this story about the notorious Bay Boys by my colleague Clara Harter.
The controversial gang has sought to rule the waves of Lunada Bay for six decades by intimidating outsiders to keep them away. They've slashed nonlocals' tires, thrown rocks at people coming down the cliffside trail and physically harassed surfers catching waves, Clara reports.
The level of harassment doled out by the Bay Boys was captured in an undercover video in 2015, when journalists from The Guardian visited Lunada Bay and did not receive a warm welcome, as you can see for yourself.
But enough people eventually got fed up with Bay Boys' antics, and local officials agreed to settle a landmark lawsuit last month with a promise to protect public access to the bay.
The story of the Bay Boys may sound like a novelty in this day and age. A bunch of dudes forming a surfer gang and laying claim to a bay? OK.
But underneath the surface are bigger issues surrounding who is allowed to enjoy access to one of California's biggest assets — the coast.
Here are some major points from Clara's reporting that help put the Bay Boys' stunts in context while raising questions over whether the settlement will really fix anything.
Behind the Bay Boys' territorial streak
The bay is located near the upscale community of Palos Verdes Estates, which has a deep-seated culture of localism — the belief that local surfers own the break.
'Localism was a rampant problem along the California coastline from the 1970s through the early 2000s,' Clara reports. 'But as coastal population and the popularity of surfing boomed, it became near impossible for locals to assert ownership over a particular break. Lunada Bay has remained the most notorious exception to this rule.'
Proponents of localism argue that nearby residents help maintain the natural beauty of the bay for the community, so why shouldn't they close off access to outsiders who might trash the place?
But that argument has long been tinged with classism and racism, my colleague Clara reports.
Chris Taloa, a native Hawaiian surfer, told The Times that when he organized a paddle out at Lunada Bay on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2014, a local came up to him in blackface and told him, 'You don't pay enough taxes to be here.'
Sofly Matturi, a surfer from Long Beach, told Clara that he feels racially charged aggression when he paddles out at Lunada.
'It's like half is localism, half is racism,' said Matturi, who is Black. 'Either way, they don't like me.'
A vibe check at Lunada Bay
Some surfers told Clara they are not holding their breath that the settlement will end bullying at the bay.
While the settlement includes putting up signs making it clear the bay is open to the public, it doesn't mention any new strategies for responding to incidents of harassment, bullying or localism.
That's a big problem considering that correspondence records show that Palos Verdes Estates officials dismissed the Bay Boys's localist harassment as an 'urban legend' in 2016 and discussed ways to avoid public and media scrutiny.
Back when journalists for The Guardian visited the bay in 2015, they later stopped by a police station and were told by officers that police would only respond if a law was broken.
But John MacHarg, a Palos Verdes native who opposes the Bay Boys' bullying, told Clara the settlement provides a chance to turn things around at Lunada Bay.
'The moral of the story is: Get out there and go surf, break it open,' he said. 'The door has been opened, but if nobody goes through the door, it's not going to make any difference.'
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Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
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