“60 Foot” Waves Blast California Coast, Wreak Havoc (Video)

For those who spent the holiday season away from the Californian and Hawaiian coasts, perhaps in a wintery refuge devoid of internet access to the surf world’s happenings, here’s a few things to catch up on: the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational ran for the 11th time in history, Mavericks saw one of the biggest and heaviest days ever, and the Golden State was obliterated from the XXL surf.

Welcome back.

Most notably, in terms of destruction on the west coast, a large chunk of the iconic Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed from the inundation of swell, and was sent spinning through the high seas like a rubber ducky in a bathtub with a toddler. Two people were rescued; there were no casualties, luckily.

Elsewhere, however, folks weren’t so fortunate. Mother Nature’s wrath reigned supreme, claiming the lives of a few, and/or swept them out to sea forcing missing person’s reports. The video above shows a compilation of all that oceanic chaos, and lists the extent of the damage as follows:

(Note: The 60 foot waves mentioned below may have hit Mavericks during the pre-Christmas swell, but that size was not seen elsewhere on the coast. And the image used for the YouTube video above? Yeah, let’s consider that a bit of an exaggeration. Regardless, it was undeniably big.)

Related: Santa Cruz Wharf Collapses in “Life-Threatening” Surf (Video)

“Dangerous waves brought down part of the Santa Cruz Pier on Monday and prompted multiple water rescues from the Pacific Ocean this week as waves up to 60 feet are forecast along the shores of California. The Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County website shows crews responded to at least two water rescues on Monday near Live Oak and Capitola beaches. The storm’s high surf also likely pulled a man into the Pacific Ocean around noon Monday at Marina State Beach along the Monterey Bay, authorities said.

“Meanwhile, in Marina State Beach, about 30 minutes south of Sunset State Beach, a man went missing around noon after being pulled into the water by a high surf. Another person went missing at Pebble Beach, south of Monterey. Cal Fire said crews responded to Ocean Road in Pebble Beach after it was reported someone was swept off the rocks into the water. Three people were rescued near Bodega Bay after they were swept off land by a powerful wave on Monday, the Sonoma County Fire District said.”

It’s not over, either. Another pulse of swell is on the way for the weekend, though this one doesn’t appear nearly as large. Still, we’d be remiss if we didn’t urge caution. Stay safe.