Here’s my Beach Buddy Bruce, aka YouTube’s
Oceanside Trenchcoat Guy. I filmed this video when we were hanging out at the
beach on a recent Sunday morning.
Bruce is a well-known Oceanside, California, beach
personality. He’s been splashing in the water wearing a trench coat for about
five years. He’s been filmed, photographed, and/or interviewed, most likely by
hundreds of people, including Channel 8 San Diego’s own feature reporter Jeff
Zevely who spotlighted Bruce during a Zevely’s Zone interview in August 2017.
Yes, a man walking into the ocean while wearing
a trench coat is an unusual, sometimes even concerning, sight. Tourists have
called 911 on him several times, only to be assured that that’s Bruce and he’s
okay.
Bruce is well-liked and respected by the
locals and tourists who have taken the time to get to know him. People admire
him for having the courage to do what makes him happy. Oceanside residents and
former residents look forward to seeing the live videos he films almost every
day.
In addition to posting live videos on an
Oceanside community Facebook page and posting GoPro videos on his YouTube
channel, Bruce also posts short videos and photos on Instagram. At last count, he
has more than 4,000 people following him there.
One day, but probably not soon, I’ll post “Knock
Me Over,” the first video I filmed of Bruce. I did that two years ago, on a
wild night in June, when the angry sea continually catapulted water and rocks
onto and across the Strand, causing the powers-that- be to close the street.
[Note: I've blogged
about my Beach Buddy on Blogger before. To learn more about him, read my September
7, 2016 post.]
