San Clemente is defined by our coastline; 13 surf breaks are in city limits. California’s legendary surf break, Lower Trestles, is located at the mouth of San Mateo Creek, just south of Casa Pacifica, Richard Nixon’s former Western White House. Surf culture reigns. San Clemente has “surf” moms, not “soccer” moms. San Clemente High School holds surfing classes at the pier. Mark McElroy, Saddleback College’s head football coach and San Clemente High School alum, wrote the Saddleback College surfing curriculum. Huntington Beach and Santa Cruz may vie for the title “Surf City USA,” but San Clemente High School has held the NSSA national surfing title in six of the last seven years. Residents are fiercely protective of city beachfront. Derail the Trail, a citizens’ grassroots group, formed in the 1990s to oppose a three-mile concrete trail from North Beach to San Clemente State Park. San Clemente City Council rejected the concrete trail in a 5-0 vote in 1999. A Council-app...