Finland's Seppo Paju, 16, is lifted by the crowd after throwing a hole-in-one on his second shot to grab the $500 prize in the World Disc Golf Championship distance exhibition at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on Thursday. Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel
Finland's Seppo Paju, 16, is lifted by the crowd after throwing a hole-in-one on his second shot to grab the $500 prize in the World Disc Golf Championship distance exhibition at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on Thursday. Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel
A wave face is transformed into a kelp mural as a kneeboarder makes the most of the swell off of Lighthouse Point on Wednesday. Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel
The largest swell of the season pours into Steamer Lane with head high to double overhead waves on Wednesday. While the wave size will decrease today and Friday the surf forecast calls for the west northwest swell to increase over the weekend bringing exceptional conditions to local breaks. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)
A surfer shoots out of a wave at Steamer Lane as the swell much anticipated by locals arrived on Wednesday. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)
Nico Ostermann gives his son Morgan, 3, a hand during their surfing lesson at Cowell's Beach Monday. The Ostermanns were in town from San Francisco. (Bill Lovejoy/Sentinel)
Stephen Lear of Santa Cruz will tell you that the best beach days of the year lie ahead. Lear reads Monday at Cowell's. (Bill Lovejoy/Sentinel)
Gary Testa of Novato gets some R and R at Cowell's on Labor Day. (Bill Lovejoy/Sentinel)