No boards allowed: Blackball kicks off at the Wedge
May 7th, 2009, 4:28 pm · · posted by Laylan Connelly, staff writer
For bodysurfers, they’re happy to get the waves to themselves without the danger of boards crashing into them.
For surfers and bodyboarders, the rules suck.
Blackball season has officially kicked off, with the first spot along the coast — the famous Wedge – blackballed on May 1. Bodysurfers gathered at the Wedge in Newport Beach on May 1 to celebrate the open season, which restricts boarders from using waves there from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the summer, until Oct. 31.
There’s a pretty big debate about blackball, and whether it’s fair. The rules are put in place by lifeguards to ensure safety of swimmers who flock to the sand during summer months who might get nailed by boards.
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Most beaches enforce some sort of blackball rules to keep order in the water, so boards don’t collide with the increased crowds that flock to the water during summer months.
The Wedge crew lobbied to get the spot blackballed in 1993, taking the issue up to City Hall.
Kevin “Mel” Thoman said about 20 bodysurfers showed up at the Wedge to celebrate the blackball season. Thoman says the rules don’t keep people out – they are welcome to get in the water, just not with boards.
“I figure, if I loved the wedge enough and I was a surfer, I’d learn to bodysurf,” he said. ”Bottom line is, that place was first and foremost a bodysurfing wave. We had to do something to protect our sport and spot.”
Thoman said a lot of new bodysurfers have been showing up consistantly at the Wedge, a good thing to keep the sport alive.
Each beach has different blackball areas and start dates. Click here to see the rules at your favorite spot.
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Local surfers recognized
Here’s an idea … what about blackball swimmers. All swimmers need to move down 200 yards away from surfers. How about giving some priority to the people that are actually paying the ridiculous parking fees year-round the benefit of the beach rather than the other way around? In most other places, it’s swimmers that move – not the surfers.
There are no parking meters at The Wedge.It’s a residential area with parking restrictions on street sweeping days.
The Wedge needs the Blackball for everyone safety, no Surfer can control his board during a wipe-out.
Charlie don’t surf. That is all.
I would like to see the number of “voters” have actually dropped in on a wave at Wedge on a decent size day (3ft+)!…LOL
Body surfers have hard skulls that are very dangerous,
Tribal surf says – “In most other places, it’s the swimmers that move – not the surfers”…………. You are correct, in most other places…. now you are dividing the surfers and spongers, and there’s always more spongers. Too many.
Viva Blackball at Wedge…. It usually keeps the kooks away during the day anyways.
Apologies to the folks above – my comment was more generally about blackball and not the Wedge specifically. Mad respect for your bodyboarding lunatics that brave that monstrosity of a wave. To be clear though, I stick to what I said about blackballs in general – make the swimmers move.
It seems like the City could come up with a solution that is more equitable for all. Often 10:00am rolls around and 10 or 20 bodyboarders are made to get out of the water and there is one (or not even one) bodysurfer waiting to go in. 10:00 to 5:00 is a long time to hand it over to body surfers exclusively EVERY DAY for HALF of every year. How about an ‘every other day’ system, alternating between surfers/spongers allowed and body surfers only on weekdays (bodysurfers only on weekends)? I totally agree that surfboards can be dangerous in the mix with both spongers and body surfers. Why not try to ease the current rule to allow spongers and bodysurfers but not surfboards and skimmers during peak hours? Everyone needs to be respectful, but I think the current restrictive policy has been in place too long and needs to be modified. Ditto for upper jetties beach areas. Blackballing the entire area to surfers in summer isn’t fair – why not designate every other jetty for swimmers only or surfers only? Surely we can all get along!
Lets get with the times folks! This is so 1980′s! If you want to body surf out of control down the face of a no win situation wave, the rest of Balboa can accommodate you on any South swell. This is as ridiculous as the boogie boarding jetty in Newport! Surfers are not the danger it’s the swimmers who are a danger to themselves! I have been a life guard for 22 years and once the black ball flag goes up so do the rescues…Of swimmers! Sure there are a handful of bodysurfers that are excellent watermen but unfortunately they attract all the other riff raff that should never even attempt the wedge, boomers, sandy beach or wherever!
I tried bodysurfing the wedge a couple of times years ago when conditions were rough. It scared me enough to know that I wasn’t strong or good enough at it for those conditions. So I’m smarter now and stay on the beach at the wedge and bodysurf where it’s easier and safe.