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In the 1970’s we used to think California was the center of the surfing universe. And it was in a sense. All of the surf media was centered in Orange County along with all of the major surfboard manufacturers and a fledgling garment/lifestyle fashion industry. When surfers traveled, there were none of the modern conveniences such as online swell prediction, gps location finders, tour guides, surf resorts etc.
A simple trip to Mexico was an incredible adventure. The Mexican cops would always arrive at the surf and with machine guns at hand searching every car for drugs. A trip to Bali, Indonesia was like going to another planet. Our local board carriers would panic at the thought of staying late at the beach, when the mythological characters from their Hindu religion, monsters and spirits, would come out at dusk to roam.