Cliff Collapses at Legendary Laguna Beach Surf Spot (Video)

Former professional surfer, and current Brooks Street regulator, Jeff Booth, wrote:

“Big swells, high tides. Bam! We had been watching this and knew it was a matter of time.”

Over the past several weeks, Southern California has endured one of its most energetic runs of surf in recent memory. The swell fueled heavy beach erosion from Orange County to San Diego, exposed buried infrastructure, toppled lifeguard towers, damaged oceanfront homes, and now appears to have contributed to the failure of part of the bluff above Brooks Street.

For surfers, the location carries far more significance than its scenic overlook.

Brooks Street has been one of Orange County's most revered waves for generations. The steep, cobblestone reef can produce powerful, wobbly lefthanders that break only under the right combination of swell, tide, and sand. Its fickle nature has made scoring it something of a badge of honor among local surfers.

The wave also occupies a permanent place in surfing history. It appeared in Bruce Brown's classic surf films, helping introduce audiences around the world to Laguna Beach's unique reef breaks. Since 1955, it has also hosted the Brooks Street Classic, believed to be one of the world's longest-running surf contests. Unlike most competitions, the Brooks isn't held on a fixed date—it only runs when Mother Nature delivers waves worthy of the event's legendary reputation. Similar, in that sense, to the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational.

While Brooks Street will undoubtedly continue producing memorable surf, the recent cliff collapse serves as a sobering reminder that California's coastline is anything but permanent. Every major swell leaves its mark—sometimes on the waves, and sometimes on the land itself.

And the summer season – not to mention and El Niño event – is only just beginning.