Guide To San Clemente California | T Street Surf

T STREET SURF SHOP San Clemente Surfboard Rentals SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA
San Clemente has two very distinct faces. The idealized one is a core surf town where the streets are lined with Trestles cobblestones and Mayhems. Where the ghosts of San Onofre OG’s Tom Blake and Doc Ball might give you a tour of the hallowed halls of Surfer and Surfing Magazine’s original offices pointing out iconic imagery that created and sustained the surf industry for decades. You might stop by the Astrodeck warehouse and get a history-drenched sermon from Dibi and Herbie Fletcher and take a walkabout through the shaper’s ghetto with Timmy Patterson and Matt Biolos. Or Cole Simler and Terry Senate if you want a thicker coat of foam dust on your shoes. You might take a peak at the Surfing Heritage Museum’s collection of historic surfboards or check in with the Pezman’s at The Surfer’s Journal offices. You might wrap this day up with a double feature screening of Jeff Neu’s San Clemente Locals and Lost Across America: The Decline.

You would squint your eyes and look out at T Street and see vintage Dino Andino and Matt Archbold going vert on their backhands and leaning way back on their forehands. You might see Nathan Fletcher or the Long brothers punting on closeouts at State Park. Riviera would be full of Gudauskas smiles and Rozunko shakas. Lowers sets would be split by Chris Ward and and his pal and temporary Florida transplant Cory Lopez filming for a new Lost flick. Followed by the full deck grips of Justin Matteson and Gavin Beschen. You’d hear the bombs of Camp Pendleton going off before navigating a barroom split down the center of surfers and soldiers at Red Fox Lounge as “O.C Life” from D.I. plays from the juke. This would be one version of San Clemente. The one where you blend a disheveled core surf aesthetic with an obvious surf industry influence backdropped by the stucco and tasteless veneer of the Orange County curtain into something with some goddamn vibe.

The other one might not hit so authentically. The realist’s San Clemente. The San Clemente of today. It has been sterilized with Acai bowls and streets lined with short putting green grass so the starry eyed groms in their golf carts and e-bikes can get to Trestles quicker. An attempt at creating surfing’s Pleasantville backfired and this mutiny of home schooled kids in head-to-toe Stance gear run the show. Their dad’s Teslas charge while the water in their Rinse Kits warms.

San Clemente is now a grommet nursery where parents hope future Colapintos and Kolohe’s are groomed into Olympic-ready world champions. People forget that John John and Kolohe and Griffin and Crosby were raised on a steady diet of paragraph one through five surf industry and have a deep appreciation for the core community — a key ingredient to a proper surf curriculum. This is the chapter that today’s groms seem to be glossing over and it’s like skipping the Curren chapter in the surf book.

Despite these modern conveniences and the repercussions that accompany them, this place can still be navigated with dignity. A nice time can be had. There is still soul lurking around. Not all is sterilized by IG surf culture. Catch Surf is not the only surf shop in town. Catalyst (Lost’s home surf shop) still runs the show and will get you dialed with what you need by utilizing a knowledgeable and surf competent staff of no nonsense surf gear.

Our suggestion as you exit the 5 onto Pico: Look to the roots, embrace the present but don’t be afraid to rage against it and always blast the Minor Threat as you hit the offramp. San Clemente still has it if you look closely.—Travis Ferré

T-Street taken from the SC Pier.

Richard Nixon used to have his “Western White House” in San Clemente. Most recently sold for like $65M

President Richard Nixon at his “Western White House” in San Clemente

Ole Hanson Beach Club in the 1930s.

We polled some of SC’s finest to make sure this list is complete. It should keep you fed, surfing, buzzed and healthy all at once.

Luke Davis: Ultimate Surfer competitor, had pink hair before it was cool, coffee connoisseur, Reckless Isolation star and form guru.

Tanner Ruzunko: The most core of the core. Good at everything. Surfing, skating, music, beers, carpentry and an all-around stand up dude with great taste.

Ian Crane: World’s greatest free surfer and everyone’s favorite guy to have fun with.

Matt Biolos: World-renowned surfboard maker, snowboarding enthusiast and punk rocker.

Kolohe Andino: World Tour surfer, Olympian, Filmmaker, Core Lord.

Old Man’s at San Onofre State Beach.

FOOD

Sonny’s Pizza & Pasta in San Clemente.

Pedro’s Tacos: Two locations in town. This staple post-Lowers drive-thru never disappoints after a marathon session. Bean/cheese/potato burrito every single time. Easy on the wallet and pretty good on the taste buds. Best to not get a drink and pop over to 7-11 to grab something there. (Don’t know why everyone does this, but they do, literally everyone.)

Guicho’s Eatery: Killer Italian food with two locations in San Clemente. Pretty much a slam dunk any time you want. Only downfall is they are closed on Sundays. Ian Crane special recommendation: Chicken salad + side of 2 meatballs… chicken salad comes with garlic bread, make open face mini meatball sandwich to go with the salad. Or just get the chicken sandwich, comes with baby side salad.

SC Cafe: The local diner. Feels like you’re sitting at home. It’s that level of comfort. They have great breakfast. Hot chocolate coffee w/ whipped cream on top + the veggie mix half order, no rice, add 2 fried eggs and sausage links. Ask for pico de gallo & medina sauce, chop up and mix all together then wrap in flower tortillas.—Crane

PEDRO’S WILL ALWAYS BE A SAN CLEMENTE STAPLE. NOSTALGIC AND DELICIOUS. MY SUGGESTION – ORDER BEFORE PADDLING OUT AND ENJOY IT ON THE BEACH.
— KOLOHE ANDINO

Pedro’s Tacos drive-thru sign at their location on the south end of town.

Surfin’ Chicken: A hidden secret on the north end of town just off Avenida Pico. In the corner of an interesting strip mall. Surfin’ Chicken lives right next door to the record shop. A gem of a taco shop that you can stuff your face while gazing in awe at the surfing posters that have been up since 1995.

“Archy, Dino, the Fletcher’s and Beschen’s line the walls of this time capsule of an establishment. If your picture is not up in Surfin’ Chicken, you are gonna have to go on the next set wave.” —Tanner Ruzunko

Sonny’s Pizza & Pasta: The meeting place in San Clemente. Sonny’s is SC Tradition. Ran by a crazy good surfer Brandon Ragenovich. Brandon’s mom and grandfather own this place and they make incredible pizzas, pastas, salads, and wines. Pretty hostesses.

SURFING

JUST GO TO TRESTLES, THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE HERE FOR [LAUGHS]. IF THE BEACH BREAKS ARE GOOD HERE YOU’RE SURE AS HELL MISSING IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
— TANNER ROZUNKO

The Pier: Kinda has a different little look to it. Northside pretty much always has something. Winter time sometimes you can surf the other side. I surf Southside like 5 times per year in the winter. —Yadin

T-Street: The most consistent wave on planet earth. In June Cory Lopez and his family were in town and it was flat everywhere in CA. T-St. was the best place from Malibu to the Mexican border and the Lopez fam was all over it. Waves were really really bad in CA, but T-St. was still doin it’s thing. One of the most consistent ridable waves in CA with better wind than HB. Don’t waste a swell day here though. —Biolos

Wedges in the winter. Surf that a bunch and it’s easy. Don’t need an E-bike to get there. —Yadin

Paddle out whenever most convenient, always a funish rideable wave, makes you surf better. Best place to drive by and run out for a wave or just hang out in the parking lot. FUCK BLACKBALL! —Crane

Lower Trestles, San Clemente, CA.

Trails: This can be fun and sometimes an escape from the crowd If you time it right. Trail 6 you can see all the military equipment up close and personal.

Be careful which trail you take as one of them trails lands you on the nude beach.

Uppers: Winter time go-to spot. Summer is good too but the crowd is whacky. Total chaos.

Lowers: Basically good all day! Bring a backpack with water and snacks & 2 boards for fun. Always crowded but it’s kind of an organized chaos. If too crowded and frustrating go in and try again an hour or so later.—Crane

Middles: Any time there is a contest at Lowers you will mind-surf about a hundred waves per day down in this area. Especially fun on a really crowded Lowers day when you can float down and snatch a couple little runners.

Churches: I actually surf Churches a bunch.

San O: 60’s throwback scene on the beach here and a sort of “Waikiki” of California type of surf generally. Great for longboarding and going straight. Best and worst beach in the entire world.—Yadin

SURFING AROUND SAN CLEMENTE IS LIKE A SLOW DRIP. ALMOST LIKE A KIND OF TORTURE. THERE’S USUALLY ALWAYS SOMETHING, BUT NOTHING TOO THRILLING. ENOUGH TO KEEP YOU HYDRATED BUT YOU’RE ALWAYS THIRSTY FOR A LITTLE MORE.
— YADIN NICOL

Griffin & Crosby Colapinto nearby home ft. Kolohe Andino

T STREET SURF SHOP Since 2013

The person running the counter in shop is guaranteed to be stoned. Surf movies playing on TV. They have the glass shop running in the back making fresh boards, it reeks of resign in the best way. Plus it’s across the street from 7/11 so you can get a slurpee and some candy while there.—Crane

Basham’s Factory and Surf Shop: Brad Basham started the entire surfboard building process in San Clemente. The shop lives towards the north side of town in Brad’s name as he passed away recently. This guy was a big reason San Clemente surfing is where it is today.

SAN CLEMENTE HAS MORE SHAPING FACTORIES PER CAPITA THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD. DON’T COME BOTHER US WHILE WE’RE WORKING THOUGH. YOU’RE NOT GETTING A DEAL.
— MATT BIOLOS
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