January-February Wave Newsletter

North Sector
The Pride of the Pacific!!

by Mike Brousard, Lifeguard Supervisor II, Huntington SB and Bolsa Chica SB

I'll be the first to admit that Huntington and Bolsa Chica State Beaches are not the most attractive State Parks in the system. There are no redwood trees, no verdant tropical undergrowth, no rolling vistas, no majestic cliffs. It's asphalt, sand and a few palms. Yet these two parks remain among the most popular in the State. These are parks that serve the public well and are heavily used and used and used.

The attraction of these parks is, of course, the Pacific Ocean. The mild coastal temperatures, particularly in the summer, warm water, fire rings, ample parking and the widest sandy beach you've ever seen are the elements that draw people to these facilities.

A surfwatch rescue boat off the beach

Like many California State Parks, we saw a precipitous rise in attendance shortly after fee decreases were instituted. For example, In 2000, these two parks drew a combined 4.5 million visitors. The very next year, 6.1 million people went through the turnstiles, an increase of about 30 percent. With the City of Huntington Beach charging between 7 and 9 dollars for parking, State Park attendance was a no-brainer for many people seeking relief from the summer heat in our fair city. The most obvious tangible result of this was a corresponding rise in rescue activity. The annual aquatic rescue average here during the 1990's was just under 3,000. In 2001, Huntington and Bolsa Chica lifeguard staff made an incredible 4,880 rescues, an all-time record for these beaches.

Lifeguards stabilizing a C-spine

Huntington State Beach holds a special place in the history and hearts of DPR lifeguards because the first State-sponsored lifeguard service started here in 1950. The two-mile long strand that is Huntington was purchased by the State in 1949, and was opened to the public that summer without facilities. There were some park attendants and at least one ranger that first year, and it is presumed that people parked on Pacific Coast Highway and walked over the sand to the water.

CPR Action

Staff recorded an attendance of over 100,000 visitors that summer. Construction started on the parking lots in late 1949, and the developed park opened officially just prior to Memorial Day weekend in 1950. The initial development encompassed a two mile long parking lot, a dozen or so restrooms, a maintenance facility and three state houses, one of which later became the park office.

A rip-tide rescue off Huntington Beach

At some point, it was realized that the Department would have to provide lifeguard services because of the treacherous ocean conditions. Contracting services with the City of Huntington Beach was briefly considered, but DPR elected to start its own service. A new State classification, Beach Lifeguard Supervisor, was created, and a former Newport Beach Lifeguard and World War II veteran Bob Isenor was tapped to assemble the crew and set policy.

That first summer, there were 17 Lifeguards on the staff, 27 rescues were made, and 211,000 people came to the park. In 1968, the Department recognized that lifeguards needed a formal training class, and the first Statewide Lifeguard Training class was held at Huntington. Since that time, almost without exception, every Ocean Lifeguard employed by the agency has trained at Huntington State Beach. This makes Huntington a common touchstone in the career of all DPR Lifeguards.

A Chevy commercial

Bolsa Chica State Beach opened in 1961, after a long tenure as a no-man's land in which to camp and party. Known prior to the State's purchase of it as "Tin Can Beach," Bolsa had been a place where soldiers from local military installations could come and blow off steam. Large groups would gather round open fires and drink til the wee small hours. Trash cans were not provided, so partyers would leave their trash on the beach.

A Budweiser commercial

Photos of Bolsa from that era reveal how it got it's nickname-the beach was literally covered with trash, broken glass and most of all, tin beer cans. The Department, with the help of the Military, spearheaded a prodigious cleanup of the entire stretch of beach prior to its opening. Bolsa is currently under a major redevelopment, including a new sector headquarters and Interpretive Center, which should be occupied by the time this goes to press.

Before the parks were closed to alcohol in 1992, Huntington and Bolsa were commonly referred to as "war zones." Weekend nights saw huge, unruly crowds filled with drunken antics, fights, belligerence, injuries and mayhem. The complexion of things changed dramatically with the imposition of alcohol closures, and the parks returned to a more family oriented atmosphere. Law enforcement statistics dropped drastically, but the safety of the public, to say nothing of our patrol officers, was served.

Enforcement of the alcohol closure remains our most common law enforcement issue, and probably our most common citation. Like most State Park peace officers, we frequently enforce vehicle and penal code violations, and restrict access to a Least Tern preserve at the south end of the park. Auto burglaries, theft and bike path accidents are other consistent issues.

Like most other parks in urban areas, we spend much of the summer season resolving conflicts between park visitors that are the inevitable result of overcrowding- disputes over fire rings, over parking spaces, over places in the sand, over loud music - you name it.