Mac Meda Destruction Company

Jack in the Box Head On Top of La Jolla High’s Flagpole

Jack in the Box head perched on top of La Jolla High School in 1970 as a prank by graduating 1970 students - photo by Bruce Thorson

Senior pranks tend to be an unofficial tradition at most high schools, similar to the unofficial senior skip day. It is crucial to find the perfect prank; one must realized the fine line between harmless and mischievous and vandalism or criminal. Some of the typical ones are TPing the school grounds or passing a beach ball (no not Steve Roel) during graduation ceremonies. Or what Mac Meda’s,  Donnie Tomlison, Willie Ronaldson and a few others did by cutting down a tree and got caught, and had to replant and maintain that tree as their punishment. But that is another post.  Read more... (947 words, 2 images, estimated 3:47 mins reading time)

Cop Rolls Car Busting La Jolla, WindanSea Convention

Over excited cop rolls his car trying to bust a Mac Meda Convention at WindanSea- Photo taken by I believe Jon Sarrett and provided by Doug M.

Here is how the story goes. Huge Mac Meda Convention at WindanSea. Cops like always were waiting out of sight, usually lined up like a fright train somewhere in Bird Rock or at the top of Nautilus St; glued to their radios, tapping fingers on the dashboard, just waiting to  bust underage drinkers.

And the wishful wish of finally put the end to the La Jolla outlaw drinking group that had been terrorizing the so-called respected citizens of La Jolla for the last 5-6 years. Oh my … such bad boys and girls of the beach life.  Read more... (302 words, 1 image, estimated 1:12 mins reading time)

Drinking, Destruction, Sex – Police – La Jolla Mac Meda

Published on June 21, 1965 by San Diego Evening Tribune

The Mac Meda Destruction Co. sounds like a joke, started as a joke, thrived as a joke and ended up like a joke.

Or is it?

Some of the teen-age, members of this loosely organized group boast the motto, “Drinking Destruction and Sex”

Here’s the joke punch line, written Jan 10 (1965):

On that day, beer flowed freely among the young Mac Meda crowd – nearly 200 of them minors – at a secluded grazing pasture of Carmel Valley, just north of the San Diego City limits.

Fifty police cars raided the teen-aged car caravan “beer blast” Four youth were arrested on charges of possession of alcoholic beverages and will be tried March 2 in a North Country Municipal Court, Oceanside.  Read more... (882 words, 2 images, estimated 3:32 mins reading time)

Plane Crashes at WindanSea, La Jolla Killing Actor Phillip G. Bent and Folksinger Peter Sachse

This AT-6 Military plane was the type that was converted for civilian use, crashed at WindanSea on July 12, 1966, killing Actor Phillip G. Bent and folksinger Peter Sachse. Both wives of the men were sunbathing at WindanSea when it happened.

I never will forget it, it was one of those cloudless, perfect La Jolla  July summer days and all I could think about was doing a little bit of body whomping at WindanSea with a friend of mind. As we were walking to the pumphouse from Big Rock,  a plane flew by a bit low, not uncommon for those days. Then it banked, rounded again and did some stunts, catching the attention of the beach-goers until suddenly it did a loop and crashed into the sea between Big Rock and WindanSea.  Read more... (441 words, 1 image, estimated 1:46 mins reading time)

Body Whomping – WindanSea, Sea Lane, Marine St

This Whomper is just a split second from eating it at WindanSea. Photo by Brian Munoz

WindanSea’s claim to fame was its surf.  Sea Lane and Marine Street’s claim to fame is its wicked shore break otherwise known as ‘whomp,’ or what locals dubbed when you body surfed it, Bodywhomping. The term originated in the early 1960s at the three beaches due to the sound heard when the wave closed out over you like cupping your hands and a single loud “ whomp” of  air rushed out due to the  heavy blow, slap or bang that the wave gives you.  Read more... (559 words, 3 images, estimated 2:14 mins reading time)

La Jolla – Car Goes Over Torrey Pines Cliff – Blacks Beach

For the locals back in the early 1960s, La Jolla’s Torrey Pines Cliff were known for three things, 1) the Glider Field, 2) Blacks Beach’s for surfing and nakedness, and 3) for pushing cars off.

Okay, the first two are still what the cliffs are known for, however the third, it is been outlawed for obviously reasons.

Back in the late  1930s Torrey Pines was a quick way to get rid of that junker, you know those white elephant Model Ts (now worth their weight in gold)  that  were a dime a dozen and taken up space in the garage. It wasn’t until old man Black built a road down to the beach was when the quick disposable dump site   discovered. At one time there was a number of Model-Ts laying at the bottom.  Read more... (624 words, 2 images, estimated 2:30 mins reading time)