Beachgoers have a swell day in Newport

Andrew Glazer

NEWPORT BEACH -- It took the swells nine days to travel the 7,000 miles

from New Zealand, and dozens of bodysurfers and sunbathers, with

flippered feet and pink noses, greeted them at The Wedge on Wednesday.

“This is great fun,” said Lori Hoskins, 66, who watched the 6-foot swells

and those trying to ride them crash onto the sand. “It looks like they’re

going to break the bodysurfers right in half.”

But Newport Beach lifeguard Keith Head, who stole a nap in his white

pickup truck while an understudy kept her eyes on the break, said he

didn’t need to make any rescues Wednesday.

Lifeguards said they made 42 rescues elsewhere in Newport Beach, which

was not bad for a sunny day that drew about 45,000 to area beaches.

“It’s pretty calm right now,” Head said as a roller curled over and sent

three swimmers flying.

The waves, born from a storm in New Zealand, were expected to get bigger

by Friday, said Chris Borg, a meteorologist from Surfline Huntington

Beach, a wave forecasting service.

Waves at The Wedge, a world-famous bodysurfing break, can grow as tall as

15 to 20 feet.

“It’s better than normal,” Borg said. “It’s been slow for the past week,

but this has picked things up again.”

Some jaded wave-watchers were unimpressed.

“Today they’re weak sauce,” said Ben Beckmann, 22, meaning the waves

weren’t big enough to draw him from his towel. “I’ll have to be back on

Friday.”

Beckmann, who will be a senior at UC Berkeley in the fall, was joined by

three high school friends who were also home for summer break.

“We’ve been coming to The Wedge for the last five or so summers,” said

Travis Overley, 22, who studies in Moscow. He wore tight, short

European-style swim trunks, which his baggy shorts-wearing counterparts

did not fail to notice.

“Italian short shorts!” said Matt Gardner, 22, wagging his head in

disbelief.

While the foursome had no plans to dive into the surf Wednesday, they did

plan to end their day as they end every summer day at the beach.

“At Ruby’s,” Beckmann said, “sipping vanilla Cokes. They’re like ‘50s

bebop. Still lots of fun.”