It’s common in San Luis Obispo to see a surfboard on a roof rack or sticking out of a pickup bed. And it seems there can never be enough surf shops. Some of our native sons and daughters in their 50’s and 60’s are still surfing SLO and loving it.
Surfers are passionate about their sport, and they organize to do something about it. If you plan to bring your surfboard on your next visit to San Luis Obispo County, check out the local conditions and issues.
Want an even more adverturous ride? One of the new twists on this old California sport is kitesurfing (or kiteboarding). Driving along the coast, especially north of Cambria, and it’s not uncommon to see the bow kite of a kitesurfer powering a rider across the surf.
These rigs are a product of the 90’s, when the Kevlar kites were perfected and a working bridle was invented to give the surfer control. Combined with a small surfboard (like a wakeboard), surfers use the wind in the kite to pull them through, and above, the waves. The kites can power upwind (on a tack, like a sailboat) and have reached speeds as high as 55 miles per hour over a quarter mile course (according to Wikipedia). Kitesurfers in wet suits use the waves to launch into the air, performing acrobatic moves before hitting the water again. We didn’t say this was for everyone!
There is an annual Kiteboarding Vendor Fair & Festival held in Pismo Beach in the Spring. Check our website Calendar for details.
Of course, windsurfing and boogy boarding are also popular in San Luis Obispo County.
