www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 831 Kelly Sorensen grew up in Fresno in California’s Central Valley, hours from beaches. But as soon as he was old enough to drive, he made the Monterey Bay coast his most frequent destination, surfing as much as he could. And at just 20 years old, he opened On the Beach Surf Shop in 1986, originally located in Carmel. The store, now in Monterey, is still a thriving surf rental and retail shop 40 years later. In a twist, Sorensen has come full circle back to his hometown. His favorite wave to surf these days is in LeMoore, near Fresno, in a concrete pool surrounded by farm fields. Sorensen has become something of a regular at Surf Ranch, riding the wave designed by pro surfer Kelly Slater, using a patented hydrofoil generator to create consistent, barreling waves on demand, traveling over 2,300 feet— nearly half a mile long. He’s been booking stays at Surf Ranch for years, and developed a small community that gathers together for these exclusive trips. For Sorensen’s 60th birthday party celebration on Sept. 7-8, his daughters and grandchildren are there (not surfing), and surf pals from all over—Santa Rosa, San Diego and Hawaii, along with several locals. For Kari Wolff of Los Gatos, who took up surfing in Santa Cruz for the first time four years ago at 59 just before retiring from teaching, trips with Sorensen to Surf Ranch are her version of Disneyland. “I’ve gotten a little bit of an addiction to it,” she says. Mike Turner of Monterey is a firsttime visitor who is wowed by the perfect wave. With a chuckle, he says he’s unlikely to be motivated to suit up and surf when he gets back home: “No, you’re going to go home and want to get a second job so you can come back here,” he says. “The real thing has its own element, but you forget about that when you’re on this barrel.” This is a theme echoed by many of the guests: Surfing in nature is simply incomparable to the wave pool. Major parts of the experience—reading the waves, dealing with changing conditions, essentially being in nature—are removed. The freshwater is less buoyant than ocean water. The propulsion feels different, more of a lift than a push. And it’s a guaranteed experience of surfing a perfect wave, something that cannot be promised anywhere. “It’s totally different. One is exciting because it’s a chase—going to Fiji or Australia—and I like the chase,” says David “Nelly” Nelson, also a surf photographer who’s been joining Sorensen for roughly nine years on Surf Ranch trips and before then, surfed with him in the wild, at Ghost Trees off Pebble Beach. But the chase comes with no guaranteed waves—Surf Ranch does. “This rekindles my stoke for surfing every time,” Nelson adds. Not everyone in the group is a surfer. Jessica Nault of Carmel Valley accompanies her surfer husband, Desmond. Their son splashes around in the shallow end of the wave pool for hours, and Nault—also a non-swimmer—feels safe on the back of a jetski, or getting pushed into small residual waves, belly-riding a foam board. “It’s the most liberating thing ever,” she says. “It’s just total celebration.” There is no beach scene, no saltwater air. But there is a feeling among guests that this is special; surfers pay $5,750 for the full day of surfing (and all-inclusive bar and menu). There are touches of luxury; bouquets of fresh flowers appear on the tables just after 7am as coffee drinks are made to order. There are hot tubs, saunas, hammocks, a bocce court. But most of all, there are the waves themselves. Heat after heat, this group mostly chooses the CT3 (named for Championship Tour), with two openface sections inviting turns, and two barreling sections. For some guests, it’s their only option to surf. Eric Lazar lives in Kauai, but requires particular conditions to surf safely; he was paralyzed from the chest down in a dirt-biking crash over 20 years ago, but still loves getting barreled. At Surf Ranch, a lifeguard on a jetski is ready to dive in after him if he wipes out while belly-riding. “This is better than Disney,” he says. “This is the best experience in life.” He connected with Sorensen through social media in 2019 to make his first trip to Surf Ranch. “I love him and I’m so grateful,” Lazar says. “Not everybody gets to do this.” Party Wave Local surf shop owner Kelly Sorensen celebrates his birthday on the waves—in the Central Valley. By Sara Rubin “It’s the most liberating thing ever.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DAVID “NELLY” NELSON / @NELLYSMAGCIMOMENTS Kelly Sorensen gets barreled for his 60th birthday trip to Surf Ranch. Many guests liken the wave pool to Disney; he calls it the Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory of surfing. CLAIM YOUR BOOTH! EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Connecting businesses throughout Monterey County THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2025 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM DEL MONTE SHOPPING CENTER EXPO BUSINESS monterey bay 2025 PRESENTED BY REGISTER NOW AT MONTEREYCHAMBER.COM
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