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California's Gold with Huell Howser on the Santa Monica Pier



From Santa Monica Close Up:

"Ian Bowen, dressed as Huell Howser for Halloween, gives us a tour of the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, October 31, 2021."

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

Malibu Surf Drone Video



Drone video edit of surfers catching nice waves in Malibu beach.

Venice Swimmer Stranded In The Ocean For 12 Hours


Reported By Jason Kandel

During an outing in his sailboat Defiant one Sunday in September, Koz Khosravani marveled at a pod of dolphins that swam near his boat and directed his gaze to the unthinkable — a hand surfacing in the choppy water.

Maybe he was seeing things, he thought. It could have been the glint off a dolphin's back, for all he knew.

"I thought it was a mistake," he said.

He got closer and saw a woman floating on her back.

He threw a floatation device into the water, but she couldn't hold onto it. Khosravani maneuvered his boat around for a better position. The rescuers tossed in a rope. She held on as they pulled her onto the boat to safety.

The rescuers wrapped the woman in a towel and blanket. Khosravani asked her name and whether anyone else was with her. She was alone.

Khosravani radioed for help — the first time using his radio in an emergency.

"May Day. May Day. May Day. This is the sailing vessel Defiant in the Santa Monica Bay … Immediate medical emergency."

Matt Rhodes, a Los Angeles County lifeguard rescue boat captain, got the call before noon. He responded within minutes.

The young woman was not wearing any clothes. Her skin was the color of ash. She was hypothermic and barely coherent.

If she had not been found right then, Rhodes believes she would have died within minutes. She had been treading water for nearly 12 hours in 66 degree waters. "What are the chances another boater would have spotted her?" Rhodes said he thought.

"She's very lucky," said the 20-year lifeguard veteran. "She was in such a bad state that if she had not been picked up out of the water, wrapped in blankets … the potential for something really bad happening to her would have been much greater."

She told Rhodes and his partner that she got in the water at midnight in Venice to go for a swim. She said the current swept her offshore. The woman, who Rhodes did not identify due to medical privacy issues, was treated for hypothermia at a hospital and released three days later.

Khosravani, a former information technology professor, feels fortunate he was prepared to make a rescue. Fresh out of sailing school, he had the gear and the knowledge of ocean rescue.

"I was in the right place at the right time," he said.

He's not religious, but his being there that day makes him think twice that there was something larger at play. Buying a boat and safety gear, his training and the dolphins catching his eye, drawing his attention to the hand in the water -- all of that was no accident, he said.

"I think there was a reason they were there," he said. "I just cannot believe that at that moment they crossed in front of my boat."

"Part of it was just luck," he said. "Part of me believes there was something more to it."

War's 50th Anniversary Celebration

America, it's time to go back to WAR. The legendary band out of Long Beach first started the rocking the streets of Southern California in 1971. In 2021, the group behind such timeless hits as "Why Can't We Be Friends?" and "Low Rider" are set to celebrate fifty years of righteous rock 'n' roll.




WAR burst onto the scene 50 years ago, capturing the heart and soul of America’s streets with its righteous, multi-cultural sound on hits like “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” “Low Rider” and “The Cisco Kid.”

“Our music came from the street and the challenges that everyday people struggle with, says founding member Lonnie Jordan. “We expressed the pleasures and pains of those experiences which we are still confronting all these years later.”

In celebration of their 50th Anniversary, the legendary WAR has partnered with the City of LA Parks and Venice Beach to try make an attempt to introduce a new initiative to re-establish Venice Beach as a safe and family-friendly recreation area for everyone. The community event is presented by Rhino Entertainment and produced locally by Munson Industries and will showcase a performance from WAR, a low rider car show featuring the ENVYUZ Minis and Dogtown Devils car clubs, and a special WAR inspired mural by the STP crew will be completed live. There will also be exclusive event merch and food vendors. The celebration is accessible to the public and will be located at Windward Plaza in Venice Beach starting at 12 p.m. PT and will conclude at 5:30 p.m. PT.



The community event will showcase local Venice Beach vendors, including food by The Waterfront and The Erwin Hotel’s Venice Way Pizza. Twenty percent of the day's sales will benefit Venice Family Clinic, a leader in providing comprehensive, high-quality health care to people in need.

The itinerary for WAR's 50th Anniversary Live Performance:
12:00 PM - Kickoff with nondenominational prayer
1:30 PM - Low Rider Car Show
3:00 PM - WAR Performance
5:30 PM - Event ends
LOCATION:
Windward Plaza - 1 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291



F-cked Up Venice Storm Drain Update



km4V Video by Cop Watch Venice

"The city has ignored the complaints and are covering up the environmental disaster spill from the Rose ave storm drain in Venice, CA. They drove the tractor over it and blocked the drain with sand again. Tons of trash, black sludge and needles are still all over the beach and they buried a lot you can't see. Do not go on the beach without boots. The entire beach has been poorly cared for the past year and is not much better."

Cop Watch Venice follows LAPD pacific division on world famous Venice beach, showing a point-of-view style cop watch and update on Venice's current conditions. We make edited shorts, full scenes and are working on a documentary about homelessness and city failures. Donate to Cop Watch Venice via Cop Watch Venice Paypal

The F-cked Up Venice Storm Drain



Video by Cop Watch Venice

"The city of Los Angeles and council member Mike Bonin has refused to fix the Rose Ave storm drain for years, ignoring all complaints and intentionally allowing trash and chemicals to go into the ocean and be buried in the sand. Now that the city has refused all cleaning and responsibilities blaming budget deficiencies while collecting more than ever, and homelessness has been purposely consolidated in the area and left to run wild, the problem is now way worse and spreading all over the beach and bike path, narrowly avoiding the children's playground.

As seen in previous videos, all the catch basins for the storm drain in that area are full of trash daily that the city refuses to clean. They stopped street sweeping months ago leaving huge build ups of oil and automotive chemicals, and stopped cleaning the catch basins so they can claim more funding, now this is the result. This has been going on for years, but is way worse with the recent city neglect and is not going to get any better as long as people keep supporting them."

Cop Watch Venice follows LAPD pacific division on world famous Venice beach, showing a point-of-view style cop watch and update on Venice's current conditions. We make edited shorts, full scenes and are working on a documentary about homelessness and city failures. Donate to Cop Watch Venice via Cop Watch Venice Paypal

14th Annual Skate The Coast



From Santa Monica Close Up:

"Boarders, skaters and cyclists roll along the Santa Monica Bike path during the 14th Annual Skate The Coast on Sunday, October 24, 2021."

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

High Surf Advisory



HIGH SURF ADVISORY in effect through 3AM Wednesday. A Large 6-8' WNW swell builds today and lasts through tomorrow. Elevated surf conditions, strong currents, and rip currents will be present at all Los Angeles County Beaches.

Ocean Water Quality Rain Advisory



OCEAN WATER QUALITY RAIN ADVISORY has been issued and is in effect through 1:00pm October 28th. Beach users are advised to avoid water contact for at least 72 hours after significant rainfall. This advisory may be extended depending on further rainfall.

Because of the recent rainfall, Los Angeles County Health Officer, Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, is cautioning residents that bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash, and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas are likely to contaminate ocean waters at and around discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers after a rainfall. Individuals who enter the water in these areas could become ill.

Use the map below to obtain the current water quality status of your favorite beach location. Use your mouse wheel to zoom into a particular location. Click on the marker to identify the sampling location.


Major Homeless Encampment Clean Up Venice Blvd



Mornings in Venice Beach Monday 10/25/21. Video by Cop Watch Venice

"The Venice Blvd major homeless encampment clean up is scheduled after being postponed for months due to a "covid outbreak", but gets rained out. Sanitation cannot move anyone in the rain according to the laws, so they had to do a spot cleaning instead. A spot cleaning is cleaning up around tents and structures, and asking if people have any trash. Everyone prepared piles of trash in the street and sanitation spent the morning in the rain throwing it away."

Cop Watch Venice follows LAPD pacific division on world famous Venice beach, showing a point-of-view style cop watch and update on Venice's current conditions. We make edited shorts, full scenes and are working on a documentary about homelessness and city failures. Donate to Cop Watch Venice via Cop Watch Venice Paypal

Venice Beach Afterburn Festival 2021 Livestream



Filmed live 10/23/21 Saturday night, the first night of the event. Filmed by Cop Watch Venice

"Venice Afterburn Fest. This is the yearly after party to burning man held in Venice Beach CA every year."

Cop Watch Venice follows LAPD pacific division on world famous Venice beach, showing a point-of-view style cop watch and update on Venice's current conditions. We make edited shorts, full scenes and are working on a documentary about homelessness and city failures. Donate to Cop Watch Venice via Cop Watch Venice Paypal

Garbage Truck Catches Fire In Downtown Santa Monica




on Friday, a garbage truck caught fire in downtown Santa Monica. Contents were dumped onto street to prevent gas tank from igniting. Firefighters were quick to respond.

Venice Park Rangers Dealing With Homeless And Running Over A Skater



Mornings in Venice Beach 10/22/21 Friday. Video by Cop Watch Venice

"Park Rangers show up early to warn everyone the regular Friday clean up is coming, but don't show back up for 5 hours, hoping to catch someone slipping. But instead sit around and do nothing when everyone is gone. And a jerk park ranger told me he hates my videos showing him doing nothing and later intentionally hits me with his truck on a busy Friday afternoon on the boardwalk. And yes I'm legally allowed to ride a skateboard there and no they are not."

Cop Watch Venice follows LAPD pacific division on world famous Venice beach, showing a point-of-view style cop watch and update on Venice's current conditions. We make edited shorts, full scenes and are working on a documentary about homelessness and city failures. Donate to Cop Watch Venice via Cop Watch Venice Paypal

Celebration Of The Life Of Retired Chief Lifeguard Bob Burnside




On Sunday, LA County Lifeguards celebrated the Life of Retired Chief Lifeguard Bob Burnside at Zuma Beach.

Chief Burnside retired in 1983 after serving the beaches of Los Angeles County for 32 years. He is recognized as one of the inventors of the modern day rescue can, now a standard for lifeguards world wide and an iconic symbol of ocean lifeguarding. In Los Angeles County the rescue can that Chief Burnside invented is utilized on over 10,000 Ocean Rescues every year.






Rain And High Surf Coming Sunday




Storm system late Sun-Mon. This storm system looks like a significant rain event, and will also bring gusty winds, high surf, and may cause issues at recent burn areas.

Topanga - Thursday 10-21-2021


Here's some surf photos from Thursday, July 21st at Topanga.

This set was shot from about 4:50-6:00 PM by ChrisDidThis.

These are just a few of the photos from this session. If you were out there, you probably got some surfing shots, probably multiple photos, they will be in the complete photo gallery for this day, check them out, the link to the gallery is down below.






You can find more photos from this session, all full size and in high-resolution, in this photo gallery:

Topanga - Thursday 10-21-2021 Photo Gallery


If you were out there, we probably got some cool surfing shots of you, go check them out!

Wanna see photos from previous days at this and other local surf spots?
Click Surf Spot Galleries and look for the spot and then the date.


2021 Malibu Classic




Log Rap's coverage of the 2021 Malibu Classic.

"That was one for the ages. By far the best contest we've ever covered. The swell actually showed up and the behind the scenes action was all time. Major props to Devon Howard for getting the tribe back together and to WSL for letting us come along for the ride. Thanks to all the surfers/family/staff members who let us film and share their stories."

Video by Log Rap.

Filmed by
Ryan Cannon
Ryan Hackbarth
Josh Valera

Edited by
Ryan Cannon

Harrison Roach & Nathan Strom




Not a tutorial or a vlog. Just beautiful surfing by Harrison Roach and Nathan Strom in Malibu, California.

Video by Aloha Visuals.

Venice Surf-A-Thon Volunteer and Sponsor Appreciation Night and Art Show




The upcoming Volunteer and Sponsor Appreciation Night and Art Show is to recognize a few volunteers and sponsors, showcase artists and raise money for the Surf-A-Thon Sessions Documentary Film production.

If you are interested in sponsoring, competing or voluntering for the 28th Annual Venice Surf-A-Thon Surf Contest volunteering or simply message Ger-I on the Venice Surf-A-Thon Instagram and he will get you the information!

Venice Surf-A-Thon founded 1993. Generations Strong!

Movie Night On The Venice Pier




The fine folks at Washington Square are hosting a free community movie night, out in the ocean at the end of the Venice Pier every Thursday, till October 28th. So grab your family, grab your peers, grab a blanket or chair, and head to the beach for an evening of ocean breezes and movies under the stars! All the restaurants on Washington Square are putting this on, so stop in for food and drinks to take to the show! See you there!


Dates: Every Thursday, Sept. 23-Oct. 28, 2021.
Start time: 7:00 p.m.
Admission: Free
Location: At the end of the Venice Pier.
Bring your own chairs/blankets!


Movie Line Up:
Grease – 10/21
The Nightmare Before Christmas – 10/28

Venice Blvd Closed This Sunday



Parts of Venice Blvd wlll be closed from 5am to 9am this coming Sunday, Oct 24th, 2021.

Jeep Malibu Classic with Havaianas - Day 2 Warmups



FromDon Foley Photography:
"10/12/2021 6:45am at Malibu First Point during the pre-heat session (contest began @ 7:35am) - good luck sneaking a wave from these badass surfers."

Smoke Over The Coast



The latest HRRR smoke model output indicates smoke from the Alisal Fire up north is expected to travel southeastward following flow aloft over the coming hours. There will likely be smoke over the coastal waters and lesser amounts over coastal areas south of Point Conception.

RV Fire On PCH



Another RV fire, this one happened around 2AM on Pacific Coast Highway near Will Rogers Beach. The fire department put it out and no injuries were reported. Photos by Soledad Ursua.


Leo Carrillo - Tuesday 10-12-2021



Here's some surf photos from Thursday, October 12th at Leo Carrillo.


This set was shot from about 4:50-5:50 PM by ChrisDidThis.

These are just a few of the photos from this session. If you were out there, you probably got some surfing shots, probably multiple photos, they will be in the complete photo gallery for this day, check them out, the link to the gallery is down below.






You can find more photos from this session, all full size and in high-resolution, in this photo gallery:

Leo Carrillo - Tuesday 10-12-2021 Photo Gallery


If you were out there, we probably got some cool surfing shots of you, go check them out!

Wanna see photos from previous days at this and other local surf spots?
Click Surf Spot Galleries and look for the spot and then the date.


Topanga - Monday 10-11-2021


Here's some surf photos from Monday, July 11th at Topanga.

This set was shot from about 5:15-6:30 PM by ChrisDidThis.

These are just a few of the photos from this session. If you were out there, you probably got some surfing shots, probably multiple photos, they will be in the complete photo gallery for this day, check them out, the link to the gallery is down below.






You can find more photos from this session, all full size and in high-resolution, in this photo gallery:

Topanga - Monday 10-11-2021 Photo Gallery


If you were out there, we probably got some cool surfing shots of you, go check them out!

Wanna see photos from previous days at this and other local surf spots?
Click Surf Spot Galleries and look for the spot and then the date.