End of the pier

End of the Pier

By Will Watson

First thing in the morning when the gray skies submit to the rising sun, on a bright windy afternoon exposing the entire bay from Palos Verdes to Malibu, or at the end of a beautiful summer day with the sun dipping below the horizon, walking to the end of the pier is one of the most beautiful things to do in the South Bay. Whether it's Manhattan or Hermosa (well, I guess Redondo too), you can begin a day of quiet reflection or catch a spectacular sunset at the end of the day by making the end of the pier a destination in and of itself.

But what exactly constitutes going to the end of the pier? Depending on who you speak to, interpretations may vary.

Just passing the lifeguard tower or the gate that closes at 10 p.m. each night doesn't count, I'm sure you'll agree. Nor does going approximately halfway out and turning around. I mean really. But watching the way some people, especially joggers mark their passage varies.

In Manhattan, certainly, a trip around the roundhouse counts, but with the removal of the structure at the end of the Hermosa pier (and Venice Pier, which offers a unique perspective on the South Bay, I might add) there are three distinct markings:

Imaginary roundhouse: Most joggers use the imaginary structure as their turnaround point. They carefully run around what, in their minds, is the appropriate circumference between the epicenter of the end of the pier and what might be considered a safe distance from the railing and daily fisherman. I give them my full respect for their ritualistic method of the full turnaround of the entire yet imaginary course of their rotation

Over the line: These joggers go a toe-touch over an imaginary line, without going around the roundhouse or without going to the actual end of the pier. They are the cheaters, the lazy ones, the ones who don?t go all out. I don't judge them too seriously for these runners are the ones that probably do the least amount of work to get the job done, and just merely pass. They do, however, qualify as reaching the end of the pier, but just barely.

Edge tapper: My favorite. These enthusiasts not only go to the end of the pier (sometimes looking over the edge for a moment), but they also tap the end of the pier as a type of confirmation of their completion. It's like when we were kids and the winner of a race is not fully decided until the first person actually taps the hood of a car first, indicating victory.

It's pretty silly to watch actually, but during a morning stroll, coffee in hand, pondering the wonder of Mother Nature, in all her glory, it's human nature that stands out as the star of these daily comedies.

(Sept. 18, 2003)