Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SKATING
The 22-mile-long South Beach Trail that runs from Pacific Palisades to Tor-
rance is one of the pr emier skating spots in the countr y. I n-line skating is especially
popular, but conv entional skates ar e often seen her e, too. Skating is allo wed just about
everywhere bicycling is, but be advised that cy clists have the right of way .
Spokes 'N
Stuff,
4175 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey (
&
310/306-3332;
weekends only), is just
one of many places to r ent wheels near the Venice portion of Ocean Front Walk. In the
South B ay, in-line skate r entals ar e av ailable 1 block fr om The S trand at
Hermosa
Cyclery,
20 13th St. (
&
310/374-7816;
www.hermosacyclery.com). Skates cost $6 per
hour ($18 for the day); kneepads and wrist guar ds come with every rental.
SURFING
George F reeth (1883-1918), who first sur fed R edondo B each in 1907, is
widely credited with introducing the sport to California. But surfing didn't catch on until the
1950s, when CalT ech graduate Bob S immons inv ented a mor e maneuv erable lightw eight
fiberglass board. The Beach Boys and other surf-music groups popularized Southern Califor-
nia in the minds of beach-babes and -dudes ev erywhere, and the rest, as they say, is history.
If you're a first-timer eager to learn the spor t, contact
Learn to S urf L.A.
(
&
310/
663-2479;
www .learntosurfla.com). This highly r espected school featur es a team of
experienced instructors that will supply all necessary equipment and get you up and riding
a foam board on your first day (tr ust me, it's a blast). Private lessons are $120, and gr oup
lessons ar e $75. Another gr eat sour ce for learning to sur f is
Malibu Longboar ds
(
&
310/467-6898
or 818/990-7633; www.malibulongboards.com), the official surf instruc-
tion for Santa Monica College (don't you wish y ou'd spent a semester her e?). The company
offers private lessons for $60 per hour, as well as group lessons and 5-day surf camps.
If you want to tr y it on y our own, surfboards are available for r ent at shops near all
top surfing beaches in the L.A. ar ea.
Zuma Jay Surfboards,
22775 Pacific Coast Hwy.,
Malibu (
&
310/456-8044;
www.zumajays.com), Malibu's oldest sur f shop, is about a
quarter-mile south of Malibu Pier. Rentals are about $20 per day, plus $10 for wet suits
in winter. For more information about sur fing in S outhern California, log on to www .
surfline.com.
TENNIS
While soft-surface courts are more popular on the East Coast, har d surfaces
are most common in California. I f your hotel doesn't have a court and can't suggest any
courts nearby, try the w ell-maintained, well-lit
Griffith Park Tennis Courts,
on Com-
monwealth Road, just east of Vermont Avenue (
&
323/662-7772
). Call or log on to the
website of the
City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks
(
&
888/527-
2757;
www.laparks.org) to see a long list of fr ee tennis courts or make a reservation at a
municipal court near you.
Tip:
Spectators can watch free collegiate matches at the UCLA
campus's L.A. Tennis Center from October through May. For a schedule of tournaments,
call
&
310/206-6831.
209
7
Fun Facts
The Surfing Rabbi
This is
so
only-in-L.A.: Surfing instructor and orthodox rabbi Nachum Shifren
hosts “Surf and Soul” sermons on the sand in Santa M onica. Not only will the
rabbi teach you how to surf, his wise words will empower you to succeed in this
competitive world we live in. Yes, even gentiles are welcome (
&
310/877-1482;
www.surfingrabbi.com).
