Steamer Lane, The Heart of the Santa Cruz Surf Scene
Cover image: ©Amanda Beenan Cantor / Magic Seaweed
The crown jewel of Santa Cruz surfing, Steamer Lane, is one of the best waves in Northern California. It sits right inside the northern end of Monterey Bay and faces south. North swells wrap around the tip of the crescent-shaped bay and combine with offshore winds to create a perfectly groomed point and reef break that draws crowds from miles and miles. The break is home to four peaks; the Point, the Slot, Middle Peak, and Indicators and has easy viewing for spectators. The best view of the wave is on the cliff by the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum at the base of Abbott Memorial Lighthouse. Here is a quick history of the soul of Santa Cruz.
The First Surfers
It’s important to note that the birth of surfing in the mainland took place at Monterey Bay. In 1885, three young Hawaiian princes and nephews of Queen Kapi'olani, Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole, David Kawananakoa, and Edward Keli’iahoniu, were the pioneering surfers in California. On homemade redwood boards, they paddled out and rode waves at the San Lorenzo Rivermouth. Over the next few years, small surfing groups began to form and explore the breaks along the coast. When Duke Kahanamoku visited Santa Cruz in 1938, he brought a spotlight to the sport, and since then, Santa Cruz has been a surfing hotspot.
This same year, Buster Stewart, Bill Grace, and Harry Mayo founded the Santa Cruz Surfing Club at their high school, and Steamer Lane gained its fame as one of the group's favorite waves.
The Name
There are two theories behind the name of the famous break, and not surprisingly, they both have to do with steamships. The first theory comes from the big waves that break on the third reef, far past the point. In the 1930s, surfers noticed that these waves would break in the steamships lane and decided to call the spot Steamer Lane.
The second theory arises from two friends, Wes Hammond and Claud Horan, who in the 1930s would rent steamboats to drive back and forth to create waves in the area. The surfable break became known as Steamer Lane.
Rise to Popularity
Steamer Lane rose to popularity throughout the ’40s and ’50s. It was a popular place to train for the big wave surf spot Makaha, on the West side of Oahu. The hotshot surfers during this time were Ricky Grigg, Peter Cole, and The Van Dyke Brothers. They charged these big, cold, sharky waters without a wetsuit and on big, clunky, leashless boards.
At the end of the 1950s, Jack O'Neill and his newly invented wetsuit moved from the chilly waters of San Francisco to the equally chilly, but more tameable waves of Santa Cruz. He opened a surf shop and began to develop the perfect neoprene wetsuit. For years locals were the only ones that got to wear the O'Neill wetsuits.
The O’Neill Surf Shop in Santa Cruz
At the beginning of the 1970s, another essential surf invention began and was perfected in the waters of Steamer Lane. Tired of losing his board at the famously big and powerful break, Pat O'Neill fashioned one of the first leashes. It was made of a suction cup attached towards the nose of the board and a surgical cord that wrapped around the surfer's wrist... to think how far we've come.
During the evolution of surfing, Steamer Lane was a California hotspot. According to Matt Warshaw, author of the History of Surfing, in the 1961 surf movie, Angry Sea, you can see Jim Foley riding a 7’1 surfboard on the waves at Steamer Lane, years before the shortboard revolution.
Localism and Competitions
Starting in the 1960s, the already well-known break, became a host to several surf competitions. The most notable were the Santa Cruz Pro-Am, the O'Neill Cold Water Classic, the Yeah Now No Cord Classic, and the Big Stick Surf-o-Rama.
With this rise in popularity also came a rise in localism. The most famous case was at a surf competition in 1969. The night before the first event, a group of local surfers pushed the judge’s scaffolding into the water at Steamer Lane, and the next day refused to get out of the water and let the competitors in. Today, local respect is a must if going to surf the break.
Claims to Fame
Between the 1980s and 2000s, the rough waves at Steamer Lane have produced world-class surfers. The best known are Adam Repogle, Chris Gallagher, Richard Schmidt, Vince Collier, Peter Mel, Danny “Flea” Virostko, Shawn Barron, Anthony Tashnick, Ken “Skindog” Collins, Joshy Loya, the star of “Chasing Mavericks”, Jay Moriarity, and Nat Young.
Today
Today Steamer Lane maintains the reputation as one of the best surf spots on the West Coast. Unfortunately, with this fame comes surfers wanting to ride the wave. It is now known as one of the most crowded surf spots in the world. If you get the chance to charge these waves, make sure to respect the locals, bring a wetsuit and a leash, and get ready to catch one of the best waves of your life.
Did reading about Steamer Lane inspire you to hit the waves? Remember to check out the Jamie O’Brien Surf App here for anytime, anywhere surf coaching.
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