Newport Beach Just Witnessed the Swell of the Century

Southern California is having a surf moment that veterans say comes along maybe once in a lifetime, and thousands of people have been showing up to witness it firsthand. A powerful south swell rolled into Newport Beach and sent waves crashing ashore at The Wedge that surfers and spectators alike are calling the swell of the century, with some of the biggest surf the region has seen in decades drawing nearly a thousand onlookers to the iconic beach on a single afternoon. For the surfers who have been chasing swells around the globe, the chance to ride The Wedge during a historic event like this was simply too good to pass up. One surfer who flew in from a massive swell in Tahiti just days earlier said the waves were the biggest he had ever seen at the spot and described the feeling of catching a good one as nothing short of euphoric.

The scene at Newport Beach had the electric energy of a live sporting event, with crowds cheering from the sand as each big set rolled in and surfers committed fully to waves that demanded complete focus and courage. One surfer described the experience as the closest thing to flying, while another laughed about getting caught inside a towering set and simply taking it on the head with a grin. Even kids watching from the shore were captivated, with one boy telling reporters he desperately wanted to paddle out but admitted his mom had the final word on the matter. California beaches do not deliver days like this very often, and the thousands of people who showed up to watch, cheer, and take it all in clearly knew they were standing in the middle of something worth remembering.

Source:https://ktla.com/news/orange-county/newport-beach-wedge-huge-waves/