Surf & Ski in the Same Day in Los Angeles
Enjoy LA's spectacular natural beauty in the mountains and the ocean
Angelenos and visitors alike have heard that in Los Angeles, you can surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon. With the Hollywood Vinyl District as your home base, we’ll show you several options that will make you the envy of your surfing and skiing friends and family. You’ll start your day in the beautiful Pacific Ocean, and finish your adventure in the stunning mountains above L.A. County.
Hollywood Vinyl District
Your surfing and skiing adventure starts when you check into one of the hotels in the Hollywood Vinyl District, a vibrant neighborhood named in honor of its legacy of legendary recording studios, music labels and record stores.
Bordered by Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards between Schrader Boulevard and Gower Street, the Hollywood Vinyl District boasts some of LA's hottest restaurants, bars and hotels, including Dream Hollywood, the Godfrey, Thompson Hollywood and tommie Hollywood.
Surfrider Beach - Malibu
Surfing locations don’t get much more iconic than Malibu Lagoon State Beach, better known as Surfrider Beach and one of the most popular surfing spots in L.A. County. Surfrider Beach is located off Pacific Coast Highway near the historic Malibu Pier, about 30 minutes west of Hollywood. The 110-acre site was dedicated as a state park in 1951, and it became the first World Surfing Reserve in October 2010. Surfrider has three primary surfing areas - on the south swells most common in late August and September, surfers can ride all the way to the pier. The famous right-break had a major influence on 1960s Southern California surfing culture.
El Porto - Manhattan Beach
Experienced surfers should head 30 minutes southwest from their Hollywood hotel to El Porto in Manhattan Beach, known as one of LA's best spots for winter riding. Thanks to an underwater canyon, El Porto features large winter swells and fast closeouts, creating challenging surf conditions that are best left to the experts. Beginners will want to visit in the summer, when surf camps and surfing schools set up classes for all levels along the beach.
Mountain High
Billing itself as Southern California’s closest winter resort, Mountain High is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of L.A. County, about 90 minutes east-northeast of Hollywood.
Mountain High is actually three resorts in one, with each offering a wide variety of lifts and trails that appeal to all skill levels. The West Resort is traditionally the first area to open in Southern California, featuring everything from wide-open beginner areas to challenging black diamond trails. The East Resort offers the greatest vertical in Southern California serviced by a single high-speed quad. Its long trails make it perfect for carving, but the East Resort is also home to the Olympic Bowl, the longest, steepest bump run in the region. The family-friendly North Resort is great for beginning skiers, with another 70 acres of lower-level terrain. This resort also includes the North Pole Tubing Park with up to 12 lanes and two moving carpets.
Big Bear Mountain Resort
Big Bear Mountain Resort is another snow season option, located near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains about 2 hours from Hollywood. As the home of the only Superpipe in Southern California, Bear Mountain is favored by snowboarders, while Snow Summit - its sister resort that's located about two miles away - is more family-friendly.
Bear Mountain is also known as "The Park" because most of the runs contain terrain features. Unlike Snow Summit, if there's enough natural snow, the tree runs are open for skiing and snowboarding. Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White was frequently at Bear Mountain when he was very young. Bear Mountain has three main peaks: Bear Peak, Silver Mountain, and Goldmine Mountain. At 8,805 ft (2,684 m), Bear Peak is Southern California's highest lift-served peak.
Ka'teen & Desert 5 Spot
After a long day, you've earned a night out on the town. The evening begins with dinner at Ka'teen, the signature restaurant of tommie Hollywood. Helmed by Guerrilla Tacos founder Wes Avila, Ka'teen serves Yucatán-inspired fare in a lush, 5,000 square-foot outdoor dining space that feels like an escape.
After dinner, head upstairs to Desert 5 Spot, the Joshua Tree inspired rooftop bar with frozen Margaritas, live music and a killer jukebox.