If you know, you know.
It’s a tiny stretch of sand, located at the easternmost section of the Cape May beachfront. Although it’s popular among beachgoers in the summer, Poverty Beach is empty for much of the year.
That changes when a Nor’Easter blows into town.
When the wind is blowing and the waves are building, surfers from Atlantic City to Wildwood know to head to the base of the Garden State Parkway and head to Poverty.
The beachfront was crammed with cars and vans last weekend. Over 50 surfers were waxing boards and zipping up wetsuits, preparing to tackle one of South Jersey’s most mysterious and magical breaks.
“A lot of the beaches (in South Jersey) face east, so the Northeast wind and the waves are whipping across those beaches from the left or the right,” said Cape May’s Edward Gibbons, 67, who has been surfing for nearly 60 years.
“But Cape May actually faces south, so the northeast wind basically blows directly offshore in Cape May. That makes the waves cleaner and more manageable than most places.”
It’s been that way since the early 1960’s, when Cape May’s Bob Steger helped introduce the sport to the area. It wasn’t long before he was joined by other wave-riding pioneers like Steve Burk, Bill Garrison, Harry and Jeffrey Gibbons, and Steve Teitelman.
During that era, Stockton Avenue was the designated surfer’s beach. Poverty was considered the secret spot, where the lineups were much less crowded.
No one really knows how Poverty got its name. The official explanation suggests the beach was used way back in the day by the housekeepers, fishermen, and domestic servants who worked in the town’s opulent hotels during the Victorian Era.
Another theory was the beach was located in Lower Township but was claimed and maintained by Cape May and was a financial drain.
Now it’s near a stretch of multi-million-dollar homes, three-story summer mansions with windows and decks that provide viewing of spectacular sunrises.
Poverty’s popularity as a surfing spot waned once the city’s beach replentishment project began in the 1990’s.
The project created a steep and sudden dropoff. As a result, powerful waves with deep faces now break in knee-high water.
But the place still holds an allure.
Last Saturday, while rain pelted the ocean and the wind howled, dozens of surfers were there, ready to take a ride on one of those special waves.
If you know, you know.
Local NFL update
Jacksonville Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen (Millville) had two receptions for nine yards in a 35-6 victory over the New England Patriots.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver/kick returner Bo Melton (Cedar Creek) had two kickoff returns for 46 total yards in a 35-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Max Melton (Cedar Creek), Bo’s brother, had four tackles and a pass defense in a 36-30 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Dallas Cowboys safety Markquese Bell (Bridgeton) had a team-high eight tackles in a 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points. Send comments to weinbergd419@comcast.net.
