• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MAC MEDA DESTRUCTION CO.

la jolla beach life in the 50s, 60s, 70s

  • HOME
  • Jack
  • Robert
  • Albert
  • Mac Meda Stories
  • Sea Lane/WindanSea
  • Welcome
  • RIP
  • Contact/Disclaimer
You are here: Home / Marine St and Sea Lane / Body Whomping – WindanSea, Sea Lane, Marine St

Body Whomping – WindanSea, Sea Lane, Marine St

October 14, 2009 by Albert 37 Comments

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

Unlike body surfing where one puts on a pair of fins and rides waves for  x amount of distance … then gracefully kicks out after you have enjoyed your ride …then swim back to the break to catch another one, whomping has a stranger approach.

The true art, which takes a ton of skill of bodywhomping uses the wave’s surge as its momentum … no fins are used! And the ride is for only a few seconds at best.

Fins become cumbersome when wading out and almost impossible to maintain balance after you have been thrown into a few inches of whirl pooling backwash of a wave.

Jon Sarrett shows how it is done at Marine St. Photo by Doug Moranville
Jon Sarrett shows how it is done at Marine St. Photo by Doug Moranville

First, you either are standing in chest or waist high water or treading water just a few feet from shore. Then name of the game is wait for a wave that will not close out (almost impossible) push off from the sand and/or take a few quick, yet powerful stokes and ride the wave for those few seconds. Your ending is most graceful, the body gets slammed into the sand or in a few inches of water with tons of water whirring around you like you are in a commercial washing machine.

If you have done the whomp good, your reward is a mouthful or noseful of sand.  So, unlike body surfing, days later you are still digging out sand from your ears. Fun? You bet!

Women risk loosing their tops int he Shorebreak
Many a women have lost their tops at the brutal Shore Break of Marine St, Sea Lane and WindanSea

In other words, you get short, deep tube rides just before the waves hits the steep shelf that unloads onto the shore.

The key is very simple; time it so that your body rolls with the curl of the wave because you want that few inches of water to cushion your fall and if you don’t you, well, you eat it.

Either way, it is dangerous. Serious injuries are common for those you do not know what they are doing.  Wrist and arm sprains and a few minor concussions here and there usually are the favorable ones along with many sandpapered body marks.   Others more serious can be broken arms, collar and necks … it is not for the novice and or girl with the string bikini. Many of women have walked out with arms crossing their necks as their tops gets sucked out into deep blue.

And I know I going to be getting some serious shit on this, but people like La Jollans Jim and Dennis Downie, and Rick Prouse were forefathers in whomping. All three become some of the first or the first to body surf/whomp the infamous Wedge.

Filed Under: Marine St and Sea Lane Tagged With: events, FEATS, sea lane-marine st

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. rouen byers says

    November 1, 2020 at 8:34 am

    that picture of womping is me Rouen Byers and i didnt wipe out . THe most narly whomp day was south of shack with back wash pushings waves to 13 feet. There was only twenty ft across space between the rocks to ride to the beach.. For a while there was about 6 brave souls! When it got so insane only two people were left me and Joe Taylor a great guy.Never saw any thing like it. just lost Eric Hauser bummer

    Reply
  2. Ed Woolery says

    January 7, 2017 at 9:57 am

    womping is one of the purest forms of fun to be had in the blue ocean. we are still womping today. just womped Solomar last month. never had more fun than back in the day with the likes of the Kavanaugh brothers, Frapwell brothers, Brett McBride, Andrew Barbolla, Anthony Wolf and way too many others to mention here back in the 80s when we would have Keg parties and bonfires anywhere we wanted on the beach. me and McBride had some of the best sessions at 2 of my favorite places, the Wedge and Solomar. many Sandy beach poundings always put a smile on my face as well. Windansea will always be home and make me smile the most, and we will womp to the end.

    Reply
  3. Ginna Lazar says

    January 5, 2017 at 8:30 pm

    Whomped in the early and mid 70’s, lost my top more than once, much to the delight of high school boys 😂
    It was just part of growing up. I do remember that some dude broke his neck at Marine St in 1975 or ’76.

    Reply
    • Joey Gibbs says

      April 2, 2019 at 7:25 pm

      Yes, the one I remember was during the September swell of 75. The big day was Thursday, I was there but didn’t see how the guy broke his neck. He was on the north end of the beach. The best waves I’ve ever seen in LJ was that day at Little Point. Solid 12 foot lefts . LJ version of Uluwatu.

      Reply
  4. Gil D.... says

    September 25, 2014 at 8:13 am

    Biggest I ever had was around the corner from the Children’s pool… double over head onto the beach. I was the only one crazy enough boy was it fun. I was the youngest body surfer at Boomers in the mid 70’s. Miss it big time… dead every time come to visit. Marine street parties were off the hook… we had one with 16 kegs in a van and 3 bands (RATT BACK THEN mICKEY rATT PLUS Phenomenon. I still have Mickey Ratt’s first Tee shirt.

    Reply
  5. Frank says

    August 26, 2013 at 2:22 pm

    Can someone explain the correct way to roll?
    The key is very simple; time it so that your body rolls with the curl of the wave because you want that few inches of water to cushion your fall and if you don’t you, well, you eat it.

    Reply
  6. Harrison says

    July 13, 2013 at 8:55 pm

    Crescent Beach (N. Laguna) and Salt Creek has good womp too. It was the only thing that could remotely provide a tiny taste of Marine St. I bodysurfed Marine St. every day before class at SDSU. What a way to start my day. Winter was best, nobody but the friendly seal and me.

    Reply
  7. Woody says

    June 29, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    Delivering pizzas coming right at ya….Hubba Bubba, EHFC, Sol-Bro’s, Juggy, Schoey, Kellogg, Gredo, Javier in bungies, eliphantman.

    The Shoe to Big Rock is my home.

    Reply
  8. paul says

    May 25, 2013 at 1:25 am

    Been whomping since the early 70s, last 4days at pump house have been epic. I was talking with a young lady this morning who is one of the few chics I have seen out there getting it done. It would be nice to see a few more but that’s not what I am here for. I am looking for info on the roots of what we do. And Goddammit I think we should at least have a coffee table book with some pictures and some words. LJHS78

    Reply
    • Ginna Lazar says

      January 5, 2017 at 8:30 pm

      👍

      Reply
  9. Don't break out in a rash says

    November 1, 2012 at 9:38 am

    Bird was just about as good as it gets. What a diver. Bliss. Summer Camp. Big Fish. He gave Mac a mailbox and his entire ab collection. A whole box of sets of abs…red abs. Winter 2003. Miss you Bird.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Trackbacks

  1. WindanSea Sunsets - Social Network of Beach Life | says:
    July 15, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    […] Everyone had a bathing suit. Changing in cars or outside put Superman’s phone booth act to shame. It was common to take a drip in the water and/or do some early evening body whomping. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Albert Search

ALBERT’S NEWS AND EVENTS

Want to get every Mac Meda Story delieved right to your email?  Click here

To add to your Meda Enjoyment, make sure you read the comments. Many of the Comments are by those who have more to add and/or  lived the story.

The Page  La Jolla Beach Crowd RIP. is a list and tribute of those that are not longer around. Please check it out and feel free to make a comment.

Mac Meda Categories

  • A- Mac Meda Welcome (1)
  • Abalone Dive (3)
  • All About Jack MacPherson (10)
  • Bars (11)
  • Conventions (8)
  • La Jolla Fishing & Diving (6)
  • La Jolla Surfers (7)
  • Mac Meda Video (5)
  • Marine St and Sea Lane (4)
  • Meda People (42)
  • Meda Rant and Rave (17)
  • Mexico (2)
  • Robert Rakestraw (6)
  • Rough Water Drink (3)
  • WindanSea (17)

Recent Meda Posts

  • OCEAN FRESH SEAFOOD CAFE and MARKET – TOMMY DOYLE – LA JOLLA/BIRD ROCK
  • Ocean Fresh Photo Gallery – Construction, Reviews and Grand Opening
  • Charlie Don’t Surf, But La Jolla’s Jerry Shine Did – Mac Meda’s Decal Artist
  • WindanSea Welcome – Butch Van Artsdalen
  • La Jolla’s Psychiatric Hospital Of The Beach – WindanSea Stories

Meda Comments and BS’ers

  • Cynthia (Cindy Wikle, Miss LJ of ,56) Shelley on OCEAN FRESH SEAFOOD CAFE and MARKET – TOMMY DOYLE – LA JOLLA/BIRD ROCK
  • Dave Marshall on Body Whomping – WindanSea, Sea Lane, Marine St
  • rouen byers on Body Whomping – WindanSea, Sea Lane, Marine St
  • Chris on La Jolla Abalone Diving – Bird Rock, Casa Pool and Cove
  • Andy on Brown Derby Cheap Beer and WindanSea Sunset
  • Chris Peterson on Maynards by the Sea – Pacific Beach’s “Animal House”

Mac Meda's Favorite Places

  • Costa Rica Directory
  • Costa Rica Fishing
  • La Jolla Photography
  • Rockys Burgers
  • San Diego Web Services
  • West End Pub

Meda Past Posts

Footer

  • La Jolla Cove Black Sea Bass – 628Lbs – Donnie Tomlinson 13k views
  • Maynards by the Sea – Pacific Beach’s “Animal House” 12.3k views
  • Jumping Off La Jolla Clam – San Diego Fines 11.8k views
  • Tijuana – The Long Bar – Heaven For the Underaged 11.3k views
  • Body Whomping – WindanSea, Sea Lane, Marine St 8.5k views
  • La Jolla Mac Meda Women – Nice Butts and Legs 7.9k views
  • End of an Era in La Jolla – The Way We Were, by Tommy Carroll 7.4k views
  • La Jolla Pumphouse Crowd – Beach Life 6.8k views
  • La Jolla’s Blacks Beach Key – Surfers, Gays, UCSD & Scripps 5.8k views
  • Chuck Hasley – WindanSea Surf Club – La Jolla 5.5k views

Meda Users Online

3 Users Online

Tags

ab dive ALBERT bar-tales beer beer gardens bird rock Conventions El Sombrero events FEATS fishing fishing and diving girard st idiots drunks dirtbags mac mac-tales meda news Meda People Mexico pumphouse rakestraw Rough Water Drink sea lane sea lane-marine st surfing west end WindanSea windnsea wall
1959-2014 Copyright by Mac Meda Destruction Company · All Rights Reserved · Web Services in San Diego