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.
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!
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.
There was around 10 of us from The Rock (Tierrasanta) that womped Marine St and Sea ln in the late 70’s through the 80’s religiously . They couldn’t stand Squaremonters (Clairemont) and had it painted at the top of the stairs.
If you were really good at womping and a few of us were, when you got barreled you could go out the “Backdoor” and come out of the white wash on your feet. Seal barking was a right of passage. We ran many a surfer out of the water yelling “No Boards KooK”. Those were good times ! RIP Mayor & Byrd
You sound like a true Whomper. We were a MBHS crew from the early 80s (Chappy sound familiar?). Sea Lane and Windan being best options. We did it year round, no wetsuit, we hated sand rash and we realized it never took long to warm up in 54° water. Our only gripe was the waves absolutely maxed out at slightly overhead. Bigger waves simply crumbled on the outside before reforming. I craved Bigger waves. Probably not unlike a junkie craves a fix, I craved much bigger waves. Ultimately and years later I became more than adequately served at the Wedge. Real quick you mentioned Cabo shorebreak. Wow I might still try it on a small day.
Much Respect,
Johnlloydjl@gmail.com
I lived a half a block from Windansea my entire childhood and into highschool. Whomping was one of the few things I enjoyed doing at the beach because I didn’t surf much. Windansea has the best whomp out of any other beach I’ve been to in the 1210 and 1904. Miss it.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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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.