Surf Break Localism and the California Wildfires: Less Tragedy, More Comedy?

One of the issues stemming from the 2024–25 wildfires that ravaged southern California relates to the decision by California authorities to close access ramps connected to the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). This decision led to a loss of access to some high‐quality surf breaks, which spawned a mass migration of local surfers. To better understand this migration, we conducted structured interviews with southern California surfers, with the findings revealing that aggression levels after the wildfires appeared lower than expected. They also suggest that, while tolerance increased in response to the migration of surfers, adherence to traditional surfing norms was at times visibly strained under heightened crowding. Results from an econometric model that further explains the migration choices made by surfers in the aftermath of the fires suggest that the in‐migration of surfers was most likely to occur at surf breaks that are known congested lineups and poor water quality.