A surfer gang at Lunada Bay may finally be wiping out

A photo of a surfer heading into the water at Lunada Bay.

A surfer heads into the water at Lunada Bay in February 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Is this the last cowabunga for a surfer gang in Lunada Bay?

It’s understandable if the phrase “surfer gang” causes you to immediately think of Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze in “Point Break.

Because that’s totally what happened to me when I first saw this story about the notorious Bay Boys by my colleague Clara Harter.

The controversial gang has sought to rule the waves of Lunada Bay for six decades by intimidating outsiders to keep them away. They’ve slashed nonlocals’ tires, thrown rocks at people coming down the cliffside trail and physically harassed surfers catching waves, Clara reports.

The level of harassment doled out by the Bay Boys was captured in an undercover video in 2015, when journalists from The Guardian visited Lunada Bay and did not receive a warm welcome, as you can see for yourself.

But enough people eventually got fed up with Bay Boys’ antics, and local officials agreed to settle a landmark lawsuit last month with a promise to protect public access to the bay.

The story of the Bay Boys may sound like a novelty in this day and age. A bunch of dudes forming a surfer gang and laying claim to a bay? OK.

But underneath the surface are bigger issues surrounding who is allowed to enjoy access to one of California’s biggest assets — the coast.

Here are some major points from Clara’s reporting that help put the Bay Boys’ stunts in context while raising questions over whether the settlement will really fix anything.

A photo of a man surfing in Lunada Bay.

Nonlocal surfer Jordan, recording any potential problems with a GoPro in his mouth, gets a tube ride at Lunada Bay on Feb. 5, 2016.
(Los Angeles Times)

Behind the Bay Boys’ territorial streak

The bay is located near the upscale community of Palos Verdes Estates, which has a deep-seated culture of localism — the belief that local surfers own the break.

“Localism was a rampant problem along the California coastline from the 1970s through the early 2000s,” Clara reports. “But as coastal population and the popularity of surfing boomed, it became near impossible for locals to assert ownership over a particular break. Lunada Bay has remained the most notorious exception to this rule.”

Proponents of localism argue that nearby residents help maintain the natural beauty of the bay for the community, so why shouldn’t they close off access to outsiders who might trash the place?

But that argument has long been tinged with classism and racism, my colleague Clara reports.

Chris Taloa, a native Hawaiian surfer, told The Times that when he organized a paddle out at Lunada Bay on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2014, a local came up to him in blackface and told him, “You don’t pay enough taxes to be here.”

Sofly Matturi, a surfer from Long Beach, told Clara that he feels racially charged aggression when he paddles out at Lunada.

“It’s like half is localism, half is racism,” said Matturi, who is Black. “Either way, they don’t like me.”

A surfer heads down the trail to Lunada Bay in February 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

A vibe check at Lunada Bay

Some surfers told Clara they are not holding their breath that the settlement will end bullying at the bay.

While the settlement includes putting up signs making it clear the bay is open to the public, it doesn’t mention any new strategies for responding to incidents of harassment, bullying or localism.

That’s a big problem considering that correspondence records show that Palos Verdes Estates officials dismissed the Bay Boys’s localist harassment as an “urban legend” in 2016 and discussed ways to avoid public and media scrutiny.

Back when journalists for The Guardian visited the bay in 2015, they later stopped by a police station and were told by officers that police would only respond if a law was broken.

But John MacHarg, a Palos Verdes native who opposes the Bay Boys’ bullying, told Clara the settlement provides a chance to turn things around at Lunada Bay.

“The moral of the story is: Get out there and go surf, break it open,” he said. “The door has been opened, but if nobody goes through the door, it’s not going to make any difference.”

The week’s biggest stories

A photo of Vice President Kamala Harris on the set of The View in New York.

Kamala Harris, second from left, chats with the hosts of “The View,” including Ana Navarro, Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin, during a commercial break on Tuesday in New York.
(Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

Harris and Trump are ‘microtargeting’ voters through appearances on podcasts, ‘The View’ and Howard Stern

Hochman’s lead over Gascón grew to 30% in a new D.A.’s race poll

  • Fifty-one percent of likely L.A. County voters would choose Nathan Hochman, and 21% would cast a ballot for Gascón, according to a survey from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times.
  • Gascón tried to cut into Hochman’s lead during a contentious debate this week.
  • These maps show where Gascón and Hochman need to win over voters.

Hollywood veterans get brutally honest about mentoring the next generation amid industry turmoil

  • Longtime Hollywood workers said they feel an obligation to “speak truth to facts” with people trying to break into the entertainment industry right now.
  • Some training programs and mentorship groups have been reevaluating their approach as the industry struggles and jobs remain scarce.

Elon Musk unveiled a prototype for a driverless robotaxi

  • Dubbed the Cybercab, the futuristic, metallic silver vehicles lacked steering wheels, pedals and rearview mirrors. Musk said the fully autonomous vehicles would hit the road by next year.
  • The news comes as increased competition in the electric vehicle space has squeezed Tesla’s sales.

More big stories


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This week’s must reads

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(Roger May/For The Times)

In the heart of Appalachia, a distant cousin of JD Vance leads an opposing “authentic hillbilly” movement. “He cosplayed a hillbilly and tokenized himself as the golden child who worked hard to overcome adversity,” the cousin, Terra Vance, said. “What he’s peddling now — what he is doing to other marginalized groups — is exactly what has always been done to us.”

More great reads


How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].


For your weekend

A photo of fall leaves turning colors along Hwy. 168 in the Inyo National Forest along Bishop Creek.

The Eastern Sierra are radiant with fall color along Highway 168 in the Inyo National Forest.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

Going out

Staying in

A collection of photos from this week's news quiz.

(Times staff and wire photos)

Released this week, what is the title of former First Lady Melania Trump’s memoir? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor

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