If you’ve ever wanted to see the Pacific Ocean in full bloom, set your alarm for the most vibrant sunrise of the year: the Sunflower Surf in Pacific Beach.
Now in its sixth year, the Sunflower Surf is a fun, quirky, and thoroughly San Diego event that sees local surfers trade their wetsuits for flower costumes. It’s both a celebration of the spring equinox and a way to bring San Diego’s surf culture into a new season.
The festivities begin in the pre-dawn hours at Tourmaline Surf Park Beach. Starting at 5:45 a.m., participants gather for “suit alterations,” which involves attaching sunflower petals to their gear and creating a sea of yellow against the blue of the morning tide.
While all are welcome to join the bloom, participants don’t have to surf if they’d rather stay on shore. The organizers note that you’re more than welcome to hang out with your beachy “buds” and watch the surfers “petal” out at 6:30 a.m., just in time for sunrise.
Suffice to say, it’ll be a sight that perfectly captures the eclectic, community-driven spirit of the San Diego coastline. Once the session wraps, the celebration continues on land with donuts and coffee at 8:00 a.m
Media credit: Banner image courtesy of partiful.com
Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.