Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25170
• • • • urban access AVERAGE LA FEBRUARY TEMPERATU AIR 58°F. WATER 58°F LA IF WINTER WEATHER IN LOS ANGELES GETS ANY WORSE THAN FOUR DROPS OF RAIN AND TEMPERATURES DIPPING INTO THE 50S, CITY- WIDE PANIC ENSUES. BUT WITH LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIR- PORT NEARBY AND TEMPERATURES THAT RISE QUICKLY AS YOU HEAD SOUTH, THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES CLOSE TO HOME WHERE YOU CAN GET AN ADVENTURE GROOVE ON. TEXT: JASON TURBOW HOUR RADIUS SKATE ORANGE COUNTY, CA The first Vans skatepark opened in Orange County in November 1998 and has already been reconstructed and redesigned. Open to skateboarders and in-line skaters, the place is a skater's dream-30,OOO square feet of indoor and outdoor street courses, an 80-foot wide vert ramp, various pools in cloverleaf formations and not a cop in sight. On Thursdays, the course is open to BMX bikes only. Management requires you to wear knee pads, elbow pads and a helmet. Try to avoid the park on weekends since it can get as congested as the roads you'll take to get there. From downtown LA, take Interstate 605 to Interstate 5 south . Get off at The City exit and head south until you reach The Block mall. The park is on the northwest corner of the The Block at #20 City Boulevard. Fees range from $7 to $14. For more infor- mation visit www.vans.com or cal l 714-769-3800. SURF OAHU'S NORTH SHORE, HI AVERAGE FEBRUARY TEMPERATURE: AIR 72° F. WATER 76° F Stretch ing from Kaena Point in the west to Turtle Bay in the east, the North Shore offers a huge number of swel ls-make that a number of huge swells- which move fast and break hard. From November to April, most of this territory is experts-on ly. Waimea Bay is home to some of the island's biggest surf, as well as a dangerous drop, rip and shorebreak. The Banzai Pipeline features enormous tubes, ri sing radically over offshore reefs. Nearby Sunset Beach Park offers simi larly ferocious waves. And locals don't take kind ly to ignorant or inconsiderate tourists. Ticket prices between Los Angeles and Honolulu can range from $900 in December to under $500 during February and March. The North Shore is about 35 miles from the air- port, with the most direct connection traversing the island's center, via H- I. This wi ll connect with H-2, which becomes a two-lane road before turn- ing into the Kamehameha Highway (Highway 99, and later Highway 83) at Wahiawa. For an Oahu surf forecast, go to www.ch1hawaii.com/surf.asp or www.nws.noaa.gov/pr/hnl/Products/NSHHFO.html. SURF SAN DIEGO, CA AVERAGE FEBRUARY TEMPERATURE: AIR 59° F, WATER 59° F Tired of the same old LA surf spots? Just a two-hour drive south is a stretch of coast- line (from Encinitas to North Island) dotted with beaches and breaks to satisfy all levels of surfer. Swami's, immortalized by the Beach Boys in "Surfin' USA," and Black's Beach (Torrey Pines city beach), where nudists congregate adjacent to surfers, both offer expert waves. Beginners should go to La Jolla Shores or Pacific Beach's Tourmaline Surfing Park (swimmers not allowed). From LA, take Highway 5 south for about 120 miles. Exit at La Costa Avenue, and travel west to Highway 101. This will lead you down the coast from Encinitas through Del Mar, where Highway 101 becomes Camino Del Mar. This turns into Torrey Pines Road (adjacent to Black's Beach), then into Prospect Street, La Jolla Boulevard and Mission Boulevard as you make your way south. Just stay close to the ocean and your options wi ll become clear. Some beaches offer parking. For weather reports, tide charts and web cams of the breaks, go to www.surfingsandiego.com/index.shtm l or call 619-221-8824. If you're looking for lessons, check out the San Diego Surf ing Academy (www.surfsdsa.com. 800-447-7873). 72 SURF SMALL-TOWN MEXICO, SAYUUTA, MEXICO AVERAGE FEBRUARY TEMPERATURE: AIR 75° F, WATER 74° F A Mexican surf vacation close to a major airport with plentifu l waves and a scarcity of tourists? Welcome to Sayulita. Just 22 miles north of touristy Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita is old Mexico, with cobblestone streets and open-air restau- rants. Located at the edge of a jungle, the city sits on a protected cove with surf in the winter. Non-surf options include horseback riding and hiking in the jungle, kayaking on the Sea of Cortez, f ishing and mountain biking. AeroMexico offers the cheapest flight at about $250. Buses run consistently throughout the day to Sayulita from Puerto Va ll arta . Take Highway 200 north out of Puerto Vallarta and follow it for 20 miles to the Sayulita turnoff (about 45 minutes on rocky roads). Sayul ita's best surf is directly in front of EI Castefio restaurant, which is, by all account s, the best eating establishment in town. For surfing equipment, lodging and lessons, try Costa Azul Adventure (www.costaazu l.com, 800-365-7613) or Las Olas (www.surflasolas.com, 707-746-6435), open to women on ly.