In Southern California, Winter months and swell go hand in hand, and this week provided just that. With a fairly consistent swell, surfers crowded lineups in hopes of catching the perfect wave. 

La Jolla’s Big Rock, a left-handed surf break at the foot of Palomar avenue, puts on a show about 12 times a year. With the right swell, Big Rock throws consistent stand up barrels. With a very shallow reef, Big Rock leaves no room for error. Spectators and photographers gather along the Neptune sidewalk to catch the show. The world-class left attracts big names in the surfing world.

 Award-winning longboarder, Joel Tudor, is a regular in the lineup, but this year it was his son, Tosh who was putting on the show. After spending some time on the north shore, Tosh Tudor found his way to La Jolla and entertained those blessed to watch. Riding a 6’2 Will Jobson Twinser, Tosh effortlessly dropped into a hollow left and made it out of the barrel. Stab Magazine posted a video of this wave on their Instagram, which ended up receiving over a quarter of a million views. 

When asked what the most technical aspect of surfing Big Rock is, senior and phenomenal surfer Alex Brown simply replied, “the drop.” Alex is completely correct, it is solely the drop that will make or break your wave at Big Rock. 

When asked what her fondest memory is regarding Big Rock, junior Tatum Evans backhandedly complimented the surfers, “Driving by with my whole family in the car spectating the surfers and firing barrels. My dad and brother like to point out the waves coming in out of the back, then seeing those waves have the craziest drops and even crazier surfers.”