Along an idyllic stretch of the California coastline, a gaggle of bronzed surfers tackle magnificent waves whipped up in the Pacific Ocean by gale-force winds.

Most of the time, Huntington Beach is a surfing haven – but even when it isn’t, nothing stops the long-haired, wetsuit-clad crowd who turn up with their boards in all weathers.

This is America’s “surf city”, a title it fought a 15-month court battle to keep.

But in recent years, Huntington Beach has found itself another claim to fame as California’s “Maga Capital”.

If the classic image of the west coast is of ultra-liberal, pot-smoking surfers, then “surf city” is a sign of the political revolution that is quietly under way in the Golden State.