The Hunington, Seal and Hermosa Beach Piers

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Hunington, Seal, and Hermosa Beach Piers all serve as popular multicultural leisure settings. Having personally not visited a beach in years, let alone ever been on an actual pier, my visits were new learning experiences. Although I had no prior experience on piers to compare them to, my experiences were not as different as what I had expected beach-life to entail. Since I visited these pier on the long weekend provided by Veterans day, these sites were not short of their visitors. As one of the most ethnically diverse state in the country, visitors of all ethnicities were found enjoying leisure on these beaches and piers. The population appeared to include Africans Americans, Asians, Latinos/Hispanics, and predominantly Caucasians/Whites. Various languages were spoken. I overheard some people speaking Asian languages that I could not discern. I heard plenty of Spanish, but mostly everyone spoke English. I did not notice any differences with how people of different ethnicities acted towards each other. I found everyone to be polite and open to conversation or assist in taking pictures of others. Multiracial friends and couples were seen enjoying the presence of each others. These piers serve exemplify the melting pot we live in, with visitors of all ethnicities and ages enjoying beach recreation. Beach-goers dressed in typical beach attire which included board shorts for guys and bikinis for women. Young adults made up the majority of those who were dressed less modestly. Those dressed in less clothes were more likely to participate in sports such as volleyball and football, or to simply bathe and tan in the sunlight. These were the typical flip-flops wearing “beach bums,” who were there to expose their fit beach bodies. There wer... ... middle of paper ... ...pend their free or discretionary time away from work and life’s obligations. These places provide people escapes from their everyday environments. In line with leisure being seen as recreational activities, these piers and beaches allow for fishing, swimming, walking, nature-viewing, among other activities. The water, sun, sand all help evoke a special attitude or state of mind that allows beach piers to be associated as places where fun can be had and culture can be shared through the spread of ideas, practices, beliefs, and values. While many primarily use the piers as means to socialize and have fun, they are also renewed mentally and spiritually in the process. By enjoying nature, they are able to partake in transcendent experiences, reflection on self and others, tranquility, increased awareness and connection to others, and appreciation of the world’s beauty.

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