Two decades ago, the Southern California seaside town of Huntington Beach applied for — and was ... nibbled funnel cake on the Boardwalk or splashed at Seabright was perplexed.

6:30am: A friend and I are dropped off at Seal Beach Municipal Pier. I’m on a hybrid mountain bike in a ski helmet; she’s on a road bike in a skate helmet. We begin cruising down the boardwalk through ...