The Point, San Onofre

San Onofre painting of longboard surfers with 1952 Chevrolet Woody and Classic Volkswagen Van at The Point on San Onofre State Beach in Southern California.

	Description & Size		Price		Purchase
	036G1020 Limited Edition Giclée Print on Canvas, 10 x 20 inches, Total Edition: 95 Prints 10.00" x 20.00" Id: 566		$160.00
	036G1530 Limited Edition Giclée Print on Canvas, 15 x 30 inches, Total Edition: 95 Prints 15.00" x 30.00" Id: 567		$365.00
	036G1836 Limited Edition Giclée Print on Canvas, 18 x 36 inches, Total Edition: 95 Prints 18.00" x 36.00" Id: 568		$525.00
	036G2448 Limited Edition Giclée Print on Canvas, 24 x 48 inches, Total Edition: 95 Prints 48.00" x 24.00" Id: 1172		$935.00

San Onofre offers an opportunity to appreciate what Southern California's coastline may have typically looked like decades ago. San Onofre State Beach is a 3,000-acre scenic coastal-canyon park that includes three areas: San Onofre Bluffs, San Onofre Surf Beach, and San Mateo Campground.

In 1971, the State of California leased the area from the US Marine Corps to provide visitors with beautiful beaches, inspiring geography and a wetlands natural preserve for interpretation and recreation.

Those who frequent this park are proud of the park’s emphasis on preservation and beach’s throw back mystique. Nostalgia is king here, especially as it pertains to recalling the cars and culture of the Golden Age of California surfing.

This San Onofre surf painting was commissioned by the owner of the 1952 Woody featured to the left of the composition. The classic surfboard wind vane towers over three Sano longboarders waxing ‘em down before heading out into the break at The Point. The painting communicates the timeless nature of San Onofre, the beauty of the coastline, and the hang loose nature of the surf culture. It harkens the beholder back to a time of simplicity and leisure.

The painting was reproduced in Steve Simon’s coffee-table book entitled “California Through an Artist’s Eyes.” The book celebrated California’s 150th anniversary of statehood in the year 2000. It includes reproductions of 60 of Simon’s California landscapes with verse written by the artist to complement each piece. The poem that accompanied the reproduced image in the book is as follows:

Longboarders Bravado

Come on, let’s take the day off, head out of town

Load up your “Woody” and wax ‘em down

I’ll meet you at our nostalgic gathering spot

“The Point,” of course, in case you forgot

I’ll bet my “Microbus” I can still hang ten

On my favorite board and loyal ole friend

And if some annoying, young rats try to spoil our day

We’ll show ‘em how its done the old-fashioned way

Two of the San Onofre beaches are of particular interest to the hardcore surfer—Old Man’s and Trestles. Old Man’s, not surprisingly, attracts an older crowd with a strong sense of the nostalgic. Old Man's lies between Camp Pendleton's Churches Beach and the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. The surf here consists of long, gently rolling waves that break over a cobblestone bottom and are particularly well suited for longboarders.

Trestles is located on San Mateo Point at the north end of San Onofre State Beach. Accessing this beach is not easy. It requires a mile-long walk from the end of Cristianitos Road. Once you get to the beach there are no facilities. The waves here are, however, some of the best waves in Southern California.

Located between San Onofre SB and San Onofre Surf Beach is San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) provides nearly 20-percent of the power to more than 15-million people in Southern California.

Location and Directions:

San Onofre Bluffs and San Onofre Surf Beach are located south of San Clemente on I-5 (Exit Basilone Road)

San Onofre - San Mateo Campground is located on the outer edge of San Clemente 1 mile inland from I-5 (Exit Cristianitos)