There’s a reason we call it home

JAMES PRIBRAM

Laguna Beach is home. It has, and will always be home to my family,

my friends and so many others who, like me, just couldn’t imagine

living anywhere else.

Of course, I am probably the most biased person on Earth when it

comes to Laguna Beach. Home of the Sawdust Festival, the Pageant of

the Masters, the Laguna Beach Artists or the Breakers, home of the

world’s longest-running surfing contest and the Victoria Pro/Am

Skimboarding Contest, not to mention the world-famous Sandpiper.

More than that, it is a community of people who, underneath all,

know and care about one another. A community, a town, which has, time

and time again, remained strong and intact through the worst and the

best of times.

Through the laughing and the tears, our town has seen it all --

even a homicide solved some 23 years later because two officers of

the Laguna Beach Police Department cared enough to remain determined

until they did.

I continue to ask myself what it is that makes this town so

wonderful. The beaches? The girls (oops)? The people? The events?

Certainly not the parking, but hey, you can always find a good cup

of coffee.

No, what makes this town so special is its uniqueness. There’s

something for everyone here, a whole menu or buffet to choose from --

a creative gathering of people along with the majestic beaches that

combine to make Laguna Beach what it is: home.

Peace.

* JAMES PRIBRAM is a Laguna Beach resident, professional surfer

and co-founder of “They Will Surf Again,” a nonprofit foundation

assisting people with spinal cord injuries. He was also a member of

the Water Quality Advisory Committee. He can be reached at

jamo@alohaschoolofsurfing.com. His website is

alohaschoolofsurfing.com.