Remember Neptune Beach? This is Windansea Beach today. The name “Windansea” came from the oceanfront Strand Hotel. It was renamed Windansea Hotel in 1919. Arthur Snell, the owner, ran a naming contest. The Windansea Hotel burned down in 1943.
Windansea Beach is a classic surf spot. It is located in La Jolla, San Diego. The waves break left and right over a flat rock reef. Surfers love Windansea. Its swell window brings quality surf all year. Waves range from two to ten feet. Surfers use both shortboards and longboards here. Nearby breaks include Middles, Big Rock, Turtles, and Simmons.
The Windansea Shack is a landmark. It was built in 1947 by Woody Ekstrom, Fred Kenyon, and Don Okey. They were returning World War II surfers. The shack provided shade for surfers and their families. Originally, it was built with eucalyptus branches. Later, they used palm fronds. The shack was rebuilt in 2003 after a major storm. Another storm destroyed it in 2015. Locals rebuilt it again in 2016.
The Surf Shack at Windansea Beach is a historical landmark. The San Diego Historical Resources Board designated it in 1998. A plaque reads: “Historical Landmark 358, The Surf Shack WindanSea Beach built by returning World War II surfers in 1947 for shade and aloha.” In 2022, a new plaque appeared. It called the shack “a quintessential embodiment of surfing culture” and “the oldest continuously used shelter of its kind on the West Coast.”
Windansea has a storied surfing history. Many notable surfers called it home. Mickey Munoz and Butch Van Artsdalen surfed here. Steve Pezman called Windansea locals “the heaviest surf crew ever” in the early 1960s.
The Windansea Surf and Ski Club was founded in 1947. It did not last long. Chuck Hasley founded the Windansea Surf Club in 1963. Mike Hynson and Skip Frye were founding members.
In 1963, Michael Dormer and Lee Teacher built Hot Curl. It was a six-foot statue. It weighed 400 pounds. Hot Curl held a beer and gazed at the ocean. The statue appeared on the rocks over Windansea beach.
Tom Wolfe wrote about Windansea Beach in his book, The Pump House Gang. Andy Warhol shot his film San Diego Surf at Windansea. Windansea Beach is more than just a beach. It’s a place of history, culture, and surfing legends.