On your average day during the year, Blackies in Newport Beach is a longboarder's haven. The waves are usually 1 to 3 feet high, the atmosphere in the water relaxed, and the old guys are chatty. It's the sort of place to which you bring a beginner to learn. There's a parking lot, which makes it accessible, and a row of shops, ideal for a morning breakfast burrito and coffee. That's the usual Blackies. But Blackies on a significant western swell? That's a completely different discussion, as... More »
