Once upon a time did Long Beach have its very own Superbank? While that call might be a bit of hyperbole, most folks have probably never heard of the glorious wave that once existed called “Flood Control.” Perhaps that’s because it only existed from the early 1920s to the mid 1940s, during surfing’s modern-day infancy really. So, how the hell did this wave come about—and how’d we lose it?

A lot of hollow waves on Earth get the Pipeline tag attached to their “aka”—but don’t realistically size up with the Banzai. Oaxaca’s Puerto Escondido, also known as the “Mexican Pipeline,” however, has always lived up to the hype. One of the most recognizable beach breaks on the planet, Puerto has thrilled, terrified, and attracted both surfers and spectators alike for decades, one of the few beach breaks on earth that can accomodate an XXL-swell. Lately, though, Puerto’s legacy is in trouble.

When you think about South Carolina, most folks don’t generally associate the state with beach tourism. But when South Carolina beaches were under threat, the state sought to replenish them. What did the state get in return for its investment?

Riddle me this… Is a beach still a beach without sand? Is a beach town still a beach town without a beach? These actually aren’t brain-busters—just a couple ideas to consider. Let’s zoom out a little and look at the kind of moolah beaches create.

When humans tinker with or modify Mother Nature, sometimes the results are irreversible; sometimes they’re not. But alas, some miracles are unexpectedly made when the science, natural elements, and knowhow blend into a delicious symphony of the senses.