Nuptials in the Sand

“Surfing almost ruined my wedding. My husband and I got married in La Jolla two years ago; we met surfing there in 1998. The day we were getting married, I noticed these amazing sets coming in. I had my suit and board in my car and thought I could get a short session in before the ceremony. Well, one wave led to another and the next thing I knew, I was 20 minutes late!”

Sunshine’s husband had sent family to look for her, knowing that she was going to be on the beach. She ended up getting married in her wetsuit. Her husband wasn’t mad — he had arrived an hour early to surf.

“We spent our reception cooking out on the beach with our friends and family. I managed to do a little more surfing. It was the best wedding you could imagine.”

Sunshine and her husband spent their honeymoon surfing in Dana Point, where she had a run-in with local police.

“I had been surfing for about six hours, the longest I’ve ever spent. I passed out on the beach when I was done because I was so exhausted. I woke up with a flashlight in my eyes and two cops pulling me to my feet. I had no idea what I had done. They gave me a sobriety test and confiscated my water bottle. I wasn’t drinking or anything. One cop stepped on my board and broke the fin.

“They said they had a report of a drunk and disorderly woman that matched my description, but I think they were just hassling me because surfers have a bad image…people think we are all potheads. It’s just not true.”