The wave at Malibu is one of the world’s most famous for good reason. It was, of course, the breeding ground for California’s surf culture. The place where Miki Dora became “Da Cat.” Where Gidget won the hearts of the movie-going world. It is, in an oft-quoted refrain, “the exact spot on Earth where ancient surfing became modern surfing.” It’s a lot different now than it was in its halcyon days, though, and it’s unlikely you’ll find anyone who can honestly say they prefer it now. A lot has changed since the ’50s and ’60s, and it’s not just surf culture — the wave itself has changed, too.
Now, of course, the place is very, very crowded. Surf etiquette almost does not exist there. Where once surfers felt as though they were bounding through an endless wilderness, now they feel as though they’re in a zoo. But still, despite the waves changing and the crowds booming, Malibu has a draw to it. You can feel the history there. It’s painted on the walls where longboards lean. It’s in the water and in the air. You are part of surf history when you are in Malibu. Which is why Dan Harmon made the trek there when a big ol’ south swell pointed itself towards Surfrider Beach. His goal? To find out what surfing Malibu was really like.
“It’s one of the most chaotic lineups I’ve ever seen,” he says at the start of this vlog. “A hundred and fifty to 200 people out; four or five people riding the same wave. There’s loads of unpredictable shit that goes on.”
He’s right, of course. One of the strangest things about surfing Malibu is that it seems to have been accepted that “sharing” a wave is fine, whether or not the participants in said sharing agree.
“It’s the only place where there are four or five people on the same wave and that’s seen as normal or okay,” Harmon said. “Even at Snapper or Trestles, that never happens. It just seems to be the only place where that’s the norm.”
Over the course of two hours, Harmon, a talented surfer, surfed four waves. But despite that, he was surprised by something that might be, to some people, surprising.
“The wave was actually way, way better than I thought,” he said. “In my head, I thought it was this super mellow longboard wave. But in conditions like the solid south swell that we had, it was a sick wave.”
Anyone who has surfed Malibu at size knows that, but it’s easy to see why Harmon might’ve thought the way he did. For the most part, it is a super mellow longboard wave. But when it gets good, it gets really good.
“Super, super long and really wally,” he remembered. “Quite fast at times and just a really good wave.”
Although Malibu is not what it became famous for anymore, it is still a fantastic wave. The lineup there is different than any other lineup in the world. And if you can get your head around the fact that you’ll be sharing waves — unless you’re someone like, say, Sarlo — you can still have a whole lot of fun. It’s just a different kind of fun.
“It’s the scariest normal-sized wave I’ve ever surfed,” Harmon laughed.
