Good Shepherd Catholic School kids sing and dance during the school's Cinco de Mayo fiesta Thursday. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
Good Shepherd Catholic School kids dance for the school's Cinco de Mayo celebration Thursday. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
Good Shepherd Catholic School kids perform the traditional Los Viejos dance for Cinco de Mayo celebration Thursday. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
This 1960s Volvo rolled out of the garage and over the cliff landing at the bottom of an old quarry ravine off Rockridge Lane on Monday. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A surfer carves out a massive cutback on a wave he rides next to the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor jetty on Thursday. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A surfer kicks out off the back of a crashing overhead wave at Natural Bridges Thursday. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A surfer ducks under the falling lip of an overhead wave off Natural Bridges Thursday morning. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A surfer looks for his exit as this middle peak wave face crashes in front of him. Dan Coyro/Sentinel
After running out of wave face going left on this middle peak bomb, Tuesday, a surfer dives off the back of the crashing wave. Dan Coyro/Sentinel
Tuesday's large swell out of the West claimed another surfboard at Steamer Lane.
We asked our photographers to look back through their shots of 2011. Here are some of their most memorable:
A pair of Humpback Whales draw a crowd of kayakers as they surface in the Monterey Bay off of Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, California on Monday October 31, 2011. Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel
Aptos High's Ali Barrick--the only girl on the school's wrestling team--faces off against SLV's Daniel Kraft in their 121-pound match. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
15-month old Lily Miller waits with her mom Willow for a nurse to administer her vaccinations at Capitola Pediatrics on August 22. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Jimmy Herrick surfs in the finals of the locals trials at the O'Neill Coldwater Classic at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz on Wednesday October 26, 2011 Herrick finished third in the heat, failing to advance to the main event. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Kait O'Connell showed up topless on the steps of Santa Cruz City Hall Sunday to show her support for breast cancer survivors. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
A surfer grabs a wave off of 36th Avenue on Wednesday as a strong swell continues to provide winter-like conditions at many local breaks. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Standing on the roof of the concrete home he's building to replace the woodhome destroyed in the Summit Fire, Barry Wothers points to the sky where he saw a gigantic cloud of smoke moving toward him the morning of the fire. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Pete and Angel Torrecillas proudly fly the stars and stripes as they make their way down Main Street during Watsonville, California's Veterans Day Parade on November 11. Pete retired from the U.S. Army after serving from 1974 until 1995. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Cabrillo College goalie Lilian Berger lunges to make this save during their match with West Valley College. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
The lights of a engine cast a reddish glow in the smoke as Central Fire's Captain Laurel Walters and firefighter Jay Webber work a wildland fire at Arana Gulch greenbelt in Santa Cruz, California on August 18. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Monte Vista Christian's Austin Daich crosses the plate in front of a sweeping tag attempt by the North Monterey County catcher during their game last April. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Mount Madonna School outside hitter Allison Ota elevates to help the Hawks dominate Pacific Collegiate in the first round of the Central Coast Section high school playoffs on November 10. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
A competitor in the 30-39 year division body surfs her way to the Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz at the end of the 1.5-mile swim leg of the Santa Cruz Triathlon on September 25. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel Santa Cruz Triathlon - Sunday September 25. 2011 Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
The sunny afternoon scene depicted on Ann Thiermann's 2011 mural 'People make our Town' on the old People's Bank Building in downtown Santa Cruz belies the drizzly afternoon on October 3, as a pedestrian makes his way up Locust Street. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Seascape and Rio Del Mar are bathed in a rainbow's end around 5:45pm on Wednesday. Showers alternating with bright sunshine provided many in Santa Cruz County glimpses or rainbows throughout the day, including a complete double rainbow in the late afternoon. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
A competitor runs past the pier at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, California during the run segment of the Sandman Triathlon on July 31. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Monte Vista Christian baseball coach Don Keathley visits the mound to give a little pep talk to his pitcher Andy Muller after North Monterey County scored five runs to tie the score in the second inning of their game last April. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
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'Hoe Down at the Beach' is welcomed with open arms as the float constructed by the crew at Gayle's Bakery and Rosticceria makes its way down Soquel Creek during the 59th annual Capitola Begonia Festival's Nautical Parade on September 4. The float, which took 20 people to build using 7,000 begonia blossoms, took third place, sending their $500 winnings to Native Animal Rescue. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Extras line up with their surf boards along East Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, California on October 14 for the filming of a re-enactment of the memorial paddle out for Jay Moriarity for Walden Media's 'Of Men and Mavericks'. The film, about the surf wunderkind who died in a diving accident at the age of 23 stars Gerard Butler, Jonny Weston and Elizabeth Shue. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
While her friends watch from the top of Lighthouse Point, UC Santa Cruz student Nicole Schmidt leaps into the ocean as summer's last hurrah. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel.
A wave face is transformed into a kelp mural as a kneeboarder makes the most of the swell off of Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, California on January 19. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel
Tori Bozzo, caught midair, and the rest of the Cabrillo College women's volleyball team had reason to jump for joy as they beat San Joaquin Delta College to advanced to the Norther California Community College final four on November 29. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
An protester who was among those occupying a vacant bank building looks out as Santa Cruz Police officers try unsuccessfully to remove furniture that blocks the building's main entrance on November 30. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
National Transportation Safety Board investigator Mike Huhn separates a charred shoe from the wreckage of a plane that crashed into Watsonville Community Hospital, killing a family of four. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
The Men's 45 and over race ends in a sprint to the Scotts Valley Drive finish line at the Scotts Valley Grand Prix on Sunday May 15. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
The impact from an accident caused by DUI driver Krista Puckett destroyed this Chevy pickup. Highway Patrol officer Grant Boles says Puckett crossed over the double yellow line on Graham Hill Road in Santa Cruz, California on August 2. She was arrested for DUI before being transported to Dominican Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Chevy pickup Puckett rammed head on was airlifted to Stanford Hospital with serious, but non-critical injuries. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Aaliyah Rivas grabs some attention from the geese and mallards at Westlake Pond in Santa Cruz, California as she eats a slice of bread herself while feeding the water fowl with her mother Angela Gutierrez on October 19. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Marcus Lay still surfs, races cars and practices osteopathy into his 70s. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
A surfer has a close encounter with a trio of dolphins at Manresa Beach on Monday morning. With the hoopla surrounding the recent local stay of a pod of Humpback Whales it is easy to forget that the Santa Cruz County coastline of the Monterey Bay is filled with a number of other small, yet no less majestic marine mammals. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
For the first time in 35 years, dogs are allowed in downtown Santa Cruz for a three-month trial period. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Ivan Rich spends a leisurely Tuesday afternoon with his dog Kenzie in his Capitola home on November 15. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Miguel Pupo of Brazil celebrates winning the O'Neill Coldwater Classic Sunday at Waddell Creek defeating Tiago Prez of Portugal. Pupo takes home $40,000 for the win and an extra $50,000 for winning the three event Coldwater series. Photo by Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz surfer Luke Rockhold stands beneath his photo poster on the wall of AKA Gym in San Jose where he trains. Rockhold's picture is placed between former NFL running back-turned cage fighter Hershel Walker and former NCAA wrestling champ Josh Koscheck--both fighting out of the AKA Gym stable. Rockhold is now the world champion in his weight class. Dan Coyro/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Arbor Art tree worker Curtis Ruiz finds himself branching out as his crew performs annual pruning on a maple at Bert and Lois Muhly's Walnut Avenue home on Tuesday. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Two cyclists pedal up West Cliff Drive as they head out on the Big Kahuna Triathlon's 56-mile bike course in Santa Cruz, California on September 11. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentine
Protesters yell at Sgt. Dave Perry and other Santa Cruz Police officers on November 30 as they leave a former bank building occupied that day by 20-30 protesters. After a brief confrontation, the police left to regroup. The standoff ended three days later when the occupyers left on their own as police were massing to evict them forcibly. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Ballet instructor Leslie Guzman warms up at the barre before her students arrive for a class at Motion Pacific Dance Studio in Santa Cruz on March 31. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Aptos High's Haley Kepler returns a shot during her Central Coast Section match as three Carmel players watch from the sidelines on November 8. Photo by Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel
Yahoo.com says Santa Cruz is one of the top beach towns in America. Photo by Dan coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Life really IS sweet for Bridgett Titus of Aptos--for her entry won first place in the Santa Cruz County Fair's apple pie contest, junior division Tuesday.
Ronan Madden chugs a goat milk sample. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
Mali McGee and friends lead goats across the street from Wednesday's downtown Santa Cruz Farmers Market where she proceeded to milk her Bonny Doon goats and pass out samples to protest the state's crackdown on dairy collectives. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
Mali McGee of Bonny Doon milks one of her goats next to the downtown Santa Cruz Farmers Market Wkednesday to protest the state's crackdown on unlicensed dairy collectives. Samples were passed around the growing crowd for those who wanted to take a taste. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A buck with molting antlers lounges in a meadow off Hagar Drive on the UC Santa Cruz campus Tuesday morning. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A dog owner tries to coax his pooch along Pacific Avenue Thursday, the first day dogs are allowed in downtown Santa Cruz in 35 years. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
Thursday was the first day in 35 years that dogs are welcome in downtown Santa Cruz. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A man tries to keep track of his rambunctious rat terriers in the patio of Santa Cruz City Hall Thursday, the first day dogs have been allowed downtown in 35 years. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
A vagabond and his camo-garbed dog amble down Pacific Avenue Thursday, the first day dogs are officially allowed in downtown Santa Cruz in 35 years. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
The uninjured apprentice pilot takes in the scene after he crashed this crop-dusting helicopter in a lettuce field outside of Watsonville, Wednesday, July 20, 2011. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
Helicopter owner Frank Gomes talks with an investigating CHP officer along Highway 129 Wednesday. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
The helicopter sheared off this power pole before crashing. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)
Helicopter owner Frank Gomes and the apprentice pilot put up caution tape around the crash scene as PG&E crews work on the damaged power pole in the background. (Dan Coryo/Sentinel)
