The fast Lane at 18th Street

Alex Coolman

NEWPORT BEACH -- The stars were out in the middle of the day Tuesday:

not in the sky, but in the waves, where excellent conditions attracted

some of Southern California’s best surfers to show their stuff.

The 18th Street break known as The Point was firing with 6- to 10-foot

sets through the morning as an extreme south swell neared its peak.

For the rare waves, dozens of riders jockeyed in the lineup, including

professionals like Shane Beschen and Jeff Booth. On the beach,

photographers with massive telephoto lenses lined up like soccer moms

waiting for a goal.

The swell producing the good conditions is the product of Tropical

Storm Lane, which has been swirling around in Mexican waters. The angle

from which the waves are coming is so southern, said Newport Beach

lifeguard Capt. Jim Turner, that it is producing excellent conditions at

just a few spots in the city.

The Wedge, often the big-wave standout at this time of year, saw waves

in the 10-foot range Tuesday. But many of the beaches along the peninsula

actually saw fairly modest wave heights, Turner said, because they didn’t

catch the full effect of the swell.

For lifeguards, the run of high surf has been relatively easy to deal

with, Turner said. Unlike earlier swells of the summer, Lane’s juice is

mostly proving attractive to the experienced crowd.

“We’ve had few to no problems” with less-accomplished swimmers getting

caught in the currents, he said.

One incident that did provoke some concern took place at about 7:30

a.m. at The Wedge, when a young bodyboarder realized she was out in waves

that were too big for her to handle.

But she made it onto the beach with the help of a few of her fellow

wave riders, Turner said.

For the most part, the 18th Street pack was having problems -- not

with a lack of experience, but with an excess of talent. So many good

riders were scrambling for waves that many of the surfers on the beach

spoke more about the crowded lineup than the conditions.

“It’s like a freeway,” said Huntington Beach resident Lee Granger as

he stood dripping on the sand. “I call it a freeway crowd.”

The swell is expected to drop through today and Thursday, Turner said.