Добровольцы отремонтировали историческую хижину сёрферов в штате Калифорния

The iconic Old Man’s Shack at San Onofre State Beach is standing stronger than ever today thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers who recently completed a major structural repair, ensuring that the landmark will continue to welcome generations of surfers. The repair was completed before additional storms, changing coastlines or tidal damage could threaten the structure’s stability. According to the San Onofre Surfing Club, waiting any longer could have made the project significantly more difficult (or even impossible) to complete. While the project itself lasted just one day, it represented weeks of planning and coordination behind the scenes. “This extraordinary group represents what San Onofre Surfing Club is all about: people who quietly give their time, skills, and resources because they love this place,” the club shared in a volunteer appreciation message. Leading the effort was San Onofre Surfing Club President Emmy Lombard, who coordinated with California State Parks to secure the Right of Entry permit that allowed work to begin. Former club president Scott Cuda sourced an excavator and support poles for the project, while Mitch Perkins and JES Engineering donated the heavy equipment, transportation and support posts needed to complete the repair. Club Business Secretary Ann Marie Moneymaker provided valuable support throughout the Right of Entry permit process. The club issued “a sincere thank you to Mitch Perkins and JES Engineering for generously donating the excavator, delivering it to the beach, and providing the support posts that made this repair possible. We are incredibly grateful to Scott for coordinating these resources and making it all happen,” the club said in our interview. According to the club, the four volunteers who completed the vast majority of the physical repair work were Bobby Lombard, Tim Baker, Pete Herrera and Scott Waldron. Lombard, a licensed general contractor and former club president, engineered the repair, prepared materials and led the structural framing and installation after decades of helping maintain the San Onofre shacks. Baker arrived early in the morning (before 5 a.m.) to operate the excavator, drilling footing holes and positioning the massive support poles. Herrera contributed his construction expertise throughout the project, while Waldron supplied his box truck to power equipment on the beach and assisted with elevations, positioning and heavy lifting. Additional support came from former club president Craig Ephraim, current board member and former president Jim Wynne, and longtime club member and former board member Don Wert, who donated lumber used to stabilize the shack during construction. Working on an active public beach presented unique challenges. Volunteers coordinated heavy equipment, transported materials across the sand and worked around tides while minimizing disruptions to beachgoers during the busy summer season. The Old Man’s Shack represents decades of San Onofre history. While today’s structure has evolved over time, the club says the shacks have long served as gathering places where friendships are formed, stories are shared and surfing traditions are passed from one generation to the next. Because San Onofre is a place for both green surfers and generational surfers, while some people at the beach may know its extensive history, that is likely not the case for all. The shack at Old Man’s is no different. In fact, the original structure traces its history back to the 1940s and was known for many years as “the Middle Beach Shack.” Beginning in the 1950s, there was another shack further south that became known as the South Beach Shack, or what many surfers referred to as the Old Man’s Shack. However, that shack was lost during a winter storm around 1971. In 1973, San Onofre became a California State Park. Shortly afterward, the Dogpatch Shack was built, and the San Onofre Surfing Club has proudly maintained it ever since. Just five or six years ago, the Dogpatch Shack was rebuilt, from the ground up, by club volunteers. Club leaders say preserving the landmark will remain an ongoing effort requiring continued volunteer support and regular maintenance. “The future of the San Onofre Surfing Club rests with those willing to carry these traditions forward, and we are always excited to welcome the next generation of volunteers to help preserve the legacy of San Onofre for years to come.”