Actual surfers rode actual waves off the actual coast of Long Beach yesterday, the normally dormant waters churned to life by a powerful storm that slammed into shore and flooded streets throughout the city.

The video and photos below were all sent to the lbpost.com by local non-profit We Love Long Beach.

The waves didn’t last long, and they certainly didn’t occur under ideal circumstances (and I bet those waves weren’t exactly clean, either), but there they were, rolling and crashing into shore and easily carrying surfers along for the ride. After years of debate and public pleas to bring waves back to Long Beach, along with increased tension on the issue because it looks like we’re closer now than we ever have been before, the sight of these photos was truly a harkening back to Long Beach’s days as a surfer’s haven. Personally, my jaw dropped.

At the same time, you have to wonder what kind of waves yesterday’s storm wold have produced if there wasn’t a massive wall of rocks blocking its path about a half-mile away from shore.

One thing is for sure: these photos likely ensure that the debate about removing parts of the Long Beach Breakwater isn’t ending anytime soon. An interesting (and lively) discussion on that very issue continues in the Comments section of this article that was published Tuesday morning.

I’ll stop talking now. Enjoy.

Above photo, enlarged: