On Saturday, January 26th, Mollusk Surf Shop is having a slide show and book signing for “Authentic Wave”. The beautifully printed surf photography book about traditional longboarding in California over the last 20 years by Tatsuo Takei. Come have a beer and listen to some insight behind this collection of amazing photos!

Mollusk Surf Shop
1600 Pacific Avenue
Venice Beach, CA 90291-9998
(310) 396-1969
Store Hours:
Mon to Sun 10am to 6:30pm

A pygmy sperm whale had to be euthanized after officials rescued the beached marine mammal in Malibu following multiple attempts by a group of good Samaritans to save its life on Friday morning.

It was unclear how long the whale had been stranded on Zuma Beach, but Sky5 first spotted the beached animal just before 8:15 a.m. near Tower 14.


Within minutes, a group of four women were frantically working to push the whale out to sea, aerial video showed.

Their efforts, however, were stymied by the high surf that was pounding the Southern California coastline on Friday, as each crashing wave brought the animal back to the shore.

More bystanders near the beach steadily went down to the water to help; at one point, nearly a dozen people were working together to get the whale further into the ocean.

Soon after, an individual could be seen swimming into the pounding waves alongside the marine creature as attempts to save it grew increasingly desperate. But the whale appeared to be struggling and kept moving back toward the beach.

Other people also tried to help the whale until officials arrived at the scene.

Aerial footage showed lifeguards bringing makeshift gurney to the water around 9 a.m. and rescuing the whale, who was placed into an awaiting California Wildlife Center van.

Capt. Remy Smith with L.A. County Lifeguards confirmed to KTLA that his agency as well as personnel from the Wildlife Center went to the scene to rescue the 12-foot beached whale.

The animal, however, was found to be suffering from numerous health issues, including chronic wounds, diarrhea and blindness, according to Jennifer Brent, the Wildlife Center's executive director.

"We were advised by experienced veterinarians at Sea World in cooperation with NOAA that this species does not fare well in rehabilitation and combined with other problems ... the decision was made to euthanize," she wrote in an emailed statement.

The carcass will be taken to the Natural History Museum for testing, she added.

KTLA's Jennifer Thang contributed to this story.

North Pacific continues to churn out storm after storm with more solid NW swell due for the West Coast this week.

West Coast gets a string of swells thanks to the recent, and ongoing, storm activity just off the coast. However, this week will come down to windows - some areas will deal with pesky south winds while others flourish with opportunity.

Venice surfer, USFS Firefighter Steven Moak, who was one of the local hero's during Malibu's Woolsey fire is currently in critical condition and on life support right now.


"This is my best friend and my uncle Steven Moak. He fell to his sickness and addiction on Tuesday afternoon. 2018 was a year that I wanted to move forward from and was hopeful that 2019 was going to be great but that’s just not in the plans at the moment. He’s a fighter and is fighting strong for his life. Right now he is on life support and around the clock dialysis which is our last ditch effort at the moment. Please send prayers to Steven. We also ask that if you know him, PLEASE respect the PRIVACY of our family and DO NOT COME to the hospital right now. He is in very critical condition and cannot have any visitors other than DIRECT family. We love you so much Steve. Stay strong my brother." - Lyon Herron


"He is a real life super hero, who risked himself for the well being of others, and helped to lead a whole community in the face of tragedy. He is resilient and strong and we are all praying 🙏🏼❤️ to see him walk away. We love you Weeeeze. Your family still needs you Brother." - Mighty Under Dogs.

For those who know him, please, do not come to the hospital per the request of family and medical staff. Respect their privacy during this very critical and private time. 🙏❤️ Thank you!

Mollusk Surf Shop is looking for a full time shop manager to join our team in Venice Beach! Are you a Greenough enthusiast? Can you see a project all the way through? Mollusk shop managers are enthusiastic about creating a positive, unique, and informative experience for our customers.

To see the job posting, Click Here

SAVE THE DATE!! • Jan. 19th Noon-4pm on the California Heritage Museum lawn • Come celebrate 30 amazing years with ZJ Boarding House !!

ZJ Boarding House
2619 Main St. Santa Monica, CA
(310) • 392 • 5646
Store Hours:
Mon - Sat 10am - 7pm
Sun 10am - 6pm

Surfline Forecasters have been very busy over the past few days as one of the stronger swells of the season looks to deliver this week. A hurricane force low developed roughly a 1,000-1,500nm away from the West Coast, sending solid West swell to California midweek. Conditions are pretty dicey in Northern California, however, Southern California will see lots of surf and much more favorable winds.

Amazing the amount of trash we see on our beaches after it rains in LA. Surfrider LA activist Nick Richetta pulled all this from just 25 square feet of sand at Bay Street in Santa Monica! Such a sight is enough to make any ocean lover sick. But instead of despairing, Nick is spearheading the RIDERS ON THE STORM initiative, a beach cleanup strike force that mobilizes within 24 hours of significant rainfall, working to not only remove whatever trash they can but also document the problem to leverage more comprehensive support and solutions from the County of Los Angeles. A perfect example of someone taking it upon themselves to address a global ocean issue at the local level. Contact Surfrider LA with your email address if you're interested in being notified of any post-rain cleanup strikes and they'll include you on Nick's list.

Mick Fanning is generously donating one Mick Fanning Softboard to the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu for each one sold at Rip Curl Malibu


Rip Curl Malibu
23705 West Malibu RD, Suite 100
Malibu, CA
(310)456-0110

From the Bodega Boarder Crew:


The security cam got it all:





From : Bodega Boarder Crew

A Paddle out for Damon Geller was held on Tuesday.

On December 20th, 2018, Damon Geller, a life-long pillar of the Pacific Palisades community, was abruptly taken from us in a surfing accident. Damon was a devoted husband, father, brother, son, and mentor to many, and for those of us who knew Damon, we mourn the loss of a truly fierce friend and neighbor, whose kindness and generosity were surpassed only by a truly inspirational zest for life and living. Damon passed while enjoying one of his many athletic passions, having surfed across the globe, and leaving us in the manner in which he lived among us, without fear, and in pursuit and awareness of the many experiences which many of us fail to even observe, or take for granted altogether. Damon was immensely inspirational, in many respects, and it would be truly impossible to express the profound sense of loss which this community now bares.

Of his many passions, none was greater than his empowering love for his family. Damon is survived by his wife, Lili, and his two amazing children Jonah and Delilah. Although horrible for us all, this tragedy weighs heaviest upon them, as they struggle to navigate a life without him, and deal with end of life and future expenses. Therefore, please consider helping these loved ones of a great man who gave so much to so many through your generous donations. Your compassion in this challenging time is greatly appreciated.

Damon Geller Memorial Fund

Jacks Surfboards After Christmas sale is still going on for another week in stores & online! Don’t miss out on some amazing deals. Online, use code Merry18.



Jack's Santa Monica
2012 Lincoln Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405
Store Hours: Mon-Sun: 10am-8pm

Start Saving at ZJ Boarding House'S Semi-Annual Sale starts Tomorrow!! Swing in and check out some of their deepest discounts of the season! Save $70 on GoPro HERO7 Silver. Save up to 50% on Select Mens, Womens, and Childrens Apparel, Shoes, and Accessories–don’t miss it!

ZJ Boarding House
2619 Main St. Santa Monica, CA
(310) • 392 • 5646
Store Hours:
Mon - Sat 10am - 7pm
Sun 10am - 6pm

A night of surfing in Malibu turned tragic for two brothers.

At about 11:40 p.m. Thursday, screaming was reported at Topanga State Beach, where sheriff’s deputies found a man who had been performing CPR on his brother. The two brothers had been out in the water for a night session of surfing.

As they surfed, the brothers lost track of each other, authorities said. One of them later found his brother face down in the water and dragged him to shore, where he performed CPR, but was not able to save him.

Sheriff’s deputies say the two brothers are skilled surfers in good physical shape. The brother who died had been a pro surfer at one point, according to a deputy. The surfer’s father and brother were both on the scene immediately after his death.

The surfer was later identified as Damon Michael Geller, 48, of Pacific Palisades, according to the coroner’s office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

A high surf advisory has been in effect for Southern California’s beaches since Monday after being extended multiple times.

It’s not clear if the high surf advisory, or a possible medical emergency, played a role in the surfer’s death. An autopsy is pending to determine Geller’s cause of death.

The tragedy was first reported to 911 as reports of someone screaming on the beach by people in a nearby Arco gas station, but Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies are not calling the death suspicious.

Issued: 1:30 PM PST Dec. 15, 2018 – National Weather Service ... High surf advisory in effect from 4 am Monday to 10 PM PST Tuesday...

... Beach hazards statement is cancelled...

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard has issued a high surf advisory, which is in effect from 4 am Monday to 10 PM PST Tuesday. The beach hazards statement has been cancelled.

* Surf... 6 to 10 foot surf with local sets to 12 feet can be expected across west facing beaches, peaking on Monday and Monday night.

* Impacts... there is an increased risk for ocean drowning. Strong rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Large breaking waves can cause injury... wash people off beaches and rocks... and capsize small boats near shore.

After high levels of enteroccocus bacteria found in the ocean water testing last week due to the heavy rains, Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force is pleased to report that the level of bacteria at Tower 15 and Tower 8 at Will Rogers State Beach were well under the accepted EPA minimum. Yew! Get out and enjoy some of this NW swell we’ve got on tap this weekend.

☝🏽PLEASE NOTE: if you are planning to surf in Malibu at breaks affected by the burn zone (between Point Mugu and Surfrider Beach) please use caution. If the surf smells smokey or has visibly dark sediment in the wave faces we recommend heading to the South Bay. We should have our results from UCLA next week that will give us a sense of the metal content at both Surfrider and Leo Carrillo, so stay tuned.

To learn more or get involved, visit Blue Water Task Force

A powerful, long-period WNW swell will build into California and peak early next week. Areas north of Point Conception will be macking, while big-wave spots will be XXL. The swell is more selective for Southern California, although the regions well exposed to long-period WNW swell will be very solid.
In general, it should be more in the medium-to-strong range at breaks with decent exposure — although select spots that can pull in the strongest energy will be very solid.

This Saturday streets along Santa Monica and Venice beaches will be closed for the Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run.

Sobering results from last week’s Blue Water Task Force team…water collected Wednesday morning at the 3 Santa Monica sites show extreme levels of enterococcus bacteria, literally off the charts. These harmful levels were present before Thursday’s downpour, which will have only served to exacerbate the situation. Similar results were found near the Palisades, at Will Rogers Beach. A reminder, 104 CFUs/100mL is considered the limit of “safe” levels to come in contact with.

Santa Monica Pier - 24,196+ CFUs/100mL
Pico Kenter Storm Drain - 400 CFUs/100mL
Lifeguard Tower 26 - 10,112 CFUs/100mL
Will Rogers Lifeguard Tower 8 - 581 CFUs/100mL
Will Rogers Lifeguard 15 - 10,112 CFUs/100mL

Please stay safe out there and be mindful of the risks of contaminated water, regardless of how clean it may look.
If you would like to know more about BWTF, check out Blue Water Task Force

This Sunday at Brick Mart Santa Monica it’s going down. Sante Bentivoglio from Bay Street Boards be showing his latest paintings and live painting. Also live music, food and mad more art.