The pole is 340.5 feet high, the flag measures 164×94 feet and weighs 551 pounds, is made out of 100% nylon and the construction was completed June 21, 1997.

From a difficult start to a fantastic finish, the 2011 Baja 1000 was a grueling and closely contested race. Two major rain storms prior to the event flooded the track and exposed new obstacles, including a jack knifed tractor trailer loaded with rebar 4.5 miles after the start. 13 SCORE Trophy Trucks began starting at 11:17 a.m. but were forced to stop as the construction truck blocked the race course. SCORE officials decided to move the other 16 vehicles in the class in caravan-style to race mile five where they officially began to leave the start line at 12:23 p.m. The remaining classes started at the normal start line at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.

The three top finishers of the race after 14 hours, 51 minutes and 36 seconds elapsed time crossed the Ensenada finish line physically within one total minute of each other! Andy McMillin was first across the line followed closely by Nick Vanderwey, and Bryce Menzies, who won the Baja 500 in June. Justin Davis won Class 1, finishing sixth overall among 4wheel vehicles.

Baja fan favorite Robby Gordon finished 10th after rolling his Trophy Truck at high speed. “We missed a turn on a fast graded road and it spiraled and we crashed it. We were running 130 before that so we probably hit the ground at 100 and it was a big one. I haven’t crashed that hard in a long time.”

With 278 starters leaving the Ensenada starting line, competitors from 34 U.S. States and 16 countries battled the rugged terrain in 36 Pro and seven Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. Next year’s Baja 1000 will again span the Baja Peninsula, starting in Ensenada and finishing in La Paz.

In the heart of El Sauzal you find a very friendly store that contains all you may need whether you are in Baja for a short visit or are a local resident. Designed to be a one stop shop, you will find everything from horse tack to the best carnicería in the area. Javier and Lupita established the El Rodeo 20 years ago and are open from 6am to 8pm every day of the year including holidays. English is spoken here, and a simpatico attitude is realized immediately.

The beef counter buys a cow twice a week ranging from 250 to 300 kilos in size. Each cow is purchased for an average price of $1500 USD. It takes 2 men 4 hours to part out one cow, working side by side at the big carving table. The beef is sold to popular local restaurants including the La Hacienda, Las Rosas, and the new sea side Belio establishment. Many Baja off road race teams call ahead and have the beef custom cut and ready when they arrive. Big fiestas from the coast to the Valle de Guadalupe and beyond rely on this store for beef.  The fishing boats in the El Sauzal port order lots of beef for their voyages, which keep the hungry marinaros fed while working at sea. The store will cut the meet for you as fine as you wish, a one day notice is all the store need to fill your order. You can then pay when you pick up your order the next day. This store has supplied fiestas of 200 and more people for private parties in Baja.

Fresh vegetables and tortillas, goods sold in bulk, dairy items, and just about everything else you may need aside from alcoholic beverages will be found here. US dollars are accepted and you will be given a fair current rate of exchange. I have found this handy, as the change is given in pesos and a trip to downtown Ensenada is not necessary to change small amounts of dollars for daily needs in the El Sauzal area.  Prices in the store are competitive with the bigger markets in Baja. Instead of being bogged down in the busy Ensenada area burning fuel and getting stressed out, you can simply visit the El Rodeo and get on with enjoying another beautiful day in Baja!

A cockfight, or Palenque as it is called in Spanish, is a historical global tradition. The combatants, known as gamecocks or cocks, are specially bred and conditioned for stamina and strength. Cocks possess an inherent aggression toward all males of the same species, thus they do not require fight training. Most fights are to the death, although the winner can also be determined by various rules. Winning birds often continue in their careers for more matches, until they are killed in a subsequent fray. The losers land in a decrepit heap in the corner of the arena.

The Ensenada cockfights are staged on Sundays and holidays at 2:00 p.m. in a big warehouse occupied by concessions, grandstands and the cockpit; which is perhaps 25 feet wide and 3 feet tall, resembling a child’s backyard pool. The event draws a large and spirited crowd of around 100 people. The admission charge is 50 pesos, which includes a free bowl of seafood soup. Wagering is feisty and fast paced. The combatants are from the “green” corner, or the “red” corner. Thus, a bet on the “red” cock is not a bet based on the physical color of the fighter, but rather the name of its corner. One can place bets with the official in-ring bookie, or make outside bets with another spectator. Most bets are 200 pesos, but individuals will also take your bets in other amounts. There are at least two or three uniformed policemen present at the spectacle. One man placed a bet while accidentally standing right next to one of them, but fortunately the cop seemed to be looking the other way.

A cockspur is a leather bracelet with a curved, sharp spike which is attached to the leg of the bird. The spikes range in length from “short spurs” of just over an inch to “long spurs”, which are almost two and a half inches long. The cockspur protrudes just above the talons directed to the rear of the rooster’s leg. The curved design and sharp blades are designed to kill the other bird. After the spur is strapped on, the trainer squirts a bit of lemon juice on it, to add a little extra burn.

First the cocks are weighed. They fight in weight categories just like human prizefighters. During the weighing, the beauty of the bird is on display, it’s potential fighting prowess can be evaluated, and the wagering begins. The two combatants are then introduced to each other by the handlers. The men holding the birds swing them back and forth to where the beaks are just touching, meanwhile patting the birds forcefully on the chest in an effort to get their blood stirring, adrenalin flowing and the fury going in preparation for the start of the fight. This proven age-old methodology indeed works effectively, and soon the roosters are pecking away at each other with each introductory thrust, enraged and ready for the battle.

Each fight is timed to last 15 minutes, and will be fought to the death unless there is a draw declared. Every surge of engagement causes feathers to fly and blood to appear on the remaining feathers, now bristling and rustling with rage. If one bird falls and seems unable to continue, the handlers revive the bird by a healthy spray of saliva followed by quickly putting the cock’s head and beak in the handler’s mouth, giving mouth to mouth resuscitation. The birds are then placed a foot apart on their haunches and made to hold up their heads. Even if a bird has suffered near mortal wounds already, he is revived and made to pose for the next confrontation. The referee counts to ten, usually during the count, one bird will spring forward and attack the other, often you are surprised, as the seemingly mortally injured bird is the first to attack. This process goes on repeatedly, until one bird is deemed either dead or so wounded it can’t be revived and made to front the opposing bird again. If at the end of the 15 minutes both birds are still standing and able to withstand another face-off, one final 10 count is made, and the match is called a draw if they both survive the final round.

The roosters are imported from the United States and are fattened up with diets designed to make their muscled larger and stronger. Often an event will last all afternoon with a procession of new fighting birds, and casualties galore. Many of the spectators come dressed in their Sunday best, and there is no age limit, as many children are commonly at the fights. The cock owner’s entry fees and prize purses vary according to the number of fighting participants signed up that day. On a regular Sunday, prize purses can vary from $100 to $500. An occasional Super Sunday is staged, with extra special birds and prizes of up to $2000. The location of the next event can be easily found, just ask around like we did. By the way, cockfighting is illegal in Mexico…

As young surfers en route to our favorite surf spot, San Miguel near Ensenada, we often found ourselves at Km 38 instead, at one time an undeveloped bluff where we camped and surfed a perfect kelp protected right point break. I’m reminded of one long, cold winter night on that desolate point. It was just myself and my high school surfing buddy Barry, camped out with bedrolls, surfboards, tortillas and cheese, and a few cervezas. Out of this black Christmas week night emerges a Mexican Federally (police officer). Known to be less than honest dealing with gringos during that frontier era, we were less than elated to greet this uniformed pirate. After paying him a few hard earned dollars for him to allow us to camp out at this deserted, barren location, he just as quickly disappeared into the night.

Just down the two-lane paved road Highway 1 at Km 44 was a fishing community marked only by a huge 7-up bottle painted on the side of a building. We’d drive down a dirt rutted and dusty road to a little row of restaurants as classic as the waves we’d ripped all day developing a huge appetite for cervazes and some comida delicioso. We were soon treated to the legendary Newport meal; grilled lobster, refried beans, rice, homemade tortillas, butter, salsa, and limes to squeeze into our cold Coronas and Pacificos. Of course, everything was cheaper then (gas was .28 a gallon, but we still had to scrounge contributions by all to make the trip), and this meal was a true value as the restaurant prices were geared to the level of the local community.

Today you will find a full-blown town with full-blown prices to match. The tourist dollar and the new venture attitude by establishment owners have caused the price to be multiplied by a factor of 5. And the main road into town has been paved! The weekends are busy and wild with gringos and strolling brass bands and you often have to park on adjacent dirt parking lots. An artisan market lines the entrance to restaurant row: items including pottery, serapes and blankets, t-shirts, jewelry and other local fare can be purchased. The overwhelming fragrance of the cooking food may have you hurrying by these goods in an attempt to get seated and fed. No worries, these trinkets will be waiting for you to buy and lug up to the States after dinner, perhaps later wondering why you bought that black light velvet Elvis painting, or the painting of little dogs playing poker at the table that displays all the vices known to man. The tambourine with the two balls suspended on strings and the wood cup with the ball on a string are two of our favorites.

Although, once only a pleasant stop during the drive to Ensenada or for a one-day tripper, many hotels have opened in the area. This has made Puerto Nuevo a self-contained destination where you can dance on the tables 24 hours a day until the bewitching hour, when you are obligated to return to the States and attend to your day job and otherwise normal lifestyle. By the way, that once quiet, desolate bluff at Km 38 is still there, but now is unrecognizable due to “progress”, and the influx of the tourism dollar so needed to improve the standard of living of this still poor and once remote area.

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As the Gold Rush raged in Northern California, a band of bloodthirsty pirates flew the skull and crossbones on South Coronado Island and used a cave now known as Pirate Cave as their hideout. Ships traveling south from San Francisco carried rich cargos of newly mined gold to the East and their course lay directly abeam of the pirate’s nest.

The leader of these thieves was Jose Alverez, his origin either a castoff from LaFitte’s hearty lads banished from New Orleans or a deserter from the Mexican Army. Regardless of his true past, it is known that he stole a schooner from a Mexican port, and after arming it with plenty of cannon and saber wielding scallywags, he made his base on the Coronados. In a clever game of hide and seek, he set up business in pursuit of the buccaneer’s goal of fortune and fame.

The fame factor was to elude these troops, as the barbarous practice of taking no prisoners and scuttling every vessel they assaulted made tracing their actions impossible. It was assumed by the shipping companies that the missing ships were the victims of foul weather or unseen shoals, and they were reported as lost at sea.

A vessel named the Chelsea was apprehended and as the passengers and crew were being killed, a cabin boy named Tom Bolter proclaimed, perhaps in earnest, or in the desire to save his bones from Davey Jones, that he had long admired Alverez and wished to prove himself a worthy addition to the cutlery compadres. This feigned or real adulation fed the ego of Alverez and in addition, the fact that young Tom knew the sailing dates of future shipments of riches, cajoled Alverez into breaking his vow of murdering all and he spared Tom his life. This breach in the pirate’s take no prisoner’s code would prove to be their undoing.

After two devastating raids of ships, tipped off due to Tom’s information, the cabin boy considered himself now a pirate of great repute and questioned Alverez about the size of his share of the captured booty. An argument and fight ensued and Tom only escaped with his life due to the fact that he had information valuable to Alverez. You see, Tom had smartly only given enough information to make himself still useful if in the event he became expendable.

Tom was left in the cave under armed guard while the pirate ship embarked to plunder the next galleon to arrive from San Francisco, using Tom’s information of the next ship’s expected passage of the islands. The second day after his imprisoning, the guards lapsed in their assignment of duty, and Tom succeeded in freeing himself and killed them both.

Tom set sail in the pirate’s fishing dory, loaded with as much treasure as she would hold, and soon arrived at the waterfront hide houses of San Diego harbor. His arrival prompted much attention from the sailors collected to greet his landing. He was invited to tell his story aboard the Boston vessel Grendo. His claims of buccaneering braggadocio brought exclamations of amusement and disbelief from the assembled sea dogs. They demanded proof in the form of captured riches and were all sobered by the display of loot Tom produced to back up his story.

The hide houses and whaling station on Point Loma were solicited for any volunteers wishing to form a raiding party to sail to the Coronados and rout the returning pirate brigade. An overwhelming response to the call saw a formidable force of San Diego wharf rats boarding the Grendo for the Islands. When they arrived, the Grendo was hidden behind the South Island with only a skeleton crew, the main body of the others stationed on the island out of sight in wait. Tom assumed his position as if he were still under guard in the cave, with a man to pose as guard.

Upon their return, the pirates dragged their plunder up the cliffs to the hideout, leaving their arms aboard the schooner. Taken completely by surprise, the struggle was soon over and the pirates, bound and beaten, were loaded onto the ships for the sail to San Diego and an appointment with the yardarms. As the lot were hanged, more than a few harsh words of condemnation were heard to be cast in Tom Bolter’s direction.

The pirate schooner was sold, it’s proceeds and the captured loot were divided amongst the men who had brought the criminals to justice. Tom demanded the largest share, making him a man of wealth and stature and to some a hero

Tom Bolter’s future was a dark and dreary one due to the stigma bestowed upon him by the ghosts of his betrayal, and he was soon the scourge of the waterfront clan. He became such an onerous presence, that many felt he should have been hanged with the rest. A day came when he disappeared. Some rumors had him fleeing to Mexico to escape the pirate curse. No one missed him, nor did anyone care that he was gone.

From the book, “The 90 Day Yacht Club Guide to Ensenada” by Lonnie Ryan.

Andres Flores rides a clean up set wave at Killers, Todos Santos Islands on 1-6-2012.

Patrick Gudauskas rides a huge set wave at Killers, Todos Santos Islands on 1-6-2012.

The bay of all saints or Bahia de Todos Santos has evolved into the best port along the entire Baja west coast after its discovery by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. It soon became a harbor for both the Manila galleons navigating the coast from San Francisco to the East and the pirate ships that lay in wait for them. The actual development of Ensenada did not begin until the early 1870’s, then largely as a result of the gold finds in the mountains to the south for which Ensenada served as the port. In 1877, the status of port of entry was made official, and in 1882, owing to its continued growth and importance, Ensenada replaced the by-then declining Real de Castillo as the capital of northern Baja California. The town then consisted of 5 or 6 houses, and some 25 to 30 residents, plus about 25 soldiers that were garrisoned there.

Ensenada is situated on what was once known as the Rancho de Ensenada which was titled to the late Don Pedro Gastelum in 1878 by the Supreme Government of Mexico. He sold the ranch to Senor Maximiliano Berstein in May, 1886, who sold it to what was then known as the International Company of Mexico. The land was then parceled into blocks of 100 meters per side, and lots of 25 by 50 meters, for town site and settlement. The remaining lands were divided into portions and within these was founded the Carlos Pacheco Colony south of town, which was further divided into the ranches of Cipres, Maneadero, and Punta Banda, purchased in the most part from private individuals with previous land titles.

Ensenada was the largest settlement in the district. The area’s climate was and is unsurpassable in climate, fronting the beautiful bay of Ensenada, the Bahia de Todos Santos. The area established communication with San Diego, by sea and by land two or three times a week. The areas sole support at this time was agriculture, livestock and fishing. Crops and plants were reliant on rain watered lands to survive. Beyond that there was no important industry yet established.

Rimming the bay is a flat coastal plain that was situated about midway between the missions of Santo Tomas and San Miguel (now known as La Mision), approximately 30 miles equidistant to the southeast and northwest, respectively. At the turn of the 1800’s, these coastal plains were inhabited by rancherias of indigenous Indians, and were passed over for consideration for a mission site due to the areas lack of natural adequate water table irrigation. It was well suited for grazing, and since Mission San Miguel possessed rich grazing land, the Mission Santo Tomas used the area for the raising of their livestock. In 1804, with consent of both missions, the plains were divided into two parcels for development into two cattle ranches to the north and to the south. These ranches remained in control of the areas lowlands until dissolution of the grants in the mid-1800’s.

For quite awhile the area around the Bahia de Todos Santos remained undeveloped. In 1849, a visit to the huge cattle ranch owned by the Senor Francisco Gastelum, an elegant Spanish man who had many of the conveniences of what was then considered civilized life of that era, would reveal clean tables, with table furniture and the first knives and forks to be seen in this country. In 1867 visitors to the area passed Ensenada unnoticed and arrived at El Sauzal 7 miles to the northwest at a landing for small vessels. Little wonder Ensenada was missed as Ensenada reportedly only had 3 inhabitants in 1870, and El Sauzal had a population of 10!

The next decade saw the development of huge tracts of land charter in the south near San Quintin by British and American holding companies headquartered in Ensenada. Large-scale agriculture was undertaken, a number of little workshops and mills established, and hotels and various businesses began. A telegraph line was extended to San Diego and south to San Quintin. The wagon trail to Tijuana was rebuilt, and a pier constructed at Ensenada and Punta Banda. Three small steamers offered service to San Diego, San Quintin, and to the Mexican mainland city of Manzanillo, touching various points in between. The population of Ensenada swelled to about 1500, which by the standards of the rest of the frontera, made Ensenada a virtual metropolis! In 1889, the name, Ensenada de Todos Santos was shortened to just Ensenada.

Unfortunately for Ensenada’s spectacular growth in the 1880’s, it was related to several conditions that would soon prove to be short-lived. The gold rushes that brought many from the north in search of quick riches soon fizzled as the gold claims in the mountains south of Ensenada ran dry of any consequential yields. Furthermore, the Boom of the Eighties north of the border in California, which had driven up land values and land speculation in northern Baja California, had collapsed by mid-1888. This meant that the economy of northern Baja remained stagnant for the next decade into the 20th century. To make the situation worse, a several year period of heavy rain fall ended, and was followed by a period of below-average precipitation. Ensenada’s population had dwindled to 850 inhabitants by 1900, of which less than half were true colonists, the remaining inhabitants consisted of mostly out-of-luck gold miners.

At the turn of the century, the capital appointment was lost to Mexicali and the Mexican Revolution of 1915 annulled these land charters. Even though by 1921 the population had climbed to 2,178, Ensenada remained for many years a sleepy little picturesque town. Gradually the harbor grew into a major seaport and became an export center for the agricultural goods of Valle de Mexicali. Being the closest foreign port to California, the town and surrounding ranches and farms enjoyed a renewed period of growth and wealth. Throughout the 1940s and ’50s the port gained a reputation as one of the finest sport and commercial fishing areas on the west coast, having at one time been known as the “Yellowtail Capital of the World”.

When the 1930′s emerged as the era of bootleg liquor, smuggling activities and gambling establishments became a staple of the economy. At the corner of Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas and Ave. Riviera is the former Casino Riviera del Pacifico, built in the late 1920′s. In it’s heyday it was a famous gambling house, once managed by the boxer Jack Dempsey. The opening act in 1929 featured Bing Crosby backed by the Xavier Cugat Orchestra. The orchestra included a singer named Margarita Carmen Cansino, a Baja native later to be known as Rita Hayworth. It now can be visited in its current incarnation as a cultural center.