SURFING LAGUNA: Where surfing is a family affair

On any given day down at Laguna’s surf breaks you’ll see it, an older surfer shredding across a wave being “hooted” on by a young surfer at just the right moments. Observe longer and you’ll most likely see the older surfer doing the same for the younger counterparts. In Laguna, surfing is a family affair.

The Laguna surf scene is a place where great family moments are shared. I can attest to this as my dad and I spent many mornings surfing what seemed like perfect waves together down at Thalia Street. As a kid it meant the world to me to see my dad get a great ride. Of course I took equal (if not greater) delight in Dad cheering me on as I did my best impersonation of his surfing style, but with some progressive twists.

Here are just a few of the many Laguna surfing families currently out there: Who hasn’t seen Eli and Walter Viszolay out in the water with huge ear-to-ear grins watching each other shred? Two vastly different surfing eras represented here, with Walter shooting the curl since back in the ’60s and Eli coming of age in the ’90s and ’00s. If fact, if memory serves, one year at Laguna’s highly competitive Brooks Street Classic surfing contest this dynamic surfing duo each captured first place in their respective divisions! They both share an easy smile and warmth that makes surfing with them a real pleasure. Walter is a local Laguna artist and Eli is a student at Laguna Beach High School.

Another classic Laguna duo are Brooks Street residents Matt and Hunter Swirtz. Matt (father) stands tall at well over 6 feet with broad shoulders and a thick blond mane that would make a Viking envious. Matt’s visibility factor is further enhanced by his surfing weapon of choice: a 10-foot, bright red longboard. Matt is another guy who’s out surfing simply to enjoy the stoke and is rarely seen without a big smile close by. Hunter is an eighth-grade student up at Thurston who is constantly pushing the limits of just about everything, including surfing. On any given day you will find this inexhaustible lad out shredding on his tiny “potato chip” sized short board, then doing head stands on a softboard, likely followed up with some radical skim boarding in the shore break. Just recently Hunter came in first place at the Trky surf contest at Thalia Street reef. And as always Matt was close by, cheering Hunter on through every turn, floater and cutback. Good times!

Have you seen a blonde-haired girl surfing here in Laguna with top surf company sponsors on her board just killing it? Taylor Pitz is her name and she is a 10th-grader at Laguna Beach High School and a member of the illustrious Surfing America US surf team.

Her surfing is solid and Taylor’s dad, Mark, has been there from day one with support, a camera and occasionally his surfboard. Mark typically tries to capture Taylor’s surfing via video or camera footage and thus he is rarely out in the water with Taylor. But when the school bell rings look out for Mark and his “funboard” because the apple didn’t fall to far from the tree. Or maybe the tree didn’t fall to far from the apple.

At any rate it’s wonderful to see a father and daughter team surfing together, training and having fun in the super competitive world of surfing. So many great surfing families currently live here in Laguna and through the generations. If you would like to share a family surfing story, please drop me an e-mail.

CHRIS WILLIAMS is the father of four surf-crazy sons, a surfing coach and Laguna Beach resident. He can be reached at [email protected] or (949) 497-5918.