Oxnard:
During the mid ’70s, this mile-long beachbreak was the test tank for the Campbell Brothers and their Bonzer boards. During the mid ’90s, a prominent Oxnard Shores home was Michael and Kimberly Mancini’s beachfront getaway in the spicy nighttime soap “Melrose Place.” Shores is a fickle wave that’s best in the fall months. But when it’s on, it’s understandable why the Campbells designed one of the speediest boards on the planet and why we hooted at the background scenery when Michael and Kimberly made out in the shorebreak — there are more flawless A-frames along this stretch of windswept beach than in a Home Depot warehouse. Unlike the Campbell era (or the now defunct “Melrose Place” era, for that matter), the local atmosphere isn’t as stuffy as it used to be, but it’s still advised that you go alone and make fresh tracks at your own peak.