Reef Madness
From Radical Origins: Episode 1
How a local response to a surfing ban became a classic contest and California icon.
From Radical Origins: Podcast 1
Listen to the full story of how the world’s longest-running surf contest became a local legend that bonds a community with extended stories, bonus interviews, and more.
Listen to the Full PodcastWatch Reef Madness
"Every Weekend, you were on call. You just showed up until the contest ran."
- Brandy Faber
The Visionary
When surfing was banned, Hobie Alter hatched a plan to recast feral surfers as locally grown athletes. In 1955 The Brooks Street Classic was born.
Legends are Born
Almost 70 years later, Laguna surfers now compete for prizes, money, and glory in what has become a local institution and world’s longest running surf contest.
From
Radical
Origins
As a totally voluntary affair, The Brooks Street Classic is still a mix of local passion and improvisation. Heat-sheets are still organized according to community knowledge, and winners still become town heroes. Far more than just an emblem of a lively surf culture, the contest is an example of how a savage subculture became core to the Laguna lifestyle.
Discover More Stories
01
Reef
Madness
The world’s longest running surf contest and the feral surfers who started it all.
02
Trails
Unbound
The trailblazing story of Laguna’s extraordinary network of trails.
03
The Birth
Of Skim
The story of a true Laguna Original and its growth around the world.
04
Protect And
Conserve
When unchecked development collides with art and activism.
05
Short
Strange Trip
The short-lived Woodstock of the West Coast and its permanent legacy.
06
Innovation
At The Source
How a small town stirs up big inspiration for culture and innovation.
07
Long Live
The Rejects
The indomitable and authentic soul of a creative culture.
01
Reef
Madness
The world’s longest running surf contest and the feral surfers who started it all.
02
Trails
Unbound
The trailblazing story of Laguna’s extraordinary network of trails.
03
The Birth
Of Skim
The story of a true Laguna Original and its growth around the world.
04
Protect And
Conserve
When unchecked development collides with art and activism.
05
Short
Strange Trip
The short-lived Woodstock of the West Coast and its permanent legacy.
06
Innovation
At The Source
How a small town stirs up big inspiration for culture and innovation.
07
Long Live
The Rejects
The indomitable and authentic soul of a creative culture.
01
Reef
Madness
The world’s longest running surf contest and the feral surfers who started it all.
02
Trails
Unbound
The trailblazing story of Laguna’s extraordinary network of trails.
03
The Birth
Of Skim
The story of a true Laguna Original and its growth around the world.
04
Protect And
Conserve
When unchecked development collides with art and activism.
05
Short
Strange Trip
The short-lived Woodstock of the West Coast and its permanent legacy.
06
Innovation
At The Source
How a small town stirs up big inspiration for culture and innovation.
07
Long Live
The Rejects
The indomitable and authentic soul of a creative culture.
Presented By Visit
Laguna Beach
Visit Laguna Beach is more than just a warm welcome. We’re curators of Laguna’s culture and storytellers revealing how it became an extraordinary destination in the first place.
Visit Laguna Beach
