The World’s Best Cities For Surfers: San Clemente, CA

Interview by Lucas Townsend | Photos by Quinn Mathews

Best place to go for breakfast: Definitely SC Cafe. I eat there every day. Everything’s good. I usually get Chilaquiles, but I get the veggie mix a lot, too. It’s pretty much right in the middle of San Clemente.

Where does the travelling surfer stay: Well, if you know me, you can stay at my parents’ house. But, if you don’t, then stay at Comfort Suites. It’s about US$100 a night.

Where to stay when bills ain’t a problem: There isn’t anything really swanky in San Clemente. But a nice spot to stay is the Ritz Carlton up the road at Dana Point. It’s ballin’, about a 15 minute drive north. US$525 a night, though.

Where to surf if it’s pumping: My favourite spot, if it’s on the perfect swell in San Clemente, is South Side of the pier. It needs hard north winds blowing for three days, and then it’ll be like a left conveyor belt, right next to the pier.

Where to surf if it’s appalling and you need a wave: T-Street. Thats the spot. It breaks every single day, no matter what. It has similarities to Manly, expect with more push. The worst of the worst days will be knee-high, but you just wait for a medium to high tide and it’ll be ridable.

Crowd advice: T-Street is always crowded. On any given day you could run into a bunch of little groms riding their soft tops, boogie boards, or longboards. It’s a grom zone.

Who to spot in the crowd: Archy, the Beschens, Chris Ward, and the Gudauskas brothers, too. I still see them all around home sometimes. Watch out for Griffin Colapinto. I’ll be surprised if he isn’t on tour one day. Even younger, keep an eye on Jett Schilling. He’s 11 or 12 and a gnarly comp guy already.

Lunch: There’s a bunch of different spots on Avenida Del Mar. I eat at Billy’s Meats Deli a lot. When you’re there, order a sandwich, eat the sandwich, then get a bunch of good meat before you leave and BBQ it later. It’s a two for one. Or, you can always get a burrito from Pedro’s. It might make you feel a little sick afterwards, but it tastes good.

Where to buy a board: Catalyst, f’sure. There’s one at the north end of town, but they’re opening a new one right next to the Triangle, (the part of town with all the bars).

One board to bring: I always say that my next life after tour will be riding short, fat, four-fin epoxies so I can float and go fast on any wave. That’d be it.

What to do away from the beach: Me and my friends have been playing Buck Hunter at Pizza Port, so that’s something you can do. This new Target sports centre just opened on the inland-side of town. If you’re into sports, or you want to go swim or shoot some hoops, there’s a big area so you can do all of that.

Best place to go for a drink: If you want to get real ratchet, and go Aussie big, get on the piss, mate, then go to the Triangle; Ole’s, Dukes and Red Fox. But, if you’re trying to have some wine and listen to some guy play piano, go to The Cellar on Avenida Del Mar.

Where to go for dinner: South of Nicks. It’s a nicer spot. They do really good Mexican food for cheap. It’s really hard to get in, though. All the rich people go there because they’re rich and they’re trying to save money to be richer, or something.

Where to find a gal: Go to any of those spots in the Triangle if you’re looking for girls. I would go to the Cellar though because it’s a little bit more classy. For some reason, San Clemente is littered with hot girls. It’s the weirdest thing ever. I see hot girls I’ve literally never seen before, every day.

Best haircut: I haven’t cut my hair in a while, and if I do, I do it myself. But, everyone gets their hair cut at Kings Club Barbershop in Dana Point. Señor Barber is the spot in San Clemente, though.

Avoid: Nothing. It’s Whoville from the Grinch. There’s guys who think they’re hard, but it’s not like that at all. Especially if you’re a surfer. You’ll fit right in.