A SPECIAL REPORT: SUMMER SPORTS AND BUSINESS

Hurry Up & Wait

Weekend traffic jams start at 4 a.m. at the Balboa and Encino public golf courses when people without reservations show up. “It might be two to five hours” after sunup before they get on the course, says supervisor Louise Ewing. Each course handles 100,000 players a year; on summer weekends, about 385 play daily. . . . Ewing plays on Mondays, when only 150 to 250 players tour each course.

Think Cool

Summer heat helps keep up traffic at the Pickwick Ice Arena in Burbank. “We get a lot of vacationers from out of town who visit relatives,” said Jennifer Castle, skating school director. . . . About 200 skaters come on summer afternoons and pay $8 or $9 to escape the inferno, often skating in T-shirts and shorts.

Boomers & Boards

Kurt Richards’ family opened Val Surf & Sport in North Hollywood in the ‘60s. Most surfers are teenagers to 25-year-olds. . . . But some baby boomers have gotten back into the game, buying 9-foot boards versus the speedier 6-foot models. It’s a concession to slowing reflexes, but longboards make it “easier to catch the wave,” he says.

Gaining Altitude

There’s also been a spurt in sales of mountain climbing gear at REI sporting goods in Northridge. . . . To keep up interest, there’s a 45-foot practice climbing wall, with beginner to advanced climbs, open Thursdays and Saturdays.