The Irony of the Crowded Coastline: A Rancho de la Playa Tradition
In this classic “Summer of ’94” strip, Bob Penuelas perfectly captures the cyclical heartbreak of every local surfer. The story begins in the bleakness of winter, with Wilbur Kookmeyer standing alone on a desolate cliff, shivering and longing for the warm, social days of summer. However, as the calendar flips from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, the “quiet” beach transforms into a claustrophobic sea of tourists, beach umbrellas, and absolute chaos. By July 16th, Wilbur is buried in the crowd, realizing he hates the very season he craved. It’s a hilarious, stippled reminder that for a surfer, the grass is always greener—and the beach is always emptier—in the other season.
