In the pilot episode most of the principle characters appear and their interweaving storylines are introduced. While the plot is heavily laden with serious drama, there's undeniable comedic elements to all the plotlines.
Linc (Luke Perry) is a an ambitious promoter with his eye on young Shaun Yost (Greyson Fletcher), the grandson of surfing legend Mitch Yost (Bruce Greenwood). As the episode opens Linc approaches Mitch on the beach after a private surf. He's silently joined by a young stranger (Austin Nichols) who tells Mitch Yost to "get back into the game." Mitch has no patience with either visitor and impolitely shuns them both, but Linc isn't easily dismissed and hands Mitch a tape of Shaun in which the youngster is asking for backing from promoters. Mitch angrily takes the tape, and is even more upset to hear from Linc that Shaun is planning to compete at a surfing event that afternoon. When Linc leaves, Mitch has an odd
hallucination in which he seems to levitate several inches off the ground.
After watching Shaun's tape in the surf shop he runs with his wife Cissy (Rebecca De Mornay), Mitch confronts Cissy about helping Shaun with his surfing career. They're interrupted by Kai (Keala Kennelly), who works in the shop and obviously has a close relationship with the entire Yost clan and Shaun himself, who is being raised by his grandparents, since his father is hopelessly addicted to drugs. Both newcomers sense the tension in the room, and a seething Mitch quietly sends them both to the back room. Once alone again, Mitch tells Cissy that he forbids her to help Shaun ruin his life the way their son Butchie destroyed his. Cissy sarcastically responds, and Mitch tells her he has cancer - "right here! In my brain."
After Mitch leaves, Cissy tells Shaun to go to their friend Bill (Ed O'Neill) and have him take Shaun to the surfing event in Huntington. Shaun finds Bill's bird Zippy dead in his cage, but he miraculously recovers as Shaun pets him.
As Cissy is telling Kai about Mitch's brain cancer, she suddenly realizes what he's said and heads to the private club house behind the surf shop where Mitch goes to brood by himself. Banging on the door she forces her way in where she finds an oddly subdued Mitch who's convinced himself he's very sick. Angry but concerned Cissy suggests the "healing power of sex."
In bed together later, Mitch and Cissy are still estranged but at peace. Mitch wonders if he shouldn't try to film his levitations and Cissy tells him she'll pick him up a camera at the local warehouse. After she leaves, Mitch rises and gently places his feet on the floor, warily testing their ability to walk appropriately.
In another storyline, Mitch and Cissy's son Butchie (Brian Van Holt) has met and befriended the stranger on the beach. The odd and seemingly simple young man has an endless supply of money and a credit card that says he's John Monad. Butchie lives in a motel that has recently changed ownership, but he's not aware of the changes yet. Full of drugs and anger, Butchie calls his father when he finds out Shaun will be competing in Huntington. Their phone call escalates into a bawdy screaming match, but it also informs Mitch that Shaun is competing against his direct orders and that Cissy probably helped him do it. He shouts that he's on his way over and angrily hangs up.
When Mitch arrives in a snit at the motel neither he nor Butchie are aware of the motel's new owner, Barry Cunningham (Matt Winston), but Barry's very much aware of them. A recent lottery winner, Barry's returned to Imperial Beach to confront these two men whom he feels dreadfully wronged him years ago and scarred his life forever. As Barry watches their intense rage, he's overcome with his own sense of wrong and takes out his gun, shooting it into the air. Suddenly, father and son are united in a common problem as they take cover and try to piece together who this newcomer might be. In the meantime, Bill has been having car trouble driving Shaun to Huntington Beach and when a tire blows he decides to pull into the Snug Harbor Motel, where Butchie lives. They come upon the scene and Bill - who's an ex-policemen - disarms the suicidal Barry, much to the combined relief of Mitch and Butchie. John, who never seemed overly concerned about the drama, turns his attention to Shaun now and the two immediately bond.
Cissy's trip to the warehouse to buy a camera for Mitch has proved typically problematic. Over-reacting to a rude young clerk, she tips over his display and gets herself arrested. A now subdued Mitch and Butchie along with Shaun, Bill and John find themselves at the police department to bail Cissy out. As an ex-policeman Bill is appropriately effective, but Mitch must suffer the fawning attentions of attorney Meyer Dickstein, who's a sometime surfer and huge fan of his and has (unknown to Mitch) been responsible for Butchie's free board at the Snug Harbor Motel for the past few years. Barely able to conceal his lack of interest, Mitch responds with humorous sarcasm to each of Meyer's attempts to bond, and at the first opportunity walks away to take Butchie aside for a
private father-to-son conference. After some strained apologies, Mitch tells Butchie he's sick,
but as he's talking another levitation occurs, which Butchie (and probably Bill) witness. Mitch begins to realize he doesn't have brain cancer.
Expecting a lecture or worse, Cissy is pleased to find Mitch quietly forgiving. He suggests they all "get wet," and everybody ends up
at the beach where Shaun joins Butchie and a surprisingly adept John in a private surf party. Cissy
and Mitch watch proudly, but Mitch decides he's still not ready to surf publicly again. Bill - ever suspicious of the new stranger in their life - joins them.....
