2025 PRESIDENT'S LETTER AND MEMBERSHIP

Aloha San O Family,

What a year it has been! Calling it eventful almost feels like an understatement. From tackling a major road erosion issue to navigating the uncertainty of lease renewal, we’ve faced our share of challenges—and emerged stronger as a community.

The road closure, in particular, brought our beloved beach into the spotlight like never before. Rumors of losing access indefinitely swirled, and for a moment, the future of our events and ability to even drive onto the beach felt uncertain. Seeing the beach without cars along the road was like stepping back in time. Some even joked, “Selfishly, I hope it stays this way,” though we all know it’s not quite the same without the familiar faces and vehicles that make San O feel like home. That said, the silver lining was a less crowded beach and the sense of adventure that came with finding creative ways—bikes, wagons, or foot—to reach the sand. Thankfully, the State and Military acted quickly to repair the road and restore access.

The lease renewal was another significant hurdle. When the news broke that we secured a 25-year lease, I think we all breathed a collective sigh of relief. A long-term renewal is a major victory for our community, providing us with a strong foundation to tackle ongoing issues like erosion, overcrowding, and beach maintenance. I’d like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the San Onofre Parks Foundation for championing our cause and to Alex Ferron from the Surfrider Foundation for her dedication to gathering data and amplifying our voices.

With this renewed lease, we’ll continue to partner with State Parks to maintain the road, volleyball courts, and the Old Man’s and Dog Patch huts. Let’s all do our part by picking up trash, using designated firepits, and cleaning up after our dogs—it’s these small efforts that preserve the beauty of San O for everyone.

Despite the challenges, this past year was filled with incredible events that showcased the heart of our community:

The Ten Buck Chuck Contest
A huge thank-you to event chairs Charlie Z and Sabrina Pearcy for organizing another unforgettable day. Chef Kurt Winn provided fantastic food, and the turnout was exceptional. Your efforts made this event a resounding success!

Horseshoe Tournament
A smaller gathering, but no less spirited! Thank you to the event chairs and participants for keeping this cherished tradition alive.

Family Day
Family Day was the highlight of the year, featuring incredible music, delicious food, and fantastic raffle prizes. Among the standout items were a stunning custom-shaped Gordon Smith longboard donated by Patti Clover and her family, and a brand-new Catch Surf board generously contributed by board member JR Costello.

We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of donations from our club members and supporters, including Harold Fleeger, Biltwell, Electric Sunglasses, TANDM Surf, Sano Boardriding, and a Summer Soul package from Josh Baxter and Tiffany Lake. Rick and Emily Robertson also contributed, along with gift cards and merchandise from local surf shops like Stewart Surfboards and Infinity Surfboards, which donated hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise. Additionally, Pam Brown and her wonderful family gave us beautiful hand-knitted beanies and hats.

Our second annual silent auction was a resounding success, showcasing stunning artwork and merchandise from talented local artists, including Bill Stewart, Rebecca Black, Lisa Peterson, Paul Carter, Mike Murphy, and Don Craig, among others.

A heartfelt thank-you goes to event chairs Bobby Lombard and Ann Marie Moneymaker. Bobby and his band, the Shorebirds, kept everyone entertained with fantastic music, while Ann Marie did an amazing job gathering raffle prizes and hosting the silent auction.

We are also incredibly grateful to Craig Ephraim, Jen Cuda, Rob Sachse, and Rasa Gilbert for organizing the merchandise and managing sales and raffle tickets. Special thanks to Kurt Winn, George Laich, Atsuko Mark Brown, Tony Salazar, and Misha Arias for handling food and beverages throughout the day.

Travis Zylstra and the Angie Winslow family, as always, deserve a big shoutout for their consistent presence and willingness to lend a hand with anything needed at our events. Our Vice President, Emmy Lombard, along with Josh Froley and John Stwarz, organized some fantastic games that added to the day’s fun for all our members.

Lastly, don’t forget to visit our Facebook page to enjoy the wonderful pictures taken by our talented club photographer, Matt Enright, who captured the spirit of the day beautifully.

Volleyball Tournaments
The 2024 San Onofre volleyball tournaments kicked off with the Golden Years, which consisted of 12 teams of legends 40+ and over. The Main fielded 20 teams of  The Classic featured the 16 best players from the main and was considered the strongest quality of play in the last decade.   The action was tight and thrilling at times with some big showings from the Sunday Coortz Crew.  Once again, Tim “Chicken Man” Baker manned the tractor under the supervision of club president Scott Cuda, Jerry Skoda, Mark Brown and Mike Murphy.  Jen Cuda and Pam Brown ran the store while Leslie Murphy helped organize the tournament boards.  Special shout out to Kevin Beard for this years Golden Years and Main trophies.  He was so gracious to let the boys use his shop to construct the trophies for the classic.  Charlos “Los” Bentley and Mike Murphy built trophies from with the help of their groms Chase, Donovan, Kelan, and Nolan.  Big thanks to Tom and Nancy Metzger-Duesler for donating some hand carved “Wally” carvings in memory of the great Wally Duesler, in addition to Murphy’s custom surf art for awards. 

Appreciation Luncheon with State Parks
A heartfelt barbecue to honor the State Parks staff who keep San O running smoothly. Thank you to all who helped make this event a success, especially those who manned the grill and organized the raffle.

Annual Surf Contest
Our Club Surf Contest was the perfect way to close out the summer. Despite some of the flattest surf in club history, the spirit of the event remained high, with everyone embracing the conditions and having a fantastic time. Once again, the day proved it’s not just about the waves—it’s about the community and the memories we create together.

A massive thank you goes out to Bobby and Emmy Lombard for their months of preparation, including organizing judges, assembling trophies, creating heats, and coordinating the incredible team of volunteers who made this event possible for our club members. This contest is a monumental effort, and we couldn’t do it without the dedication of so many.

Special thanks to Ann Marie for the countless hours spent managing contest entries, creating schedules, and tabulating the scores for the entire contest. Craig Ephraim also deserves recognition for his behind-the-scenes work managing club merchandise all year, which funds our events and ensures the gear is always available.

Feeding the entire beach for two days is no small feat, and we are deeply grateful to Kurt Winn, George Laich, Misha Arias, Tony Salazar, and many others who made it happen. Thank you to Jen Cuda, Pam Brown, Rob Sachse, and Sarah Chen for their tireless help with merchandise, ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Our announcers—Johnathan Tracy, Willy Wilson, Kevin Wold, Jim Wynne, Scott French, and Josh Froley—brought energy and excitement to the event. Meanwhile, our Ready Area volunteers—Tiffany Lake, Darren Eudaly, and Josh Froley—did an outstanding job signing contestants in and out of the lineup.

A big shoutout to Charlie for managing the PA, sound, and horn systems, ensuring everything ran seamlessly. Thank you to our tabulators—Ann Marie, Laurie Thompson, and Mark Brown—who worked tirelessly all day calculating scores from the judges.

We couldn’t have done this without the incredible judging panel and spotters, including Glenn Brumage, Artie Castro, and their team, who worked from sunrise to sunset under challenging conditions, often dealing with glare and strain to ensure fair scoring. Cam Faris deserves recognition for paddling out the buoys and helping with early morning setups.

Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to Matt Enright and Rick Fegley for capturing the event through their lenses, providing contestants with stunning photographic memories to cherish for years to come.

Honoring Our Own

This year’s Spirit of San Onofre Award went to Mike Murphy, whose dedication and aloha spirit embody the essence of our beach. Thank you, Mike, for all you do, from leading volleyball tournaments to serving as Secretary-Treasurer. We also want to recognize George Laich for his years of invaluable service on the board. Though stepping down from his officer role, George remains a vital part of our community.

Looking to the Future

The San Onofre Shoreline Resiliency Project is underway, aiming to address coastal erosion and sea level rise through community-driven solutions. This effort, led by the Surfrider Foundation, integrates traditional ecological knowledge and input from stakeholders, ensuring San O’s legacy for generations to come.

As we close the year, let’s celebrate the spirit of aloha that binds us together. Renew your membership, vote for your board representatives, and continue to protect and preserve our little slice of paradise. With the renewed lease, the future of San Onofre is brighter than ever.

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and looking forward to seeing you at the beach!

Mahalo and Aloha,
Scott Cuda

2022 FAMILY ALOHA DAY

raffle prize winners:

MURF EBIKE: TICKET NUMBER: 8528337 NAME: JERRY LEWIS

EPIC 16” KIDS ELECTRIC STABILITY BIKE: TICKET NUMBER: 8528398 NAME: RICHARD DELL

EPIC 12” KIDS ELECTRIC STABILITY BIKE: TICKET NUMBER: NAME: SAM KWESKIN

BRAWNER 7’ 2” TWIN FIN BOARD SHAPED IN THE CHICKEN COOP:TICKET NUMBER: 367274 NAME: GEORGE CUZIAK

9’0 SANO BOARD SHAPED BY PAT RYAN FOR E.T. SURFBOARDS: THE WINNER IS PICTURED ABOVE:

Family, fun, food, music, aloha, and prizes!

What's not to like? We had another great Aloha Family Day which the Club puts on, with the help of an amazing group of volunteers, to fundraise in order to maintain the beach and to provide funding for our other great events throughout the year.

Kurt Winn busted out his HUGE spatula and cooked up about a ton of delicious bacon for breakfast. The kids had a blast at the cherry spitting contest refereed by none other than Josh Froley and SANO's chief aviator, John Stawarz, glued up 50 balsa planes for the distance flying competition.  All of that was before lunch! We are already planning on adding additional kids' games for next year's event.  

The beach vibe lit up listening and grooving to some great tunes by Bobby Lombard and the Shorebirds.  Breaks from the good listening were taken for the highly anticipated raffle where a grip of fun things that surfers love were bundled up in killer gift bags.  The front row was filled with frothing kids hoping that their number would be the one called to get their hands on the goodies.  The ear-to-ear grins from the grommets always make these events so much fun to do! After some delicious hamburgers were gobbled down by a bunch of hungry groms and their families it was time for the main event.  Three electric bikes and two surfboards were raffled off to the lucky winners. Thank you to everyone who came down and shared the fun, contributed to the good vibes, and helped create some great memories.

My favorite moment of the day was when a young girl misread her raffle ticket number and came up to claim her prize.  As she was eyeing the Rainbow Sandals she was about to get, the proper ticket holder came up with the correct numbered ticket. The adult, who was the rightful recipient, pulled the ultimate classy move and let the young lady keep her prize.  You're the man, Joseph!  That is what showing aloha is all about.

A special thank you to Ann Marie Moneymaker for her many hours spent organizing our fun day.  This was her first Aloha Family Day, as club secretary, and you would think it was her twentieth by how well it all went.  I would also like to thank our past secretary, Sarah Chen, for all of her help with the merchandise sales and for answering the call to duty due to an unexpected issue.

None of the club gear would have been there without the effort put in by Craig Ephraim.

Be sure to look over our list of companies that donated the prizes and support them whenever possible.

We can't wait to do it all again next year! Please remember to love one another as much as you love our special stretch of sand.

Pray for surf! 

Jim Wynne, President

San Onofre Surfing Club

We would like to thank our generous donors for their raffle donations in supporting our efforts to maintain and preserve Sano in its natural state.

THE BREAK

LEASE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO August 31, 2024

Release provided by San Onofre Parks Foundation:

SAN CLEMENTE, CA., April 25, 2020 - The San Onofre Parks Foundation is pleased to learn that the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton support an extension of the lease on San Onofre State Beach for 3 years to 2024. The original 50-year lease was signed in 1971 and was set to expire in 2021. San Onofre State Beach provides a unique “Coastal Wilderness’ experience in the heart of Southern California. Celebrating a rich natural and cultural history, the parklands are among the most popular in all of California. From the first people, the “Acjachemen,” to the modern era that identifies San Onofre as the best year-round surfing zone in North America, the San Onofre story is a fascinating tale of preservation, access and recreation. President Richard Nixon and California Governor Ronald Reagan graciously dedicated the land as a California State Park for all future generations. The Department of the Navy owns the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton land, which includes all of San Onofre State Beach. The State Park land extends south along the coast from San Mateo Point (Cottons surf break) to Trail 6 at the Bluffs Campground. The park includes nearly 2,000 inland acres along the Orange and San Diego County line, including lush wetlands, upland coastal sage habitat, the San Mateo Campground, extending to the Northwest corner of Camp Pendleton bordering the community of Talega in San Clemente and undeveloped land owned by Rancho Mission Viejo.

The San Onofre Parks Foundation understands that the 3-year lease extension is an interim solution, intended to provide the Department of the Navy with additional time to complete the work necessary to execute a succeeding long-term lease. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton has been a gracious partner and landlord to California State Parks throughout the initial 50-year lease period. Camp Pendleton has a legacy of mindful stewardship for all land within the Base and shares that tradition with California State Parks. Together they will continue to manage responsible public access to this spectacular zone, while protecting and preserving the treasured natural and cultural resources. The San Onofre Parks Foundation looks forward to working with all stakeholders, including Camp Pendleton, California State Parks, the Surfrider Foundation and Save San Onofre Coalition, amongst others, as a new future unfolds for San Onofre State Beach.

About San Onofre Parks Foundation The San Onofre Parks Foundation is a California 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting education and interpretive programs within the State Parks at San Onofre and San Clemente. The organization serves as a voice for the community who share a love for these parks.

updateS on san onofre state beach ACCESS:

UPDATE (May 20, 2020): Letter from Club President

Dear Members,

I have received confirmation from our State Representative that the beach is now open to vehicles.

Annual passes that have March and April expirations will be honored, at a minimum, through the end of June.

Day use payment will be through an app called Passport Parking. Cash will not be accepted.  Proof of payment on the device is to be shown to the Kiosk worker for entry. To keep the line moving, please complete your payment BEFORE approaching the Kiosk. 

Below are the restrictions in place.

• The number of vehicles will be restricted to 135 (half the normal amount)

• Vehicles shall park with one car distance between them

• Social distancing is required

• Beach use is for active recreation only

• No Bar-B-Ques

• No fires in the fire pits

• No volleyball

• No congregating in groups

• Restrooms and changing rooms will be at 50% capacity

I realize that there are varying opinions about the virus and the policies that are being implemented by various governmental agencies. Our voluntary compliance with these restrictions, relating to the beach, will help us to keep the beach open.  The beach activity will be closely monitored, so I encourage cooperation so that vehicle access is not rescinded.

See you at the beach!

Aloha,

Jim Wynne, President

Dogpatch shack restored!

Dogpatch shack relocation and restoration is complete. As most people are aware, the original Dogpatch shack built in 1981 had succumbed to the elements of beach erosion and termites. With State approval, the San Onofre Surfing Club went to work and got things going. Special thanks to Bob Lombard for taking the lead and thanks to Tom Bistline, Matt Enright, Pam Enright, Clarence Yoshikane, Craig Ephraim, Jim Wynne, Cyndie Kontoes, Rick Fegley, Mike Riley and Ann Marie Lombard for all of their help with getting it done. Now the palm frond roof is complete and the Dogpatch shack is ready for all to enjoy for another 40 years!

Hot Shot Of The Month - Indie Hoffman

Email us your best shot, it could be next!

Indie Hoffman is just like any other 13-year-old girl from San Clemente, CA. She loves her family, loves her friends and loves her sport. Indie began surfing at the age of 5 and once she caught her first wave she was hooked. Surfing is in her blood. Her great grandpa Walter Hoffman is a pioneer in big wave surfing and her great aunt Joyce Hoffman, is a women’s three-time world champion surfer. Indie still surfs with Joyce from time to time and loves to talk to Walter about her surfing, he has become her greatest fan.

In 2018, Indie started surfing with the San Onofre Surfing Team. She has loved traveling to the Coalition events and surfing with the team. Indie also competed in the Noosa Festival of Surfing (the first leg of the WSL Longboard Open) in Australia for the past two years along with contests for Western Surfing Association and Scholastic Surf Series where she has been the longboard champion three years in a row for her age division. In addition, she has won the NSSA Scholastic State championships for middle school girls in shortboard.

When Indie is not surfing in a contest or practicing at any one of her local San Clemente beaches, she likes to learn how to shape boards from her shaper and friend, Josh Martin. Josh’s dad Terry Martin used to shape boards for Indie’s great grandfather, Walter and Joyce when she rode for Hobie Surf Shop. Indie quickly caught on that shaping a board is the ultimate way to improve her surfing. Josh Martin is very gifted in his art he learned from his father and teaching Indie is the best way to carry on their family legacies.

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