Cortes Bank
Encyclopedia
Cortes Bank is a dangerously shallow chain of underwater mountains in the Pacific Ocean
, about 115 miles (188 kilometers) west of Point Loma San Diego, USA, and about 50 miles (82 kilometers) south-west of San Clemente Island
, Los Angeles County.
The chain of peaks is about 18 miles (30 kilometers) long and they rise from the ocean floor from about 1/2 mile (about 1 km) down. Some of the peaks come to just 3 to 6 feet (1–2 m) below the surface at Bishop Rock, depending on the tides. The peaks are a hazard to shipping, but help create a noted big-wave surfing
spot.
ship Stillwell S. Bishop that struck the rock in 1855, then continued to San Francisco with a patched hull. Nine Fathom spot is about 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) northwest of Bishop Rock and also rises to about 98 feet (30 m) below the surface. Both are noted scuba diving locations featuring clear water and abundant sea life.
In 1969 promoters bought the World War II
surplus troop ship SS Jalisco, and renamed her USS Abalonia. They sailed to the bank, intending to scuttle her in shallow water to form a tax-free island nation and shellfish processing plant. During the sinking, rough seas broke a mooring line and pushed her into deeper water. Another company planned to build a platform on the bank and form a nation called Taluga, but the US government declared that the bank, as part of the continental shelf
, was US territory. The wreck of the Abalonia today lies in three pieces in 40 feet (12 m) of water, and is a diving location.
On 2 November 1985 the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
struck the Cortes Bank reef about one mile east of Bishop Rock, putting a 40-foot (12 m) gash in her outer hull on the port side, and damaging three propellers. She continued operations, then went into dry dock at Hunter's Point Shipyard for repairs.
magazine, and Mike Castillo
, veteran surfer and pilot, made flights out across the bank on rumours of giant waves. By 1995 Moore had seen and photographed waves and that year he led an expedition with a small group of surfers out there (including Surfing magazine editor Bill Sharp
). But conditions were poor and they only surfed a few small waves. This wave swells located off of the coast of San Clemente Island
are considered to be part of Los Angeles County.
Several surfers planned for the ideal conditions at the bank. In 2001 a storm called "Storm 15" in the Gulf of Alaska
and a high pressure ridge over California
came together to create huge swells but light wind over the bank. A team of surfers went out on the F/V Pacific Quest from San Diego, with big-wave tow surfers Ken Collins, Peter Mel
, Brad Gerlach and Mike Parsons, plus paddle-surfers Evan Slater and John Walla. On the morning of 19 January 2001 they found smooth glassy conditions and enormous waves breaking across about 1 mile (1.5 kilometer) of reef, with the last part of it rideable.
Larry Moore
photographed from a circling plane, Dana Brown
shot from a boat for his surf film Step Into Liquid
, and Fran Battaglia shot from two other boats for his wave science film for Surfline *Making The Call: Big Waves of the North Pacific, his documentary for Swell, XXL, NBC Dateline, The Billabong Odyssey and Activision's Kelly Slater Pro Surfer video game. Parsons was towed into the wave of the day, estimated at 66 feet (20 m) on the face. It won him the Swell XXL Biggest Wave Award (now Billabong XXL) prize of $66,000 for the biggest northern hemisphere wave surfed in 2000/2001.
On January 5, 2008, Mike Parsons, Brad Gerlach, Grant "Twiggy" Baker and Greg Long returned to the location. Mike Parsons was photographed on a wave bigger than his award-winning ride of 2001, judged by the Billabong XXL judges as 70+ feet on the face.
Although remote, the Cortes Bank draws crowds when conditions are good. On a trip with the Billabong Odyssey in January 2004 Sean Collins
counted 10 or 12 boats with about 40 surfers.
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, about 115 miles (188 kilometers) west of Point Loma San Diego, USA, and about 50 miles (82 kilometers) south-west of San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. Defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 2 of Census Tract 5991 of Los Angeles County, California, it is long and...
, Los Angeles County.
The chain of peaks is about 18 miles (30 kilometers) long and they rise from the ocean floor from about 1/2 mile (about 1 km) down. Some of the peaks come to just 3 to 6 feet (1–2 m) below the surface at Bishop Rock, depending on the tides. The peaks are a hazard to shipping, but help create a noted big-wave surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
spot.
General
Bishop Rock is one of the jagged peaks in the underwater mountain chain that rises to within 3 to 6 feet (1–2 m) of the surface and is marked by a nearby warning buoy. It was named for the clipperClipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
ship Stillwell S. Bishop that struck the rock in 1855, then continued to San Francisco with a patched hull. Nine Fathom spot is about 4.5 miles (7 kilometers) northwest of Bishop Rock and also rises to about 98 feet (30 m) below the surface. Both are noted scuba diving locations featuring clear water and abundant sea life.
In 1969 promoters bought the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
surplus troop ship SS Jalisco, and renamed her USS Abalonia. They sailed to the bank, intending to scuttle her in shallow water to form a tax-free island nation and shellfish processing plant. During the sinking, rough seas broke a mooring line and pushed her into deeper water. Another company planned to build a platform on the bank and form a nation called Taluga, but the US government declared that the bank, as part of the continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
, was US territory. The wreck of the Abalonia today lies in three pieces in 40 feet (12 m) of water, and is a diving location.
On 2 November 1985 the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
USS Enterprise , formerly CVA-65, is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth US naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed the "Big E". At , she is the longest naval vessel in the world...
struck the Cortes Bank reef about one mile east of Bishop Rock, putting a 40-foot (12 m) gash in her outer hull on the port side, and damaging three propellers. She continued operations, then went into dry dock at Hunter's Point Shipyard for repairs.
Surfing
In the early 1990s Larry Moore, photo editor at SurfingSurfing Magazine
Founded in December 1964, Surfing Magazine is a magazine originally published by Primedia and later by Source Interlink Companies, Inc. As of 2008, the corporate offices are in Norcross, Georgia. Editorial, production, and ad sales function remain in San Clemente, California, close to the same...
magazine, and Mike Castillo
Mike Castillo
Mike Castillo is a veteran Baja pilot, well known in the surfing industry. He is credited for spotting the world famous surf break, Cortes Bank, by air in 1990 while flying over the coast of Southern California with photographer Larry Moore....
, veteran surfer and pilot, made flights out across the bank on rumours of giant waves. By 1995 Moore had seen and photographed waves and that year he led an expedition with a small group of surfers out there (including Surfing magazine editor Bill Sharp
Bill Sharp
William Howard Sharp was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.-External links:...
). But conditions were poor and they only surfed a few small waves. This wave swells located off of the coast of San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. Defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 2 of Census Tract 5991 of Los Angeles County, California, it is long and...
are considered to be part of Los Angeles County.
Several surfers planned for the ideal conditions at the bank. In 2001 a storm called "Storm 15" in the Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
and a high pressure ridge over California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
came together to create huge swells but light wind over the bank. A team of surfers went out on the F/V Pacific Quest from San Diego, with big-wave tow surfers Ken Collins, Peter Mel
Peter Mel
Peter Mel, born November 24, 1969 in Santa Cruz, California, is a professional surfer. Mel began his surfing life in Capitola, California before moving on to Santa Cruz. His father John, who started the family business Freeline Surf Design the same year Pete was born, made his boards over the years...
, Brad Gerlach and Mike Parsons, plus paddle-surfers Evan Slater and John Walla. On the morning of 19 January 2001 they found smooth glassy conditions and enormous waves breaking across about 1 mile (1.5 kilometer) of reef, with the last part of it rideable.
Larry Moore
Larry Moore
Larry Maceo Moore is an American football player in the National Football League who currently is a free agent. Moore was a two-year starter at Brigham Young University earning first team All-WAC honors as a junior and senior. In 1997, he spent time with the Washington Redskins and the Seattle...
photographed from a circling plane, Dana Brown
Dana Brown
Dana Brown is an American surfer, filmmaker, and oldest son of filmmaker Bruce Brown. His films include The Endless Summer Revisited which is made up of unused footage from The Endless Summer and The Endless Summer II , as well as some original interviews with the stars of those films...
shot from a boat for his surf film Step Into Liquid
Step Into Liquid
Step into Liquid is a documentary about surfing directed by Dana Brown, son of famed surfer and filmmaker Bruce Brown. The film includes surfing footage from the famous Pipeline, the beaches of Vietnam, and some of the world's largest waves, at Cortes Bank...
, and Fran Battaglia shot from two other boats for his wave science film for Surfline *Making The Call: Big Waves of the North Pacific, his documentary for Swell, XXL, NBC Dateline, The Billabong Odyssey and Activision's Kelly Slater Pro Surfer video game. Parsons was towed into the wave of the day, estimated at 66 feet (20 m) on the face. It won him the Swell XXL Biggest Wave Award (now Billabong XXL) prize of $66,000 for the biggest northern hemisphere wave surfed in 2000/2001.
On January 5, 2008, Mike Parsons, Brad Gerlach, Grant "Twiggy" Baker and Greg Long returned to the location. Mike Parsons was photographed on a wave bigger than his award-winning ride of 2001, judged by the Billabong XXL judges as 70+ feet on the face.
Although remote, the Cortes Bank draws crowds when conditions are good. On a trip with the Billabong Odyssey in January 2004 Sean Collins
Sean Collins
Sean Collins may refer to:* Sean P. Collins , American ice hockey defenceman for the Washington Capitals* Sean Collins , retired American minor pro ice hockey forward* Sean Collins Sean Collins may refer to:* Sean P. Collins (born 1983), American ice hockey defenceman for the Washington Capitals*...
counted 10 or 12 boats with about 40 surfers.
See also
Surf films featuring Cortes Bank:- Billabong Odyssey
- Step Into LiquidStep Into LiquidStep into Liquid is a documentary about surfing directed by Dana Brown, son of famed surfer and filmmaker Bruce Brown. The film includes surfing footage from the famous Pipeline, the beaches of Vietnam, and some of the world's largest waves, at Cortes Bank...