When I tell people about my plans for the next twelve hours, their first assumption is that I am an adrenaline junkie. Who else but an extreme sports enthusiast would attempt to snowboard and surf within the same calendar day?

But in fact, I am a beginner at both of these sports. A recent graduate of the bunny hill, this morning would be my third time down a mountain on a snowboard. And when I got to the coast, well, I’d figure that out when I got there. Nobody needed to know that this afternoon would be my first time on a surfboard. Ever.

For me, completing the California Double wasn’t about being good at board sports. It was my love letter to my home—one of the only places in the world where it is even possible to accomplish such a feat.

The California Double is so named because there are many places in the state where you can accomplish this challenge in a comfortable climate. The Sierra Nevadas and the San Bernadino Mountains both have ski resorts within a three-hour drive from the Pacific Coast. This means that you can complete the Double from almost anywhere in California all winter long.

Still, the most ideal time is when the weather has warmed up in early April. When I did it, there was still enough snow for ski resorts to operate, and the clock had just sprung forward, providing extended daylight to make it to the coast that afternoon. Southern California is the easiest region to do the California Double with six ski resorts within 100 miles of the coast. It also has the warmest water for surfing at beaches like Venice, Redondo, or Huntington. Plus, Snow Summit at Big Bear offers night skiing, allowing you to go from sea to ski even after the sun sets.

Conversely, Northern California has the coldest weather and water in the spring with surf beaches like Linda Mar, Half Moon Bay, and Santa Cruz averaging 54°F. The closest snowboarding to the Bay Area is one of the sixteen resorts around Tahoe, with Sugar Bowl being the furthest West. But as a Central Californian, I only had one decision to make: China Peak or Alta Sierra. Both are the same distance to Pismo Beach.

The California Double requires more than perfect conditions—it requires perfect timing. Start with the opening hour of your ski resort. Reserve ninety minutes to board, then factor in the outfit change, lunch, traffic, and gassing up. Calculate the four-hour average drive to the coast. Be hyper-aware of sunset, as you’ll want to be out of the water with a little daylight to spare. You’ll find that sticking to a strict half-hourly schedule is necessary.

My morning starts at 7:30AM, as I depart the slightly chilly but very snow-less Fresno to make the ninety-minute drive to China Peak, aiming to secure a rental at opening. While this isn’t the ideal month for shredding fresh powder, the crowds aren’t deterred from gleaning the last bits of winter. I take the lift up and gently zig-zag down the mountain, a beginner technique my former instructor called “Falling Leaf.” Between waiting for the lift and my slow descent, I have to call it a morning after one run at 10:30AM.

I should mention that completing the California Double is more about achieving a bucket list item than getting your money’s worth out of each activity. After ninety minutes to briefly caffeinate back in Fresno, it’s another hour to stop for lunch in Kettleman City. At 1:00PM, I eat a Double-Double at In-N-Out because what else would you eat on such a day? This morning already feels like yesterday, but we are only halfway through the challenge and halfway to the coast.

At 3:00PM, we pull into Shell Beach Surf Shop. I rent a wetsuit and an eight-foot foam board, which is recommended for first-timers. Lessons would have been ideal, but we were burning daylight, and the rental shop closed at 6:00PM. Surely, Falling Leaf would also apply to ocean waves? I struggle for a solid hour, misunderstanding the water, slipping off the board, and getting buffeted by the waves. But on my last swell, something magical happens. For a whole four seconds, I stand up.

To some, this California Double challenge might seem like a waste. In the grand scheme of the day, I spent forty minutes on the boards, the majority of my hours consumed with traversing the Central Valley. But to me, those four seconds were the capstone of living here. Being a Californian is more than snowboarding the Sierras or surfing Shell Beach. It’s the access to adventure in the 224 miles between.

Features Contributor Cassie Yoshikawa @cassiescompass www.cassiescompass.com
Photographer Ka’eo Yoshikawa Photography LLC