Video: The Day of Days at Doheny

Dashel Pierson
·1 min read
7

Doheny Beach, in Dana Point, CA, is primarily a beginner’s surf spot.

Slow, soft, mushy waves roll through the cobblestoned lineup, making it ideal for anyone looking to learn the basics of surfing, or just cruise along on a log.

However, during the once-in-a-century storm, Hurricane Hilary, back in mid-August, Doheny transformed; overhead waves poured into the typical beginner surf spot, many too closed out to ride, and retaining that characteristic mush, but still, a sight to see.

Check out some footage of the swell event above. It shows overhead waves (some maybe double?), many surfers caught on the inside, a couple sneaky reeling righthanders amidst the walls rolling through and closing out the entire lineup.

It’s not the first time we saw a clip of Doheny during Hurricane Hilary.

Surf filmmaker Aaron Lieber reposted a clip from the highlight of the swell, and it caught peoples’ attention…even Kelly Slater, who wrote:

“Mushy closeouts are my favorite.”

Of course, Dana Point was once home to a pivotal, pioneering wave…Killer Dana.

Once famed as a spot for progression and big-ish wave pioneering, Killer Dana was a premier surf spot in southern California. But that ended in 1966, when the Army Corps of Engineers closed the area to all marine activity and began construction on the harbor. With that, Killer Dana died; in its place came the beginner-friendly wave we see today.

A glimmer of Killer Dana’s former glory during Hurricane Hilary?

Probably not.

Anyone who was around to surf Killer Dana back in its heyday would likely agree.

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