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    Bodysurfers celebrate start of blackball season at the Wedge
    • May 2, 2023

    There was no sun and no swell to mark the momentous occasion, but that wouldn’t put a damper on the beach celebration.

    A group of bodysurfers showed up under drizzly skies at the Wedge, a world-famous Newport Beach surf break, to celebrate “Blackball Day” on May 1, when a rule kicks in restricting flotation devices from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 31.

    This year marked the 30th anniversary since the Wedge Preservation Society, a group of passionate bodysurfers, lobbied City Hall to stiffen the rules against the growing number of board riders who were flooding into the wild surf break, causing chaos in the water.

    The Wedge today is a place where often thousands of stunned spectators stand on the sand and watch in awe when a big south swell is on the horizon, cheering on bodysurfers, bodyboarders, skimboarders and surfers all hoping to get their piece of the wild waves that can be produced.

    When an area has a blackball flag displayed, that means hard boards are restricted from certain areas, but most allow Boogie Boards. Not at the Wedge, where even blow up toys (yes, those have been ridden at the Wedge) aren’t allowed in the water during a blackball.

    Longtime bodysurfer Mel Thoman, now 66, helped spearhead the effort three decades ago in 1993, when the “Boogie invasion was flying high,” he said, referring to the popularity of the Boogie Board.

    While a blackball period had already existed, it was only enforced from noon to 4 p.m., and didn’t start until later into summer.

    “We tried to ride, but there were so many boogs,” he said. “We knew all the lifeguards and asked, ‘Is there anything we can do about the situation?’”

    So the group of passionate bodysurfers rallied a petition drive that highlighted the Wedge’s significant role as a historical bodysurfing spot that was in danger of disappearing if they weren’t allowed set hours to ride.

    Bill Sharp balances on the jetty at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023 as he picks up trash. The Wedge Preservation Society, cleans the beach and then holds a “blackflag” ceremony each year, recognizing the summer surfing season with new rules for surfers. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Bill Sharp perhaps prevents a beach-goer a trip to the hospital after finding a board with rusty nails protruding during a beach cleanup at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Mel Thoman plants the “blackball” flag at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023, commemorating the start of summer and new hours for surfboarders. The rules are in place to prevent bodysurfers from colliding with boards. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Mel Thoman finds small foam pieces during a beach cleanup at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023. Thoman is, part of the Wedge Preservation Society. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Boo plays in the sand during the annual “blackflag” ceremony at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023, recognizing the summer surfing season with new safety rules for surfers. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    The “blackball” flag commemorates the start of summer and new hours for surfboarders at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023. The rules are in place to prevent bodysurfers from colliding with boards. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Wearing a Wedge Preservation Society hoodie, Bill Sharp picks up trash on the jetty at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023. It was part of the traditional “blackflag” ceremony each year, recognizing the summer surfing season with new rules for surfers. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Mel Thoman unfurls a towel with the “blackball” flag that commemorates the start of summer and new hours for surfboarders at the Wedge in Newport Beach. The rules are in place to prevent bodysurfers from colliding with boards. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Mel Thoman is greeted at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023 after arriving with the “blackball” flag. The “Wedge Crew” hold an annual ceremonial beach cleanup, their 30th year, after planting the flag, signifying summer and new safety rules for surfboarders. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    The Wedge Crew pose with the “blackball” flag in Newport Beach on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Martin Henke, left, and Mel Thoman, salute the ceremonial “blackball” flag, commemorating the start of summer and new hours for surfboarders at the Wedge in Newport Beach. The rules are in place to prevent bodysurfers from colliding with boards. They also cleaned the beach on
    Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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    The Wedge’s wave is unique, created by a rock jetty put in by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect the Newport Harbor entrance in 1936. While it destroyed a surf break at Corona del Mar, it created the Wedge, which bounces incoming water off the jetty and refracts it to “wedge up” in size, creating steep-breaking waves in shallow water.

    It became a mecca for bodysurfing in the 1950s when Fred Simpson, who later invented Viper Fins, and Roger Goodan bodysurfed the Wedge.

    The invention of the swim fin allowed the wave riders even more control in navigating the Wedge’s wicked waters.

    In the ’70s and ’80s, the Wedge Crew, as they are known, would spend summers soaking up the sun and riding the beefy waves any time a summer south swell showed.

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    They held raging parties and tournaments on the sand, bringing blow-up toys to take on the big waves.

    The popularity of the Boogie Board in the ’80s is when the chaos began, changing the lineup and creating tension in the water. Then, the surf spot was featured in surf magazines and it soon became a hot spot drawing crowds on the sand and wave riders who wanted to conquer the beast.

    Longtime Wedge rider Bill Sharp, who a few years ago started the Wedge Awards, was one of those who fought against the original blackball rules – a kneeboarder who didn’t want less time in the water.

    But on Monday, Sharp celebrated with the Wedge Crew, now understanding the importance of keeping the water open and accessible for everyone.

    “In a way, it’s worked out for everyone. It gives everyone their slice of the pie,” he said. “You get up early and the boardriders have their feast. Then at 10 a.m., the bodysurfers who can’t compete with the boards, they have their sanctuary hours.”

    Then at 5 p.m., people with boards come back and it’s a “free for all,” Sharp said.

    “Everyone understands, it’s just what makes the Wedge unique,” he said. “No one is kicked out of the water – it’s just the boards are kicked out of the water. A lot of the guys who are really good surfers or bodyboarders or kneeboarders, they are watermen and they can bodysurf too.”

    The celebration on the sand kicked off with a beach cleanup and Thoman putting up a big blackball flag in the sand near the rock jetty where each summer for decades Wedge Crew bodysurfers have gathered whenever a swell shows up.

    Lance Jencks, 75, started bodysurfing here in 1965. As he walked up onto the beach he yelled out: “Happy Wedge Day!”

    “I come every year,” he said, noting he retired from bodysurfing in 2020. His longtime love affair with the Wedge is “everything,” he said.

    “It lasted longer than my first marriage,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s why we live here.”

    Bodysurfer Jason Harney, who followed his older brother down to the Wedge when he was 14 years old in 1986, said there’s been a recent resurgence and appreciation for the break since the “Dirty Old Wedge” was released. The 2016 documentary is being featured at the Dana Point Film Festival on Sunday, May 7.

    “There are a couple places known for bodysurfing, this is certainly the preeminent one of those,” he said.  “A lot of people, even if they haven’t been down here to ride waves, they are aware of it. That film, being such a historical homage to the group and the place, allows us people to be more aware.”

    As the group gathered for a photo, a few small bumps started forming and as the swell inched closer to shore, the bodysurfers all watched in anticipation, cheering as it bounced off the jetty and formed a small peak.

    While it wasn’t surfable on this day, they know they have entire summer ahead – and who knows, maybe this summer Wedge season will be one for the history books.

    “The Dirty Old Wedge,” which tells the history of the world-famous surf break, will be featured at 5:30 p.m. on May 7 at the Double Tree, 34402 E Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. For tickets, go to  danapointfilmfestival.org.

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    California fire chief: Prepare now for height of fire season delayed by record precipitation
    • May 2, 2023

    Record-setting snow and rain have left vegetation flush with moisture, prompting the state’s fire chief to predict that wildfires will not break out with regularity this year until the middle of June, about 45 days later than normal.

    But Cal Fire Director Joe Tyler said at the Prado Helitack Base in Chino during his statewide media tour on Monday, May 1, that now is the time for residents to prepare for the inevitable.

    “While this winter has brought historic snowfall and historic rain and these hills are green, they will dry out. And we must remain vigilant in our efforts to reduce wildfires. And we must not let our guard down,” Tyler said.

    San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus speaks during a news conference on wildfire preparedness at Cal Fire Prado Helitack Base in Chino on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

    Fire officials from Cal Fire stand alongside a fire helicopter and engines during a news conference on wildfire preparedness at Cal Fire Prado Helitack Base in Chino on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

    Fire officials from Cal Fire stand alongside a fire helicopter and engines during a news conference on wildfire preparedness at Cal Fire Prado Helitack Base in Chino on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

    San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus speaks during a news conference on wildfire preparedness at Cal Fire Prado Helitack Base in Chino on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

    Fire officials from Cal Fire stand alongside a fire helicopter and engines during a news conference on wildfire preparedness at Cal Fire Prado Helitack Base in Chino on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

    Deputy Secretary for Forest and Wildland Resilience Jessica Morse speaks at a news conference on wildfire preparedness at Cal Fire Prado Helitack Base in Chino on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

    Cal Fire Director Joe Tyler speaks at a news conference about wildfire preparedness at Cal Fire Prado Helitack Base in Chino on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

    Cal Fire Director Joe Tyler speaks at a news conference about wildfire preparedness at Cal Fire Prado Helitack Base in Chino on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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    Tyler was joined by representatives of the San Bernardino County fire and sheriff’s departments, state Office of Emergency Services and U.S. Forest Service, among other agencies.

    After some prodding, Tyler gave California residents a grade of B for their preparedness. He said their efforts will help determine the severity of the 2023 year-round fire “season.”

    “That is all depending on the proactive steps homeowners take to be able to reduce those light flashy fuels. Some of the grass in some areas of the state is taller than me right now,” said Tyler, who lists himself as 5-foot-10 when he’s not in his firefighter boots. “Once the grass (dies), that light flashing fuel is going to be an easy target for embers.”.

    Already, some of the lush landscaping on the distant hills is changing color.

    “These hills will turn brown, and they will burn,” county Fire Chief Dan Munsey said. “Make sure you are prepared.”

    Statewide, Cal Fire has responded to 640 brush fires this year and 135 alone last week, including the Nob fire near Lytle Creek that has burned 227 acres and was 73% contained Monday. Those figures do not include fires on federal lands.

    Officials provided these tips for protecting people and property against wildfires:

    • Fill a “go bag” that can be placed near your door that contains a flashlight, radio, batteries, medicine, spare shoes, warm clothing, pet food and face masks, among other items that you might need for a couple of days.

    • Create a defensible space around your property of at least 100 feet. This includes removing anything that could help flames jump from brush to your home.

    • Install landscaping that is resistant to fire.

    • Don’t park in grass that is sure to be overgrown in many areas following the winter rains.

    • Be careful not to cause a spark by mowing fields that have rocks or dragging a tow chain on the pavement behind your car.

    • Create and practice an evacuation plan.

    • Sign up with your local public safety agencies.

    •  When you see smoke, monitor social media or your local news media for official information.

    •  Evacuate when told to do so. San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies will blare a “high-low” siren from their patrol cars this summer to warn residents that the fire threat to their homes is imminent. “It is time to leave,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said.

    • Look for other ideas at Readyforwildfire.org

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    LAFC has no margin for error in CONCACAF Champions League semifinal with Philadelphia
    • May 2, 2023

    The Philadelphia Union has not defeated the Los Angeles Football Club once during the half dozen times the MLS clubs have squared off.

    However with one exception, a 4-1 victory for LAFC at BMO Stadium back in their expansion season, the teams’ subsequent results have all been draws following 90 minutes, a result that would imperil the Black & Gold’s CONCACAF Champions League run if something similar happened Tuesday night.

    After securing 3-0 leads on the road in previous Champions League rounds, returning to L.A. tied one apiece makes the second leg of this semifinal anything but a coronation for Coach Steve Cherundolo’s group.

    “We knew before the game in Philly started it would be like this,” said LAFC defender Sergi Palencia, who watched from the bench as the Union dictated terms of the semifinal match.

    Effectively at halftime of the home-and-away Champions League format, LAFC players and coaches were satisfied with the intense and competitive result but not their performance.

    Hosting the Eastern Conference champions again after the epic MLS Cup final last November, LAFC used additional time and space to prepare by skipping a league match against Houston, which the league postponed from Saturday until mid-June.

    Intent on playing the way it wants against the Union’s challenging diamond-shaped midfield, LAFC worked this week on positioning, organization and not forcing transition attacks against the heavy weight of their opponent’s high press and vertical, direct offense.

    “That’s always a lot to handle for any team,” Cherundolo said before the opening contest. “I felt we dealt with it pretty well. Most of the goals have come off of set pieces. The run of play, not too many. So it’s nothing we don’t know. But it’s much the same as they do with everybody. They don’t have a special recipe against us.”

    The Union will be without physical midfielder Jose Martinez, who pulled up late with a hamstring injury and did not travel to L.A.

    With or without a full complement of key pieces, the Union has proven capable of consistently scoring on LAFC, which it must do at least once to get level on the crucial away-goal tiebreaker.

    Scenarios for advancing are simple.

    If either team wins, it will represent Major League Soccer in the CONCACAF Champions League final.

    Thanks to Kellyn Acosta’s late equalizer at Subaru Park last week, holding Philadelphia scoreless would be enough to send LAFC through to compete against Leon or Tigres UANL.

    Ending 1-1 conjures the specter of another penalty kick shootout to decide a major moment between two of the best teams in North America over the past five years.

    Save for a scoreless match or a 1-1 finish, any draw keeps the teams level on aggregate and shifts the defining away-goal edge to the Union.

    Said Philadelphia head coach Jim Curtin: “Anything is possible, especially if we score early in L.A.”

    The Union’s urgency should deliver an open game with more rhythm compared to the choppy first leg, giving an LAFC side eager to return home, where it played twice during seven matches in April, opportunities to add to its advantage.

    “We feel we are also equipped to beat them but it’s gonna take a very, very good performance,” Cherundolo said.

    PHILADELPHIA AT LAFC

    What: CONCACAF Champions League semifinal (2nd leg)

    When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. PT

    Where: BMO Stadium

    TV: FS1, TUDN

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    Gov. Newsom touts state’s transition to renewable energy in LA facility tour
    • May 2, 2023

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom touted the progress the state has made toward weaning itself off of fossil fuels and creating jobs for low-income communities during his tour of a renewable fuels facility in Los Angeles on Monday, May 1.

    The governor’s trip comes as the state is grappling with the challenges of climate change. Extreme weather has led to prolonged periods of drought, blistering heat waves, and in recent months, severe thunderstorms and flooding. Climate crisis has also disproportionately impacted low-income communities, who are least able to prepare for and recover from extreme weather events due to their limited resources.

    During his tour of World Energy Paramount, the original site of a century-old petroleum refinery, Newsom noted the impact that the fossil fuel industry has had on vulnerable communities.

    “That impact is real, and that impact is raw for people living in these communities as it relates to not only the air quality, but the manifestation of air quality as it relates to health outcomes, as it relates to chronic disease and the like. And so we are here with a sense of urgency, a sense of intentionality, and a sense of purpose,” he said.

    Paramount World Energy, led by CEO Gene Gebolys, is a green energy supplier that specializes in the production of renewable jet, diesel, gasoline and propane fuels. The 63-acre refinery complex was previously owned by Southern California renewable diesel producer AltAir Paramount and was acquired in 2018 by the Boston-based World Energy.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom, right, talks with Michael Lohscheller, president and CEO of Nikola Corporation, as they look at a Nikola truck at World Energy Paramount in Paramount Ca., Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    California Governor Gavin Newsom looks at alternative fuel trucks at World Energy Paramount in Paramount Ca., Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference at World Energy Paramount in Paramount Ca., Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference at World Energy Paramount in Paramount Ca., Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

    Workers listen to California Governor Gavin Newsom at World Energy Paramount in Paramount Ca., Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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    The company announced a $350 million investment over the next two years to convert the facility into “one of the cleanest fuel refineries in the world,” according to a press release at the time. The project would enable the company to process 306 million gallons of renewable fuel annually, and support 100 green economy jobs.

    During an interview after the event, Gebolys told the Southern California News Group that there’s “a complete alignment” between the state policies and the company’s initiatives.

    “Obviously, the public sector can’t do anything without a private sector response, and the private sector needs the signal from the public sector,” Gebolys said. “So we are honored and grateful that the governor chose to be here and to recognize the alignment between the private sectors and the public sector in the work that World Energy is doing here.”

    The California project has paved the way for additional clean energy works that the company is undertaking in other parts of the world, such as a sustainable aviation project in Houston, and a clean hydrogen initiative in Canada, he said.

    “Energy transition is gonna be something that drives many trillions of dollars in investments, and California is gonna be at the tip of that spear,” Gebolys said.

    Paramount Mayor Isabel Aguayo said the Paramount project is “one shining example” of the city’s commitment in the global fight against climate change.

    “Everyone in town has been aware of this 100-year-old refinery and its outdated manufacturing,” she said, noting that the city council carefully studied World Energy’s permit to transform the production to sustainable aviation fuel before giving the company its stamp of approval.

    California, known for its ambitious green energy goals, last week became the first jurisdiction in the world to ban the sale of diesel trucks by 2036. The mandate by the California Air Resources Board also requires large trucking companies to convert to electric or hydrogen models by 2042.

    During his speech, the governor also noted the work that the state has undertaken to cut tailpipe emissions of passenger vehicles, namely the Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which built a year-by-year roadmap to transition all new cars sold in California to zero-emission vehicles in 2035.

    “And you’re seeing the automobile manufacturers all move in that direction. Whether those that argue for the past like it or not, that transition is underway; those signals have been sent; the policy has been an accelerator, and California, proudly, has led,” Newsom said.

    Despite “uncertainty nationally and globally”, the state is “standing tall and firmly” in its transition to green energy and it is doing so in a way that creates jobs for people of color, the governor said.

    Fifty-five manufacturers in ZEV, or the zero emission vehicle sector, have chosen to build their headquarters in the state, Newsom said. In addition, there are six times more green energy jobs in California than fossil fuels jobs.

    “This transition is well underway, but what’s not well understood is the opportunity to think more broadly than just passenger vehicles, more broadly than just what’s happening in your tailpipe as you navigate the I-405 here in Southern California,” the governor said, adding “This is a big deal, and I can say, I can’t be more proud of anything else in the state.”

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    Orange County scores and player stats for Monday, May 1
    • May 2, 2023

    Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

    Scores and stats from Orange County games on Monday, May 1

    Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

    MONDAY’S SCORES

    GIRLS LACROSSE

    CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

    Wild-Card Round

    DIVISION 3

    Northwood 16, Paloma Valley 3

    Huntington Beach 10, San Marcos 6

    BOYS GOLF

    SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

    San Juan Hills 189, Mission Viejo 208

    Co-medalists: Smolinski (SJH) 34, Rasmussen (SJH) 34

    NONLEAGUE

    Foothill 196, Villa Park 207

     

     

     

     

    ​ Orange County Register 

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    Last lifts mark end of ‘historic’ snow season, Southern California resorts ready for summer
    • May 2, 2023

    The snow is melting and it’s time to turn attentions to the summer season at Southern California’s mountain resorts.

    Mountain High in Wrightwood on Monday, May 1, marked the last day its lifts were running, and a day earlier, Snow Summit in Big Bear had its final runs open following a historic winter that kept snowboarders and skiers stoked through the season.

    Snowboarders enjoy the slopes on the last day of the ski season at Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Dennis Nadalin, Contributing photographer)

    Visitors, some dressed in costume, enjoy the slopes on the last day of the ski season at Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Dennis Nadalin, Contributing photographer)

    Steve Burns, a Wrightwood native, makes his way down the mountain on the last day of the ski season at Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Dennis Nadalin, Contributing photographer)

    David Helble, a snow cat operator at the resort, snowboards shirtless and in shorts down the mountain on the last day of the ski season at Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Dennis Nadalin, Contributing photographer)

    Steve Burns, a Wrightwood native, kicks up snow as he makes his way down the mountain on the last day of the ski season at Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Dennis Nadalin, Contributing photographer)

    A snowboarder rides a rail as he makes his way down the mountain on the last day of the ski season at Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Photo by Dennis Nadalin, Contributing photographer)

    Winnie Wang, dressed as Minnie Mouse, heads to the ski lift line at Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood on the final day of the ski season May 1, 2023. (Photo by Dennis Nadalin, Contributing photographer)

    Alex Sun, dressed as a royal defender warrior, heads to the ski lift line at Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood on the final day of the ski season May 1, 2023. (Photo by Dennis Nadalin, Contributing photographer)

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    With temperatures getting into the upper 70s in recent days, the blanket of white stuff was quickly turning to slush and dirt patches were growing as the winter’s snow disappeared. Many riders ditched their snow gear to cruise down the slopes in tank tops and shorts.

    Mountain High’s closing day celebration marked the first time in a decade the resort stayed open until May, with 177 inches of snow falling this season.

    About 1,500 snowboarders and skiers showed up for their last runs, with a big group ski to mark the final lap, said John McColly, chief marketing officer for Mountain High.

    “It was truly an amazing year, not without its highs and lows,” he said. “But the amount of snow we received and the general vibe around the resort – everyone just had the best time ever. Everyone was here having a good time … it was a great year.”

    Traditional summer activities kick off May 12, including the opening of its popular disk golf course. Campsites will open soon and, for the first time, the resort will offer mountain biking. Trails will be built in June and will likely open in August, McColly said.

    Snow Summit and Bear Mountain reported an estimated 243 inches of snow this winter, far more than the 69 inches the resort tallied last season.

    The figure was the most the resort had in its records dating back two decades, the only season coming close was 2019-20, when 168 inches fell but COVID-19 restrictions kept people off the slopes.

    “Both in terms of natural snow and operational days and the longest season we have on record, we’re comfortable saying it’s the most successful and historic year in the past 20 years,” said Justin Kanton, spokesperson for Big Bear Mountain Resort, noting that during a 10-day span in February and March, 100 inches fell.

    The resort was able to stay open three weeks longer than expected before shutting down Snow Summit on April 30, with Bear Mountain closing earlier in the month.

    Despite the plentiful snowfall this season, it’s melting fast, Kanton said.

    “Operationally, it was time to flip that switch and get ready for summer,” he said. “All the way around, it was time to make the call and we were glad we were able to go out on a high note.”

    Already, heavy machinery was out on Monday moving around snow to dig out mountain biking and hiking trails, he said. “Now, we’re getting ready for summer. All the snow has to make its way down to the lake and that should make for some great summer conditions.”

    Also, with Big Bear Mountain Resort’s purchase of Snow Valley this year, the coming months will be spent getting started on renovations and infrastructure updates at that resort, Kanton said.

    If you’re not ready for the winter season to end, Mt. Baldy is closed on weekdays but lift tickets are still being sold for May 5-7. And, Mammoth Mountain, about a six-hour drive from Los Angeles and Orange County, expects to stay open for skiing through July.

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    Alexander: Lakers-Warriors should be a classic series
    • May 2, 2023

    Who could possibly have seen this coming, even as late as a couple of months ago?

    The best, most interesting and maybe most competitive series in the second round of the NBA playoffs tips off Tuesday night and it involves the 6 and 7 seeds in the Western Conference – not just any 6 and 7 seeds, of course, but the Lakers and Golden State Warriors, winners of five of the NBA’s last nine championships, including the most recent.

    It is absolutely not surprising that ABC wanted Game 3 of this series for its Saturday evening (5:30 PDT) showcase. Say what you want about the other conference semifinal matchups – and Knicks-Heat and Celtics-76ers each have plenty of juice, while Denver-Phoenix features the best regular-season team still standing in the Nuggets and two of the game’s brightest stars in two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Suns’ Kevin Durant.

    But this series has Bron and Steph. In a league where superstars move the needle to a degree not seen in any other sport, and often are recognizable on a first-name basis, LeBron James and Steph Curry are quite the starting point.

    There are loads of storylines. For example, how will the potential of seven games in 13 days affect clubs that rely on veterans, even with one-hour flights between LAX and SFO?

    On another front, can we consider this another chapter of the L.A.-San Francisco civic rivalry? It’s not on par with Dodgers-Giants or Rams-49ers because (a) the Lakers and Warriors haven’t met in the playoffs since the remnants of “Showtime” knocked off Run-TMC in a quick five-game second round in 1991, and (b) the Warriors have been inhabitants of San Francisco and Chase Center only since 2019.

    But right now it’s the best we’ve got, and it could turn out to be pretty special.

    Fact is, the defending champs’ season hasn’t been that dissimilar from that of the Lakers. They started out 3-7, were under .500 (29-30) as late as Feb. 23 and needed to win five of their last six regular-season games to finish 44-38 and avoid the play-in round. And their road record was an abysmal 11-30, although they won Games 5 and 7 in Sacramento to decide their last series.

    Injuries were an issue. Curry missed 26 games, including 11 each with injuries to his shoulder (December to early January) and his leg (early February to early March). Klay Thompson sat out 13 games, some with minor nicks and some for rest purposes. Anthony Wiggins played just 37 games because of foot, shoulder and adductor muscle injuries (and a family matter).

    Golden State reacquired Gary Payton II from Portland in a four-team trade at the deadline that sent former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to Detroit, but that deal almost didn’t go through because of Payton’s existing injuries. That lone move wasn’t as dramatic as the Lakers’ major makeover at the deadline, but Payton was valuable off the bench in the Sacramento series.

    And the guy who made that deal, Warriors general manager and former UCLA player Bob Myers, is a few weeks away from the executive equivalent of free agency, another juicy storyline.

    So, what should we expect?

    Curry, with the sweetest jump shot in all of basketball – maybe of all time – will create plenty of defensive headaches; Jarred Vanderbilt, fresh off of a series harassing Memphis’ Ja Morant, now gets to chase the Warriors’ two-time MVP around the court. Meanwhile, Thompson will splash lots of 3-pointers as well and will confound the emotions of his proud dad, Mychal, working on the Lakers’ radio broadcast with John Ireland.

    Draymond Green will stir things up, as always. The Lakers, who shrugged off the antics of the Grizzlies in the last round – and particularly the verbiage of Dillon Brooks, the Pocket Draymond – will try to ignore Green, as is generally the wisest course.

    Still, one of the prop bets in this series, as offered by SportsBetting.ag, is whether the first image shown in TNT’s Game 1 telecast Tuesday night will be that of Green and James squaring off in Game 4 of the 2016 Finals or LeBron’s chase-down block on Andre Igoudala in Game 7 of that series, en route to Cleveland’s comeback from a 3-1 deficit to win the series. Yes, there’s history here, but it’s more about James than it is about the Lakers.

    As was the case against Memphis, much of the Lakers’ success likely hinges on Anthony Davis, who averaged 22.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game against the Warriors in the regular season. Expect a big-time battle between Davis and former UCLA big man Kevon Looney, who averaged 9.3 rebounds for the Warriors in the regular season but 15.1 in the Sacramento series with three 20-rebound games, including 21 in Game 7.

    James probably won’t have anyone on the other side calling him old in this series, maybe because the “takes one to know one” comeback applies here. But they know him and he knows them, and there will be no secrets.

    For what it’s worth, the Lakers won three of the four regular-season meetings. When they lost by 14 at San Francisco on opening night back in October, the starting lineup was James, Davis, Russell Westbrook, Lonnie Walker IV and Patrick Beverley. In the aftermath, LeBron publicly criticized the makeup of the roster. and clearly Rob Pelinka was paying attention.

    The victories over the Warriors all occurred after the trade deadline: A six-point win at Chase Center on Feb. 11 with most of the new guys making their Lakers debuts, a 13-point win on Feb. 23 at home and an eight-point victory in downtown L.A. on March 5 featuring a 39-point afternoon by Davis in Curry’s return to the Warriors’ lineup.

    If Davis is the key for the Lakers, the 6-foot-7 Wiggins might be the Warriors’ X-factor. He was inactive for the final 25 regular-season games but played all seven against Sacramento, starting six, and averaged 18.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

    This series between two of the league’s legacy franchises is old school in another way, one peculiarly L.A. As spring continues, following first-round flameouts by the Clippers and the hockey Kings, it’s again up to the Lakers to carry the banner for Southern California, just like in the old days.

    It says here they’ll find a way to keep it going for at least another series. And before you scoff at Lakers in seven, remember who picked the Lakers in six over Memphis.

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    ​ Orange County Register 

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    CIF-SS boys tennis playoffs: Pairings, schedule for all divisions
    • May 2, 2023

    CIF-SS BOYS TENNIS PLAYOFFS

    OPEN DIVISION

    Quarterfinals, Friday, 3 p.m.

    Loyola at University

    Woodbridge at Palos Verdes

    Harvard-Westlake at Peninsula

    Claremont at Corona del Mar

    DIVISION 1

    First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

    Beckman at Sunny Hills

    Mira Costa at San Marcos

    Villa Park at Arcadia

    Simi Valley at Brentwood

    King at Westlake

    Redondo at Anaheim Canyon

    San Clemente at Marina

    San Marino, bye

    Calabasas, bye

    Santa Margarita at La Canada

    Foothill at West Ranch

    Oak Park, bye

    Flintridge Prep at Los Osos

    Dos Pueblos at Servite

    Newbury Park at Aliso Niguel

    Portola at Palm Desert

    DIVISION 2

    First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

    Sage Hill at Capistrano Valley

    Alta Loma at Great Oak

    Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Diamond Bar

    Torrance at Yorba LInda

    Valencia at Ayala

    Windward at Placentia Valencia

    Temecula Valley at Redlands

    Corona Centennial at Huntington Beach

    Edison, bye

    Walnut at Royal

    Crean Lutheran at Troy

    Chaminade at South Torrance

    El Dorado, bye

    Hart at Buckley

    West Torrance at Burbank

    JSerra, bye

    DIVISION 3

    Wild-card round

    Tuesday, 3 p.m.

    Saugus at Ventura

    First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

    Wild-card winner at Cypress

    Rancho Mirage at Ridgecrest Burroughs

    Crescenta Valley at Nordhoff

    Long Beach Poly at St. Margaret’s

    Crossroads at Cate

    Etiwanda at Riverside Poly

    Maranatha at Le Lycee

    Millikan at Whitney

    Citrus Valley at Corona Santiago

    South Pasadena at Arlington

    Upland at Trabuco Hills

    La Quinta at Cerritos

    Foothill Tech at Geffen

    Heritage at Murrieta Valley

    Rowland at Westminster La Quinta

    Burbank Burroughs at Tesoro

    DIVISION 4

    Wild-card round

    Tuesday, 3 p.m.

    A: Downey at Anaheim Fairmont

    B: Santa Barbara at Thacher

    C: Sultana at Western

    D: Granite Hills at Lancaster

    E: Oakwood at Summit

    F: Village Christian at Mayfair

    G: Fullerton at Coachella Valley

    H: Westminster at Carpinteria

    First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

    Winner A at Long Beach Wilson

    Redlands East Valley at Yucca Valley

    Winner B at Bishop Montgomery

    Winner C at West Covina

    Winner D at El Segundo

    Serrano at Jurupa Valley

    Winner E at Riverside Notre Dame

    Winner F at Keppel

    Winner G at Webb

    Patriot at La Salle

    San Dimas at Arrowhead Christian

    Brea Olinda at La Mirada

    San Gabriel at Edgewood

    Rancho Alamitos at Magnolia

    Montclair at Warren

    Winner H at La Serna

    DIVISION 5

    Wild-card round

    Tuesday, 3 p.m.

    A: Cathedral City at Indian Springs

    B: Duarte at Schurr

    C: Northview at Colton

    D: Ganesha at Vista del Lago

    E: Santa Ana Valley at Garden Grove Santiago

    F: California at Bellflower

    G: Knight at Barstow

    H: Villanova Prep at Paramount

    I: El Monte at Highland

    J: Canyon Springs at Hillcrest

    K: Chaffey at Liberty

    L: Orange at St. Monica

    M: Elsinore at Workman

    N: Rosemead at Artesia

    O: West Valley at Indio

    First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

    Winner A at Arroyo

    Paloma Valley at Citrus Hill

    Winner B at Chino

    Winner C at Malibu

    Winner D at Costa Mesa

    Winner E at Sierra Vista

    Winner F at Arroyo Valley

    Winner G at Segerstrom

    Winner H at Garey

    Winner I at Jurupa Hills

    Winner J at Orange Vista

    Winner K at Silverado

    Winner L at Quartz Hill

    Winner M at Whittier

    Winner N at Hemet

    Winner O at Garden Grove

     

    ​ Orange County Register 

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