sunset cliffs

Sunset Cliffs Continue to Change, Erode, and Evolve – Look at “Needles Eye”

October 27, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

We cannot destroy Sunset Cliffs anymore in order to save them

Originally published July 11, 2008

OCEAN BEACH, CA. To those who believe that the beautiful Sunset Cliffs – a wonderland stretch along the Pacific just south of OB – are a static monument of nature, should gaze carefully at these photos sent to OB Rag by Larry O’Brien, expert and lover of the cliffs. The old postcards are of “Needles Eye”, a wonderful work of rock, wind and water, and it stood on its lonely pedestal until an earthquake destroyed it, I believe, in the early, mid-1960’s.

OB Cliff Condo Residents Want Seawall to Halt Erosion

November 16, 2010 by Source

Editor: Channel 10News ran a story about some Ocean Beach residents who live in condos on the cliffs now want a seawall to be built to halt the spread of erosion, and that they are appealing to the City Council for financial assistance. These residents reside in a building that was developed right on the fabled, beautiful cliffs in southern OB – cliffs that many in the community want to preserve in their natural state. Environmentalists in the Seventies tried to prevent these condos …

SAN DIEGO — Ocean Beach residents who are worried their beachfront homes will slide into the ocean took their concerns to San Diego City Council. …

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Ocean Beach Skatepark Fence Saves Kids

September 26, 2010 by Source

By Jim Grant

This car was speeding down interstate 8 yesterday at 4pm, he tried to make the green light at 8 and Sunset Cliffs he ran the red light, skidded around the corner, slid between a concrete barrier (set up to keep cars from crashing into the skate park) and a trio of 40 foot palm trees. If he had hit either of these two things no doubt the car would have split in two, he was doing at least 70 mph at this time. He continued down the sidewalk and landscaping leaving skid marks and a path of debris behind him. He plowed into the 8′ high fencing surrounding the Ocean Beach skate park which was FULL of kids. The fencing crumpled like an aluminum can….

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Cliff Swim Turns Into Cliff Rescue – Photo Gallery

April 2, 2010 by Frank Gormlie

At first, it looked safe to go in. So, two young highschoolers decided to try swimming at Sunset Cliffs. But Katie Kitchenka and Breyaundra Woods, both 18 years old and from Steele Canyon High School, soon found out it was too cold.

They tried getting back to shore, but couldn’t. Fortunately, an off duty border patrol agent came upon them yelling for help, and he threw them a beach towel and helped get them to a ledge.

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Turf Wars in the Surf at Sunset Cliffs

January 28, 2010 by Source

In San Diego’s surfing turf wars, tempers heat up as the waves become more crowded. Are the skirmishes a solution or a symptom?

By Adam Elder / San Diego Magazine / January 2010

I’m not violent, but I have had some times where we’ve had to do some breath-holding exercises, me and another guy,” deadpans Nate Cintas. “That’s just part of it.” Part of waterboarding? No. Part of surfing? Yes—if you surf at Cintas’ spot at Sunset Cliffs and don’t obey the locals’ rules.

Cintas, known to many as Irate Nate, has for years been one of the heaviest enforcers at his home break—a wave surf magazines won’t run photos of, much less mention—solid, powerful, with close-cropped hair and in great shape for a man in his 40s. Born and raised less than a mile from the Cliffs, he’s a local in every sense of the word.

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OB Flashes – News, Calendar and Discussion – Jan 11 – 16, 2010

January 11, 2010 by Frank Gormlie

Saratoga Park Condos Delayed – Apartment Up for Sale

Where Is the Missing OB Fire Pit?

Lifeguards Do Cliff Rescues – Man on Sunday and Woman on Saturday

Competition between OB’s Dog Beach and Coronado

Short Film by Nazarene U Alumnus Could Get Oscar Nod

Longboard Association to Hold First 2010 Event at Ocean Beach

San Diego Reader: Sand Shift at “Big Jetty” Still a Concern for OB Surfers

Sunset Cliffs Restoration Party – January 16th

OB Artist Designs Local Postage Stamps

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Jim Grant’s Lens

December 22, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

OCEAN BEACH. It is difficult not to be amazed by Jim Grant’s lens and the scenes he captures. Here are some recent December views of our ocean and our little piece of land.

Whether it’s Peace Rock or the cliffs at Sunset Cliffs Park or the OB Pier, Jim Grant’s lens seem to hold the magic of nature that surrounds us, particularly when our star glides into the ends of the earth.

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Ocean Beach and Sunset Cliffs Cut Out of Marine Coastal Sanctuaries

November 13, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

OCEAN BEACH, CA. For some reason, Ocean Beach and Sunset Cliffs were cut out of the Blue Ribbon Task Force’s recommendations for Southern California coastal marine sanctuaries.

We had reported earlier that Ocean Beach and Sunset Cliffs had been included in proposals for redesigning California’s system of marine protected areas along the southern coast, as well, of course, other parts of San Diego County. Marine experts have been putting together proposals for a year. The OB coast had been considered one of the chief areas of contention.

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Who should pay for cliff rescues?

October 20, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

SUNSET CLIFFS, CA. About a week ago, on October 14th, a young man had to be rescued off of the cliffs. The cliffs are Sunset Cliffs, south of OB proper.

The rescue of somebody, whether they are plucked from the ocean, rappelled from the cliffs, carried out of the danger zones is not a new occurrence for these beautiful but dangerous cliffs. Over the years, many people have had to be rescued from either the ocean below or the cliffs themselves.

It is reported to us by a witness that four (4) police cars showed up. So did an ambulance. Plus three (3) lifeguards arrived. And to top it off, a fire truck made a show.

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… in the year 2010 …

September 3, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

SUNSET CLIFFS, CA. Local photog Jim Grant captured this sunset and new addition to “Peace Rock” .

Senior students from Point Loma High School placed their year on top of the rock. Jim spoke to the guys and girls who put it up Sunday night( Aug 30) at high tide.

They hope it stays up until graduation next year !!

They paddled it out on a long board and attached it with long steel spikes.

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Sunset Cliffs Litter and Graffiti Clean-Up – ‘… and nature smiled back!’

August 15, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

OCEAN BEACH, CA. As litter never ends and graffiti tagging seems endless along sections of Sunset Cliffs, another clean-up happened on Friday, August 14th.

As this one was organized by a group calling themselves “The Cliff Dwellers”, and headed up by long-time local and cliff expert, Larry O’Brian, a bunch of us OB Ragsters joined them after work at the foot of Santa Cruz Avenue.

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Tide Pools … or Cesspools? at Sunset Cliffs

August 4, 2009 by Jon Carr

by Jon Carr

Jon: “Hey honey, let’s pack a lunch and head down to the Sunset Cliffs tidepools for the day and soak up some sun!”

Honey: “That sounds great Jon, I’ll pack the lunch. Sounds fun!”

Or…

Jon: “Hey honey, let’s pack a lunch and head down to the Sunset Cliffs cesspools …

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Why we live where we live photo gallery

August 1, 2009 by Source

Thanks to local photographer Jim Grant we can enjoy scenes from Sunset Cliffs hours after the sun has gone down.

Remember, if you have photos of OB or the surrounding environs that you would like us to share with the community, email them to us at obragblog@gmail.com

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Another view on Sunset Cliffs

July 29, 2009 by Source

Editor: In response to our recent post, “Sunset Cliffs – and surf culture – in danger of erosion” by Mary E Mann on July 20th, we have received the following article by Ann Swanson, current Chair of the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council.

by Ann Swanson

The article on Sunset Cliffs is filled with misinformation and distortions. I welcome the opportunity to give the facts …

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Sunset Cliffs – and surf culture – in danger of erosion

July 20, 2009 by Mary E. Mann

by Mary E Mann

“All this shit – the benches, the trail, the signs – none of it matters if we don’t stop the erosion of the cliffs.”

This is Richard Aguirre’s main message, filtered through a long discussion of erosion, geology, politics, surf culture, and safety hazards.

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Reader Rant: When is it good ol’ fun – and when is it too dangerous?

July 17, 2009 by Source

by Jim Grant

I wonder though about cliff diving….I was at the cliffs yesterday and took this of two guys diving head first off a famous jump spot along Sunset Cliffs – south of Ocean Beach. These guys did this about 20 times.

Now should this be deemed illegal? Is it ?? Is it enforced ?? Is it safe? I have a whole slew of questions……

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A Paradise Guarded by the Tides – Photo Gallery

July 4, 2009 by Frank and Patty

by Frank Gormlie

Reposted from July 6, 2008

OCEAN BEACH, CA. There are secret caves along the cliffs in Ocean Beach. It just so happens that the stretch of cliffs next to the boulevard of the same name, from Point Loma Boulevard south to Ladera Street, contain an array of beautiful, hidden and fairly inaccessible caves.

Only during real low tides are some of them reachable. But these hidden geological grottoes and cuts in the sandstone cliffs and the beaches and pools inside them are nature’s displays of the wondrous interplay of land and sea that has occurred over time – right here on our front porch.

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The Great Graffiti Paint-Out

June 21, 2009 by Staff

OCEAN BEACH, CA. Saturday, June 20th, was the first (for some) Great Graffiti Paint-out for Sunset Cliffs, marred by countless taggings. About twenty people showed up bright and early and proceeded to paint clean the entire stretch from Orchard north to the Pier. Special thanks go out to Ed Baer, Lou, and Jon Carr for making this happen. Cheers to you!

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Saturday Morning Paint Out Party: Reclaiming the beauty of Sunset Cliffs

June 19, 2009 by Jon Carr

Saturday, June 20th – Time to put up or ….

There has been a lot of chatter on this board lately about the sad state of affairs along the cliffs. This Saturday morning is your chance to do something about it! We will meet at the foot of Orchard Street at 7am for a quick pow-wow and start painting at 7:30am.

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Rites of Passage

June 17, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

by Frank Gormlie

SUNSET CLIFFS, CA. Ah, the rites of Spring, the rites of passage. Jim Grant, local photographer best known for his amazing sunsets, sent us this pic of local kids doing the jump. Ah, to be young again.

In my youth, just a few moons ago, I did this jump a number of times. I even swam through the yucky seaweed to the cave, walked in a few yards and found the hidden stairs to the old locked door that leads to the secret passageway. It was used during Prohibition for booze runners. They hadn’t heard yet of the ‘no alcohol’ ban in San Diego parks.

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Summarizing the great graffiti debate …

June 15, 2009 by Dave Rice

Okay, this has been a heckuva interesting ride the last week or so and handful of articles – and very timely too, as I’ve been making similar observations of late. It seems like there’s a lively debate on where political and art-inspired graffiti fits into the general urban landscape.

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The Ugly Side of OB

June 12, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

More scenes of Ocean Beach than we care to view or think about. But the taggers have found their canvas and its our cliffs. Here is another sampling of what some people think is the worst spate of graffiti on Sunset Cliffs then they can remember. These were taken recently by local photographer Jeff Stone.

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More scenes of OB that we don’t want to see

May 31, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

Our blogger/ photographer Dave Gilbert has amassed quite a collection of shots of graffiti, cliff or sandstone carvings, and other images of OB that we really don’t want to see.

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Faulconer Memo to City: Replace Sunset Cliffs Benches

May 15, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

SUNSET CLIFFS, CA. In a memo to CEO Jay Goldstone just released, Councilmember Kevin Faulconer requests that the City replace the 5 benches along Sunset Cliffs that the City removed. Here is the memo:

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What’s happenin’ to the Sunset Cliffs’ benches?

May 14, 2009 by Frank Gormlie

Benches that citizens have put up along the cliffs at Sunset Cliffs are disappearing. It has been reported by MSNBC that several benches attached to the guardrail along the scenic boulevard have been possibly removed by the City of San Diego for liability reasons.

Reportedly, Councilmember Kevin Faulconer’s office has been flooded with requests for information on the missing benches. SEE MEMO ABOVE

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A Paradise Guarded by the Tides

July 6, 2008 by Frank and Patty

Make sure to click on the images to see larger versions of them. OCEAN BEACH, CA. There are secret caves along the cliffs in Ocean Beach. It just so happens that the stretch of cliffs next to the boulevard of the same name, from Point Loma Boulevard south to Ladera Street, contain an array of […]

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Peace Sign Rockers Sign Off On OB/ Point Loma Rock

January 24, 2008 by Frank Gormlie

OCEAN BEACH/ POINT LOMA. Today, January 24th, the ones who were responsible for the installation of the Peace Sign on top of “Peace Rock” off Sunset Cliffs, have declared that they are finished with the Ocean Beach / Point Loma area for any future Peace Sign installations, and that they feel good about their “18 […]

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Peace Sign Atop “Peace Rock” Disappears From Sunset Cliffs – Vandals? Thieves? Conservatives?

January 5, 2008 by Frank Gormlie

OCEAN BEACH – Sadly community members are discovering that someone has taken the peace sign from “Peace Rock” off Sunset Cliffs. Some time over the last couple of days, the widely-known and loved art installation project disappeared. Those responsible for placing the universally-recognized peace sign, made of stain glass, on top of the solidarity rock […]

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retired botanist March 28, 2023 at 4:09 pm on Kensington’s Historic Over-110 Year Old Trees Have Been Under Threat From the CityNope, I'm not gonna rant! (She said and then ignored herself!) But I feel a lot of empathy for the Kensington folks- it's a beautiful...
Leslie Bruce March 28, 2023 at 3:40 pm on The End of San Diego’s Community Planning Boards: How We Got HereMe neither, Jim. Well said. The baby has been tossed out with the bath water and we are all the lesser for it.
Gravitas March 28, 2023 at 1:58 pm on A Stealth Counter-Coup: Could Liz Cheney and Mitch McConnell Save Democracy? Part ICheney tweeted today..“If we really want to keep our children safe, we need to spend less time banning books and more time stopping the horrific...
Geoff Page March 28, 2023 at 12:29 pm on 3-Story With 3 Units to Replace Modest House on Cable in Ocean BeachThis place was the subject of a Code Enforcement action all last year because of the three shitty construction trailers they had on site as...
Paul Webb March 28, 2023 at 12:01 pm on The End of San Diego’s Community Planning Boards: How We Got HereJim, I could not have said it better.
Jim Hare March 28, 2023 at 11:47 am on The End of San Diego’s Community Planning Boards: How We Got HereI would love to pile on here by saying that the only time the City Attorney was called in to defend a planning group under...
Stu March 28, 2023 at 8:10 am on OB Pier Renewal Community Workshop – Liberty Station Sat., April 1The Pier has run its life and its past time for a rebirth of a new state of the art pier. This public meeting will...
Tessa March 28, 2023 at 8:03 am on 3-Story With 3 Units to Replace Modest House on Cable in Ocean BeachSuper gross. Is there no way to block these monstrosities- the OB version of tasteless McMansions?
Laurel March 27, 2023 at 9:19 pm on Suspect in Stabbing Death of Ocean Beach’s ‘Incense Man’ Set for TrialDon’t feel the same about going into OB at night since this happened. Guy just walked p, stabbed him, and walked away. Then came the...
Vern March 27, 2023 at 5:36 pm on 3-Story With 3 Units to Replace Modest House on Cable in Ocean BeachDoesn't this "ballerino" character opt for those boxlike, copy/paste dwellings that pop up around SD? Talk about weak architecture.
kh March 27, 2023 at 1:52 pm on Here Are the 3 Main Methods the City of San Diego Will Use to Dismantle Local Community Planning BoardsI agree. Maybe they should submit an application then? We do have advocates, who cycle. There seems to be a difference though.
kh March 27, 2023 at 1:51 pm on Here Are the 3 Main Methods the City of San Diego Will Use to Dismantle Local Community Planning BoardsToo easy!
Greg March 27, 2023 at 1:42 pm on 3-Story With 3 Units to Replace Modest House on Cable in Ocean BeachThis is the house where the buyer put a painted trailer in the dirt lot in back to rent out in the interim right? Super...
Gravitas March 27, 2023 at 10:52 am on ‘If You Can Read This, Thank a Teacher’ – L.A. School District Teachers’ and Workers’ Strike Is OnAnd now this...".Three children, three adults dead in Nashville school shooting"
Leslie Bruce March 27, 2023 at 10:47 am on The End of San Diego’s Community Planning Boards: How We Got HereAt yesterday’s PL-OB Dems meeting, when I asked Brian Elliott, City Councilmember Joe LaCava’s policy advisor about the CPG legislation that his boss authored, he...