What happened? It was destroyed by big money & boat owners who figured they couldn't make MORE money off surfers and the sport of surfing. Not enough "power" to fight back. RIP.

What's there now for all that greed? The ultra, ultra rich (who are the only ones who can afford homes), the poor (who work in Dana Point and South OC but can't live there. Unless it's 9 people to a 2 bedroom apartment in SJC), and tons and tons and tons of homeless drug addicts and mentally ill people (probably old surfers). The rich drive their 150K cars (what a house USED to cost back in the "olden times", like the 80s) past rows and rows and rows of tents on the sidewalk and dudes pooping in the middle of the street. Greed destroys more than just a wave but the spirit of a place.

One other thing to equate Dana point with Stanley’s in venture? Laughable! , Stanley’s was an awesome break soo many good days there ! It’s an off ramp now ! 😱😳😤😡 Dana point 😂

Killer Dana 😂surfed it before the marina was dug . It’s a bunny hill break ! Camped there last January. Still a bunny hill guys ! That’s a 58 year spread . Killer Dana ? Never heard that ? A joke comment must be ?

Marina's and golf courses suck

There was no reason they couldn’t have built the marina 5 miles south.

Nice to see a video refer to Church by its proper name. Cheers !

I have sailed a lot out of Dana Point marina, and was born when Killer Dana, was already gone. Still kinda a bummer. To make things worse, the 'powers that be' have even destroyed the 'vibe' of the harbor, Canons is gone, the small beachtown atmorsphere has been turned into a high rent imitation of Santa Monica. The mobile home parks were ripped up to put in 8 million dollar McMansions at the Strand and some neo Urbanist million dollar condos across from Doheny. They added in some cheesy statues of the pioneering surfers as an insult. OC sucks

Get ready to deal with lot of A holes that are to cool for school if you surf there you know what lam talking about

What a waste of a precious natural and cultural resource. I'm not against boat marinas, but destroying a pristine stretch of coastline is unforgiveable.

Its a soft forgiving wave Its the pillsbury Doughboy of surfbreaks

💸🤬

.....and another thing. Why do you think, 58 years later, that the homes along Beach Rd. are being washed out and the railroad tracks at Cotton's are "falling into the sea", as Jimmy Hendricks would say! Please reply.

Killer Dana! Who died?IT DID! Fished the pier and surfed there 1954 thru 1966, the year I graduated from high school. We, my Father and a couple of surf buddies and I, watched from the bluff, as the first loads of granite from Catalina were placed for the outer jetty. We watched them KILL/ MURDER DANA POINT!!!!

This is when surfers were considered vagrants and hoodlums. Just vindictive rich people that thought surfers were trash. I'd rather have them put a jetty over Doheny then Killer Dana.

Greedy politicians and thier special interests!!!

My mom got to surf this wave. Watching this makes me so angry. Eliminated such a treasure. Those idiots had no idea what they stole from the future.

So sad. I almost cried. I just hope we are moving towards a harmony with nature, and just leaving things be. Money isn't everything... absolutely not! 😢

So sad - thanks for this homage to the break

Da low key surf music on this belies what this beautiful place became..progress.. actually tragic.. fogettaboutit Lmao

I surf my whole f****** life grew up in San Diego my dad was a local served all the 60s and 70s and it never heard anybody call it killer Dana it was always referred to as doheny's

Called dohenys dude

I will never forgive the boomers for what they did to Killer Dana. Everything they touch dies. Another example of the most selfish and short sighted generation in modern history

I've had some of my best waves at Lowers. One particularly great memory when we snagged a lucky evening session, when an arriving swell started to fill in early, before the next day crowd expected it to hit. Seems more crowded now than ever. Last week I counted 64 surfers out at Lowers, on the web cam view. So packed for one-ish peak!!! But it looked like there were a lot of great waves pumping through if one was willing to weave through the encumbering swarm of bodies. Not sure if this is a correction or not, but I've always heard the break labeled "Church" in this video as "Churches".

In 1977 Michael Ho squeaked by aussi PT to walk away with $3,000. and 1st place during the Sutherland Pro. 108 invited surfers from around the world surfed in the first ever contest at Trestles for an entire week. Lowers was firing and the boys now Legends made history.

Great video! Would love to see a San O one

I am happy to say l've experience it best wave I've. ever road. 😅😊

Cutbacks suck Micky Dora never did a cutback

I surfed back in the mid to late '70s. Never got past grom stage, but I've known about Trestles all these years and it looks like a wave that maybe an old dude like me (now) on a long board could handle.

Place is magical

The labels are a bit off... Basically they all should be further north/west. Lowers is close but uppers is way further north. You have church marked in the marine corps vacation spot; it's actually right about where your Middles label is. Great video otherwise though!

Better take your brass knuckles.

Destruction of Dana Point is a disgusting testimony to greed and American values. Might over Right with natural wonders in last place!

Very much enjoyed this. Great video. Need more videos and history about Southern California

I caught my first wave here. Spent a lot more time on Old Mans just a beach over from this.

Fascinating video good to learn more about waves newish to surfing

Shhhhhh don’t spill the beans! No one knows where this spot is. Your going to blow this secret spot up for all the locals 🤫🤷🏼‍♂️

When surfers call Rincon the Queen of the coast....i think a lotof people see Trestles as the King. But theres so many spots in So Cal that are just as good. Im from Venice and beyond and we surfed Lowers 7 8 times and it was always epic. 1 time we got it double overhead plus and it was so good. My cousins grew up in San Clemente so i met the entire crew going back to the 70s 80s. Real beach people...unlike what Malibu has become.

I surfed there too and we never called it “Killer” Dana

The love of money is the root of all evil.

Looks kinda lame. Barrel dodger central. Cobblestone Reef. 🤣🤣🤣 Definitely NOT a wave of consequence. Idk how you could be bothered if say, pipeline, was your local. Or Chopes...

Ah, the barreless wonder of Trestles.

Thanks Nixon!

These videos are great. You should make more.

My Trestles surf story from a Newport local: Back in April 2004 in the middle of the week, the first significant south swell of the season popped up. I had a new board I was eager to try, so I made the trip down to Trestles by late morning. It was sunny, glassy, well overhead and pumping. Much to my shock, there were just a handful of guys in the water. Then, the reigning World Champion at the time, Andy Irons paddled out with former World Champion Sunny Garcia. We exchanged a few waves and I was impressed by their surfing. Then, sitting next to Andy, a nice set wave came in and I had the inside position on the peak. I turned and took off. Andy hopped me and off we both went on a long glassy wall, with him just a few feet ahead of me. Andy turned hard off the bottom and went up the face and got stuck on the lip as he hit the top and fell right in front of me. I had to take evasive action to avoid running him over as I continued my ride for a few more turns. I decided not to hassle Andy and cut him some slack for hopping and falling in front of me. Sadly, neither one of those former World Champions are surfing any longer. Andy was dead 2 years later and Sunny is no longer able to surf after a failed suicide attempt.

Enjoyed this video very much. Here’s a little personal historic Trestles surf story for you all. Throughout my surfing life Trestles was my favorite spot, though I lived further north. One early morning in Fall 1969 three friends and I went down south for a day at Trestles. I was 16 years old at the time. Back then we had to climb down a steep cliff face near the south end of San Clemente to get to Trestles. The only way down was hanging on to your board with one hand and a garden hose, insecurely attached at the top, with the other hand. We made it down and started walking south on the beach. Got it to Cotton’s where there was a nice house. (Surf trivia: The actor James Arness’ son Rolf, nicknamed Rolfie, lived in that house at the time. Rolfie was an excellent surfer). Just south of Cotten’s we crossed over into the Camp Pendleton stretch of beach. We changed course slightly and walked on the smooth rocks, ankle deep. This was so we could quickly run out and get on our boards if Marines came after us. It was common knowledge among surfers that they couldn’t do anything to people if they were actually in the ocean. Unfortunately for us there was a fairly steep sand ridge at the shore which we couldn’t see over. Suddenly, between Uppers and Lowers, a half dozen Marines came charging down the sand with 45’s pointed directly at us screaming “stop right there motherf*ckers”. No chance to get out into the water. They marched us up to a couple vehicles and off we went to Camp Pendleton. The Marines confiscated our boards and left us at the Oceanside base gate. I think we pooled our money for a taxi back to San Clemente, though I’m hazy on that part. In the end they held our boards for thirty days and charged us a fine to get them back. Not the best surf trip ever. Still, once we had our boards we were surfing Trestles that day. Thanks for posting the video. Reminded me of one of my favorite surf stories.

A very nice video and well told story. I’m 71 years old and remember vividly the 1966 13 year old me, just getting good in Hermosa Beach, being devastated that I would never get to ride Dana. The anger at the greed and the corruption of the ocean has never left me. A few years later a much better me would be furious when Stanley’s was ruined as the 101 was widened and an on-ramp built exactly there, with no regard again for the impact on the ocean and the land. The places I most loved to surf through my surfing life were Trestles in Orange County, and spots in Ventura County, including Stanley’s. I lived in Ventura County for many years and every time I went up north to Rincon, Little Rincon, or further, I would look to the west and experience a pang of sadness. Conversely, any time going down south to Trestles, or to San Diego County spots, I’d remember Dana Point (Killer Dana) which I only got to see in surf films when I was a kid. Thanks for posting this.

Actually malibu was longer than rincon.

Prior to surfline and iphone alerts I caught lowers with maybe a dozen surfers out during a combo NZ/ Mexican hurricane swell. I think it was '73? Solid consistent waves with five wave dbl overhead sets. I remember it was early fall, with Santa Ana winds blowing There was a huge fire on camp Pendelton and the sky was really eerie. On the return to Laguna we surfed second reef Brooks St. sheet glass/ light offshore. No leash's...no crowds, no kooks

Sad indeed, but more powerful than Petacalco?I think not!