Watch: Opening Day Shenanigans at the Wedge

Dashel Pierson
·1 min read
3

You can feel it in the air. The seasons are changing in southern California – the weather is warming up, birds are chirping, wildflowers are blooming, and the seasonal shift from northern to southern hemisphere swell activity is starting to show in the water.

Accordingly, certain surf spots are emerging from their winter hibernation; spots like everyone’s favorite Orange County shorebreak wave, The Wedge.

Beefs TV, perennial documenter of The Wedge, was on hand for opening day, claiming the “biggest and gnarliest day of first swell 2024!”

Related: Video: Worst Wipeouts of 2023 at The Wedge

He continued: “First big swell of 2024 at The Wedge! Heavy action from waves, surfers, bodyboarders, dolphins, skimboarders, bodysurfers, birds, yacht drivers, dogs and more! Shredding chargers include Tyler Stanaland, Dolphins, Tanner McDaniel, Craig Whetter, Blair Conklin, Sage Burke, Tyler Thornsley, Kai ‘Little Dog’ Thompson, Gary TV, Space man, Dawson Sherman, Max Beach, Cory Bolter and more!”

It's a typical smorgasbord of shorebreak shenanigans – wipeouts, backwash, lots of heads in the lineup, and the occasional successful tube ridden. Key word: occasional.

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A post shared by Koa Smith (@koasmith)

Even Hawaii’s Koa Smith made an appearance on opening day, snagging one of the better waves making the rounds on the socials. Koa takes off behind peak, backdoors the tube, successfully exits, then launches into the air while cartwheeling into glory.

“We had a WEDGE-NDARY day here in Southern California!” Koa wrote. “Good to feel some ocean POWER again!”

More Wedge to come; the season’s just getting started.

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