The 29-year-old local surfing group Tourmaline Tailgaters has decided to invite women to join the club. Since it began, the Tourmaline Tailgaters had always been an all-male group of civic-minded surfers.
But according to Jeff Grant, one of two founding members (the other is Roger Cook), the male-only thing was mainly for ease of travel because on long-distance surf trips people end up sleeping on a hard floor.
With the invitational memberships of Carol Kent, Kiki Knoop, and Linda Malcolm, “The dynamics have changed a bunch,” Kent said. “It’s more fun all the way around,” Grant added. “Maybe a little less combative,” he said, tongue in cheek. He joked that the club’s mantra still is “Give Jeff all the waves.” 
The clubs is holding its 23rd “Almost Annual Surf Party” 6-10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Christ Lutheran Church, 4761 Cass St. All are invited with a donation of $20 at the door. Proceeds will go to Boys to Men Mentoring, a charity founded locally by Herb Sigurdson, Joe Sigurdson, and Craig McClain to benefit boys without fathers.
You can visit with members of the club in the parking lot at the foot of Tourmaline in Pacific Beach, near the cement benches they contributed money to help restore. Early mornings is the best time to reach them when they’re sharing stories and rinsing off from dawn patrol.