Editor’s Note: The Hometown Hype film tour is presented by White Claw.
Encinitas is a surf town in the land of surf towns. But the San Diego County beach city manages to set itself apart. Its surf scene is at once mellow and fiercely competitive, supported by a dedicated cadre of locals that includes both hometown heroes and a few of the most legendary names in the history of surfing.
To tell the story of Encinitas for the latest episode of Hometown Hype, we turned to filmmaker Jeremy Searle. Because to delve into what makes up the DNA of a surf town as unique as this, it requires local knowledge. We sat down with Searle to ask him about what makes Encinitas special, and what he hopes to say in a short film about his own hometown.
How has Encinitas changed since you were growing up?
[It’s changed] a lot. I feel like we can still call it a small surf town, but when I grew up, I felt like it really more fit that bill. Now, there’s been a lot of changes, in terms of new restaurants and the downtown area and all that. Some changes are actually good, like there’s some cool new spots, but then there’s a lot where it’s a spot like Captain Keno’s, which was a local dive bar and restaurant, and a kind of place that all the locals kind of held near and dear to their hearts, that recently got torn down.
Anywhere that’s kind of cool, especially coastal areas in California that are a hot destination (which I think Encinitas kind of has become), people are a little more aware of it. There’s just a lot more people, a lot more tourists in the summertime. In some regards, you can look at that as a good thing for the local businesses and stuff, but then as far as surfing goes, there’s more crowds and waves are a limited resource. It’s a little bit less of just you and your buddies sharing waves.
Even though there’s a lot of changes, the surfing community still remains. You’ve still got the lot of people to go drink coffee and talk story with.
What sets Encinitas apart from other surfing towns in Southern California?
In comparison to like Huntington or San Clemente, I would say we’re a little bit more chill, a little less “rah, rah,” in your face. For instance, [Championship Tour surfer and Encinitas native] Jake [Marshall]’s biggest claim is a small little fist pump, whereas some of those other places, it’s like jumping off the board and shooting a three-pointer. I think Encinitas is a little less in your face, a little more humble.
Like Rob [Machado] is sort of the king, right? And if you’re ever around him, his energy is just so chill, like guru status. I feel like that is something unique in Encinitas. Our values have always been that being humble is a big deal, and respect and respecting your elders and all that.
People will put you in your place, but it’s not a super aggressive lineup. You’re not gonna get punched in the face. It’s like, “Hey, come on. We need to talk to this kid.”
You’ve mentioned that Encinitas does this really good job of fostering its groms. Could you explain what that’s about?
My best example is, in the morning at Seaside Reef, there’s an understood kind of “grom hour,” where they own the peak. A lot of the older guys will chat in the lot and kind of wait for it to clear out. Most everybody is very supportive of the kids. Everybody’s trying to pick each other up, whether you’re a competitor or not.
I think the Boardriders club has been huge for that, because it’s really brought the generations together. I feel like every eight years, or even less, there’s a whole new generation, and they’re not always totally connected. I think the Boardriders brings it all together, and everybody’s kind of like supporting each other. Honestly. I think that’s why we won the national title. It was a positive attitude kind of thing, just everybody supporting each other.
That unified, supportive community seems like it’s been crucial to the success of the surfers?
I think it’s even more important now with how many changes are happening in town. A lot more people are moving there, and it’s cool to kind of still have that core community that stays the same. Even though there might be new kids on the rise and all that, it’s still all one.
So is there something you really want this project to say?
The biggest thing from everybody’s interview is that there is a humble mentality about Encinitas and we’re kind of proud of that.
Then the fact that surfing is still meant to be fun. You can paddle out and half the lineup can be all on different boards. A lot of them still rip, but it’s not going to be like when you paddle out at Trestles and it’s 99 percent high-performance shortboards. But we’re also on fire, competitively, like Jake [Marshall] and Levi [Slawson] winning the US Open, and the Boardriders winning the national title. There’s a duality.
And we always support each other, win or lose. The community is really strong.
The Hometown Hype premiere of Encinitas is Wednesday, October 29th at Breakers. Please RSVP here to attend the show. A special thanks to White Claw for bringing this fantastic film tour to life.
Directed, Shot & Edited by
Additional Footage by
Music
Chicken Leg
Executive Producers
Luke House
Joe Carberry