Campfire’s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entrée.
Gage Forster
The waves were pumping — big, bombing and beautiful.
For the “Thriller at Killers” surf contest off the islands of Todos Santos Island near Ensenada, the forecast was a fun event for the world’s best big-wave riders.
But when the surfers showed up for the one-day event on Feb. 7, the waves were twice as big as expected — upward of 30 feet.
“It was just epic. Everyone was so psyched,” said Encinitas surfer Katie McConnell, who won the women’s division.
The event included 12 men and six women; among them were San Clemente’s Greg Long, a well-known fixture in the big-wave world, La Jolla standout Jojo Roper and Newport Beach’s Spencer Pirdy.
McConnell is no stranger to this surf break, a demanding wave that can be “big, gnarly and consequential,” she said. “For me, it takes a lot of courage to really position myself for one of the legit, big bombs.”
The San Dieguito Academy grad remembers being mesmerized by big-wave surfing when her dad watched reruns of the tour on television.
“I was passing by the living room and looked over his shoulder. I became transfixed,” she recalled. “It’s always been in the back of my mind. I never imagined I’d be surfing out there, let alone winning out there.”
Only a handful of surfers in the world tackle waves in the 30- to 40-foot range. It’s a tight-knit group that travels the world to spots known for their big drops — and big wipeouts.
During the event, French big-wave surfer Justine Dupont suffered a back injury that will keep her out of the water for several months.
McConnell has also had her “gnarliest and most humbling” experiences there.
“I’ve missed waves, narrowly missed injury,” she said. “I feel like I’m finally starting to make peace with that wave, and I can’t wait to catch more. To invite that fear to step aside and feel confident enough to send it is so freeing.”
McConnell said all the stars aligned in her final heat, an extra pulse of swell making for the biggest waves of the event.
As the clock ticked down, McConnell had to make a decision: try and score whatever she could on any wave that came through, or wait for the bomb.
“It was just so big and beautiful out there; in my mind, I put the competition aside and just focused on the wave and just surfing for the love of it,” she said. “It was either be patient and give it your all, or settle for less.”
Just as she decided to wait it out, a set showed up on the horizon.
“It was a technical drop, I got mowed down at the bottom, but it felt really good,” she said. “I didn’t know if I was going to win, but at the time, it didn’t matter. I was just psyched to get it.”
While she took the women’s win, repeating her 2024 victory, it was Grant “Twiggy” Baker who earned the men’s trophy. Roper made it to the semifinals.
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SANDY, Utah — SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.
Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.
RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.
San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.
Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.
Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.
Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.
Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.
Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.
Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.
Ferree finished with five saves.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
When John Resnick opened Campfire on a quaint little street in Carlsbad, Calif., in 2016, some locals weren’t sure what to think. The coastal enclave wasn’t exactly awash in innovative, chef-driven establishments, so it was a shock to see the dining room consistently full. Early on, one woman wondered aloud to Resnick, “Where did all these people come from?”
It’s a moment he remembers vividly. “I was struck by her statement, because I think she was surprised that so many other people in Carlsbad were there,” Resnick says.
The rest of the culinary world would take some time to catch up to what was happening. In 2019, when Michelin expanded to rate restaurants throughout all of California—not just the San Francisco area—Addison was the only one in San Diego to earn a star. But since emerging from the pandemic, the region’s food scene has grown dramatically. Driven by outstanding farms, ingredients, a bumper crop of talented chefs, and a G.D.P. approximately the size of New Zealand or Greece, San Diego County has become one of America’s most underrated dining destinations.
Campfire’s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entrée.
Gage Forster
Perhaps no single restaurant is a better emblem for this shift than chef William Bradley’s Addison, which opened in 2006. After landing his first star, Bradley knew he wanted more. To get them, he transformed his French-leaning fare to serve what he calls California Gastronomy, which combines the cultures of SoCal with impeccable ingredients and wildly impressive techniques, prizing flavor over flair. Michelin responded, awarding Addison a second star in 2022, and making it the first Southern California three-star restaurant just a year later. The accolade has created a halo effect, attracting culinary tourists from around the world.
Berry beet tartlets at San Diego’s three-star stalwart Addison.
Eric Wolfinger
“Earning three stars forces the global dining community to pay attention to a place that may not have been on their radar before,” says chef Eric Bost, a partner in Resnick’s four Carlsbad establishments.
Resnick recruited Bost, who spent time at award-winning outposts of Restaurant Guy Savoy, to run Jeune et Jolie, which he led to a star in 2021. They’ve since taken over an old boogie-board factory down the street and converted it to an all-day restaurant and bakery, Wildland. The space also hosts an exquisite tasting-counter experience called Lilo, which was given a Michelin star mere months after opening in April 2025. And as Resnick and Bost grew their successful Carlsbad operation, chef Roberto Alcocer earned a Michelin star for his Mexican fine-dining spot Valle in nearby Oceanside.
The stylish tasting counter at Michelin one-star Lilo in Carlsbad.
Kimberly Motos
About 25 miles to the south, another affluent coastal community is going through its own culinary glow up. In La Jolla, chef Tara Monsod and the hospitality group Puffer Malarkey Collective opened the stylish French steakhouse Le Coq. Chef Erik Anderson, formerly of Michelin two-star Coi, is preparing to launch Roseacre. And last year, Per Se alums Elijah Arizmendi and Brian Hung left New York to open the elegant tasting-menu restaurant Lucien, lured by the ingredients they’d get to serve. “A major reason we chose San Diego is the quality and diversity of the produce,” Arizmendi explains. “San Diego County has more small farms than anywhere else in the U.S., and its many microclimates allow farmers to grow an incredible range of ingredients year-round.”
Wildland’s spicy Italian sandwich.
Gage Forster
Chef Travis Swikard has also been a tireless advocate for the region’s ingredients since he returned to San Diego, his hometown, and opened Mediterranean-influenced Callie in 2021. There’s no sophomore slump with his latest effort, the French Riviera–inspired Fleurette in La Jolla, where he’s serving his take on classics like leeks vinaigrette and his San Diego “Bouillabaisse” with local red sheepshead fish and spiny lobster. Its food is bright, produce-driven, and attentive in execution, while the dining room maintains a relaxed and unpretentious style of service. And Swikard sees that approach cohering into a regional style with a strong network of professionals behind it.
“It’s really nice that we are developing our own identity, not trying to be like L.A. or any other market, just highlighting what’s great about the San Diego lifestyle and ingredients,” he says. “Similar to New York, a chef community is starting to develop where chefs are supporting each other. There is a true sense of pride to be cooking here.”
Top: In La Jolla, Lucien serves ocean whitefish with tomatoes turned into concasse, sabayon, and other expressions.
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