6 Reasons Santa Cruz Really Is California's Surf City (Photos)

When I was a kid my grandmother, Arliss, lived behind the university in Santa Cruz....

Jake Howard
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surfer.com
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December 3, 2025

When I was a kid my grandmother, Arliss, lived behind the university in Santa Cruz. We'd make the drive down Highway 1 from Pacifica to visit her, and hopefully connect with my cousins for a trip to the beach. I started boogie boarding at It's, the beachbreak on the other side of the point at Steamer Lane. Eventually I got up the courage to make my way out into the lineup at the Lane. I'll never forget paddling over a wave and having local core lord and aerial innovator Nate Acker throw a 180 ollie over me in a floro green wetsuit.

Santa Cruz always had an edge to it. From the Westside to the Eastside, Midtown and points north and south, it was gritty, core, real. I still love the town, and Ryan Craig's photos always bring me back. This fall had some particularly special days as regular spots turned on and the wind laid down.

But it's not just the surf. It's the surfers. It's an eclectic, raucous crew that typically don't mind speaking their mind. From the hecklers on the cliff at the Lane to the thoughtful prose found in Kyle Thiermann's new book, "One Last Question Before You Go," it's the people that make Santa Cruz so special. Granted, I may have written a story or two over the years that offended the local set, but it's always been out of love. That said, here's half a dozen photos that remind me why Santa Cruz will always be Surf City to me.