Yea, too much sand, you know? So here's the deal, I got this email from a reader:
Recently the City of Corpus has dredged Packery Channel. In doing so the sand has built up to the top of the seawall. You cannot drive a vehicle on it. I cannot get any where with the city to resolve this matter; perhaps you can help.
To be honest, I don’t know anything about how to clean the beaches, other than simply walking along and picking up junk left behind. A severed arm from some little girl’s doll, a shoe, beer bottles, a trick-or-treat pumpkin container, the usual.
It seems to me, and I might be completely wrong, that sand would end up looking like it does in these pictures due to wind, not due to tractors cleaning the beach. According to the reader, it’s due to the tractors, and I do know that it would be very annoying to not be able to drive on the beach.
One of my favorite things about Texas beaches is how rural they are and the fact that we can drive all over them. It’s really nice to go for an hour long cruise along the beach, from Bob Hall down to the sticks. It’s just you, water, and sand. If you get stuck it’s every man for himself. But the freedom you feel is great, especially if you pick a secluded spot to swim, surf, or fish. I’ve thrown all day parties out there and not seen a car the whole day (even pulled an old couch from the dunes to crash on, haha).
If you’re dying to take a drive on the beach and if you think the city needs to speed up the clearing of this sand, let them know about it. Tell them, “This won’t bring in tourist dollars.”
"Surfing Corpus Christi and Port Aransas" is a new book written by locals Dan Parker and Michelle Christenson, with the help of the Texas Surf Museum. It basically walks you through the history of surfing from way back in the 1950's, up through today.
This book is full of photos of the first surf shops, first surfers, first everything. For example, check out this picture of Benjamin’s from when it was still located on Padre Island in 1979 (click it to make it larger).
Here’s an old photo (look at how the people are dressed at the beach) of Bob Hall Pier in 1962.
This picture reminded me that people have been surfing at my favorite spots since before I was even born. It’s interesting to see what was going on at these spots before I was ever even thought of. Surf spots become “ours,” like we own them because we’re the ones who are out there surfing them all the time, but they were owned long ago; we’re not the first or the last.
Million Dollars Surf Spot in Corpus Christi, 1974:
This book is a must-have if you surf in Corpus Christi or Port Aransas because it’s the story of our life style. You’ll better understand the culture you’re dedicating your life to. Pretty much every page of this book has a photo that says a million things about the history of Texas surf. There are also stories about surfers, surf shops, and storms. There are a lot of pictures of storm surfing, competitions, board makers, you name it. I found a picture of a guy in there that I’ve been surfing along side for several years, and found out he’s been a major player in the South Texas surf culture for his whole life. Before I opened the book, he was just another guy in the lineup.
This book is sure to open your eyes to the fact that surfing in Texas is greater than our lives at the beach. It’s good to feel the connection between us and the past, and to realize we are now part of the story that future surfers will be looking back on.
The book comes out Monday, May 24 and can be purchased at the Texas Surf Museum or by going to this website: www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Here’s a flier that will tell you even more. Please click on the picture to make it large enough to easily read it. And if you get the book, come back here and put a comment telling everyone what pictures and stories you found in it that really interested you.
Last year Surfer Magazine named their choices for the top 10 US surf towns. Here they are, and as you can see, South Padre, Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, and Galveston are still US surfing’s best kept secrets. I saw the founder of Quicksilver by Bob Hall one time; even the insiders are keeping their lips sealed about the 8-12 foot waves, beach privacy, and warm water on the Texas gulf.
TOP 10 US SURF TOWNS:
1. Santa Cruz, CA
2. Haleiwa, HI
3. Encinitas, CA
4. Paia, HI
5. San Clemente, CA
6. Kill Devil Hills, NC
7. Malibu, CA
8. Montauk, NY
9. New Smyrna Beach, FL
10. Ocean City, NJ
