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)
Percussionist Jim Greiner gets the Rio Theatre crowd grooving to the beat Tuesday night during the presentation of the 16th annual Gail Rich Awards. Greiner was once of this year's winners along with sign painter Steve Hosmer, sculptor and painter Judy Stabile, musician Rhan Wilson, writer and editor Elizabeth McKenzie and conductor John Larry Granger. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)
Rhan Wilson plays after accepting his Gail Rich Award at the Rio Theatre on Tuesday night. Wilson was accompanied by Santa Cruz favorites Barry Phillips on cello and singer Pipa Piñon. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)
The stars of the Santa Cruz County arts community come out for a night of recognition as the Gail Rich Awards are presented at the Rio Theatre on Tuesday. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)
Sentinel reporter Stephen Baxter got out in the water with the GoPro camera to get this shot from a big surf weekend in Santa Cruz, Jan. 7, 2011.
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.
