Saving The Waves

New Fuerza Chile! Posters

2012-01-12T14:36:00.000-08:00

Check out these new rad posters by Dominick Frabizio. The artwork is cool, pulp mill pollution is not. Follow the links below for more creative works by Dominick.

www.brownstchronicles.blogspot.com
www.dominickfrabizio.blogspot.com

Click here to see how you can get involved to protect the coast and ocean in Chile.

Update on Sandbags at Sloat

2012-01-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

Save the Waves supports San Francisco’s proposal to use sandbags as a temporary bluff slope protection measure.

The City of San Francisco has recently obtained an emergency permit from the CA Coastal Commission to place sandbags along the shoreline of the Sloat region of Ocean Beach. This permit is intended to protect the Great Highway and Lake Merced Tunnel from potentially significant bluff retreat during the winter storm season. As seen throughout the last decade, storms can cause major bluff retreat at Ocean Beach and impacts infrastructure built too close to the coast, such as the Great Highway and Lake Merced Tunnel.

Unlike in previous years, however, San Francisco has opted to implement a relatively softer bluff protection measure. Sandbags are flexible, easily installed and easily removed, and do not have the same destructive impacts as rock and concrete revetments.

According to the design report, the Great Highway and Lake Merced tunnel will be temporarily protected from winter storm events by large sandbags that will be placed along the bluff toe and slope. Approximately 375 tan-colored, geo-textile sandbags will be used as bluff protection. The bags would be deposited in a 4-foot-wide by 70-feet long toe trench that would be excavated to a depth sufficient for 2 bags to be embedded.

While sandbags are indeed a step in the right direction from the destructive armoring strategies that the City has implemented in the past, it is important to urge San Francisco officials to move away from coastal armoring altogether and to adopt strategic relocation (a.k.a managed retreat), which is a more sustainable bluff protection and erosion control strategy.

Click here to watch a video of the sandbag placement, courtesy of Tom Prete/Ocean Beach Bulletin.

Here are photos taken in early January of the work:

Photos: Save The Waves Coalition

Save The Waves Film Festival Goes Off!

2011-11-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night the Victoria Theatre was the scene of the third-ever Save The Waves Film Festival, featuring a collection of short local films and the San Francisco premiere of Come Hell or High Water. The hooting nearly drowned out the movie soundtracks as the crowded theatre (a full, standing room only, sold out capacity crowd) rang out with deafening cries of joy for the great films screened.

Save The Waves Coalition thanks the presenting sponsors of Save The Waves Film Festival for their generous support of this non-profit fundraiser: Clif Bar, Rip Curl, Jim Beam and Patagonia.

A collection of locally made short films launched the evening's film festival after a welcome set of surf-drenched reggae by My Peoples: Surf for Life explored the philanthropic possibilities of grassroots surf tourism; Soundings celebrated the activist nature of surfers and ocean lovers; Great Highway celebrated the first surfers of San Francisco; and Save Sloat recounted the problems and solutions at the southern edge of San Francisco's Ocean Beach where the road, parking lots and city infrastructure are falling into the ocean.

Other notable happenings during Save The Waves Film Festival include an exclusive, on-stage interview with pro surfer Dusty Payne -- unfortunately cut short by a shark sighting; a very special wooden bodysurfing wetsuit handmade by local shaper Danny Hess; and a celebrity sighting of Giants relief pitcher Brian Wilson who was there to introduce his fellow bearded warrior, filmmaker Keith Malloy.

The night ended with legendary bodysurfers Mark Cunningham and Keith Malloy taking the stage to present their new film, Come Hell or High Water. The film was a resounding yet unlikely success due to its non comformist bodysurfing subject matter, and the crowd was elated. Over ten thousand dollars were raised for Save The Waves Coalition's campaign to Save Sloat and the World Surfing Reserves program.

Save The Waves Film Festival was also proudly supported by: 7x7 Magazine, Hog Island Oyster Company, Zola Acai, Pacifico, Peligroso Tequila, Ocean Vodka, My Peoples, San Franpsycho and Transworld Surf. More information about the film festival and the programs it supports can be found at www.savethewaves.org/filmfestival

The Skinny on the OB Lawsuit Against the City of SF

2011-10-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Haughey, Save The Waves Intern

On August 9, 2011, the California Coastal Protection Network (CCPN) filed suit against the City and County of San Francisco. CCPN argued that the City violated the California Coastal Act by failing to obtain a coastal development permit for development undertaken at Ocean Beach San Francisco.

The Coastal Act requires that anyone wishing to undertake development located within the coastal zone must obtain a coastal development permit. The coastal zone is an area that generally extends inland 1,000 yards from the mean high tide line of the sea, and the Coastal Act provides a broad definition of what actions constitute “development.” Among other requirements, the permit applicant must describe the proposed development project and its intended uses, describe ecological characteristics of the proposed location, and include feasible alternatives or mitigation measures which would substantially lessen any significant adverse impacts. After reviewing the application and considering public comments, staff reports and oral presentations, the California Coastal Commission ultimately determines if the proposed development should go forward. This process ensures a careful assessment of the proposed development’s impacts on the environment.

CCPN alleged in its complaint that the City violated the Coastal Act in the following way:

The City failed to obtain a coastal development permit for the construction of a 600-foot-long rock revetment on Ocean Beach San Francisco between Sloat and Skyline Boulevard on or about the year 1997.
While the quarry revetment was supposedly temporary and put in place only under emergency conditions in response to erosion damage from El Niño storm events, CCPN believes the City has dumped rocks, concrete sidewalk, pavement, rebar, metal poles and other rubbish onto the beach since 1997 without permits from the Coastal Commission. The Ocean Beach-Great Highway Storm Drainage Protection Project Final Report (May 2005) supports this allegation. The report stated that the 1997 revetment, “does not meet coastal engineering design standards” and would “experience a faster rate of degradation than an engineered structure and will require maintenance….” As the erosion continued and the revetment became less effective for protecting the bluff, it would be reasonable to believe other measures were taken to protect the beach, such as continuing to dump debris, with or without the proper authorization
The City experimented with another strategy to curtail the effects of erosion: dredging sand from the Golden Gate shipping channel and dumping it into shallow waters on Ocean Beach from 2006 and continuing until the present without permits from the Coastal Commission. Without the necessary authorization, this action is illegal, as well as potentially destructive to marine ecosystems of Ocean Beach.
The City was out of compliance with several conditions attached to Emergency Permit 2-10-003-G, including the finalized length of the revetment being 15 linear feet longer than what was approved in the emergency permit (the revetment was 440 linear feet, not the approved length of 425 linear feet). Additionally, the City failed to submit a complete application for a coastal development permit by the specified deadline in 2010.

Coastal erosion is a serious concern and will only worsen as climate change increases wave intensity. However, creating a wall of rubbish and debris to deflect impending sea level rise and erosion has proven to be ineffective and costly. The Ocean Beach-Great Highway Storm Drainage Protection Project (2005) even conceded that the 1997 revetment was inadequate because erosion was observed above the revetment due to wave run-up and windblown spray. Yet, the City of San Francisco has continued to use coastal armoring as its quick fix to erosion and has ignored arguments made by environmental groups, university professors, scientists and San Francisco residents for the implementation of a managed retreat and strategic relocation approach to erosion.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

Apart from its involvement in the CCPN lawsuit, the City may:

Apply for another emergency permit in response to erosion damage from weather-related events in the winter months. Given the uncooperative nature of the City, the Commission may be reluctant to grant an emergency permit that permits the implementation of the destructive and ineffective coastal armoring method to erosion control previously used by the City.
Resubmit an application for a coastal development permit for its development at Ocean Beach. The City’s preferred method of erosion control is obvious: coastal armoring. One may argue that it is unlikely that the Commission would change its mind on the issue and approve an application that is substantially the same development as the City’s previous application (rock revetment). Instead, the Commission may welcome an application that incorporates sustainable erosion control measures such as managed retreat (strategic relocation).

For more information on the Save The Waves' campaign to Save Sloat! and ways that you can take action, please visit www.savethewaves.org/save-sloat. To sign the petition to Save Sloat!, please visit http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/220/377/665/.

Come Hell or High Water on November 4

2011-10-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

Come Hell or High Water on November 4th in San Francisco

Keith Malloy’s directorial debut surf film, Come Hell or High Water, will premiere in San Francisco on Friday, November 4 at Save The Waves Film Festival. Tickets to Save The Waves Film Festival are now available for purchase online at www.savethewaves.org/filmfestival - be sure to get your tickets now.

Californian Keith Malloy of the Malloy clan steps out for his debut feature film in this unique exploration of bodysurfing. This is perhaps the greatest surfing film ever made, and not a single surfboard appears in it. Nearly anyone who has been in the ocean has bodysurfed, and the film appreciates these humble roots while also celebrating the dedicated characters who devote their lives to bodysurfing.

Save The Waves Film Festival is a non-profit fundraiser and all proceeds benefit the local Save Sloat and World Surfing Reserves programs of Save The Waves Coalition. This is a one-night, cutting-edge film festival event featuring documentary surf films, activists, athletes and artists who champion the human and environmental elements of surfing and ocean conservation.

Other films at Save The Waves Film Festival include a director’s cut of “Another Day in the Life of Wayne Lynch” by Cyrus Sutton, and a special short cut of “Great Highway” about the legendary surfing history of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach.

Save The Waves Film Festival is proudly presented by Clif Bar, Patagonia, Jim Beam, and the Rip Curl Pro Search “Somewhere in San Francisco.”

Save The Waves Film Festival is also supported by Zola Acai, Pacifico, Hog Island Oyster Company, 7x7 Magazine, Ocean Vodka, Peligroso Tequila, My Peoples, TransWorld Surf, and San Franpsycho.

Get your tickets now! This event is 21 and over only, please bring identification to be checked at the door. Ticketing and all event details can be found at www.savethewaves.org/filmfestival

The future of Ocean Beach: dangerous debris piles or natural sandy beach?

2011-08-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

Published by the Ocean Beach Bulletin: http://oceanbeachbulletin.com/2011/08/10/the-future-of-ocean-beach-dangerous-debris-piles-or-natural-sandy-beach/

Opinion By Mark Massara

What do we want the southern part of Ocean Beach to be like in the future? Do we want an industrialized beach cluttered with chunks of broken sidewalks and old pavement, or do we want a place where careful management allows for surfing, fishing or simply walking along the shore? It’s time to choose.

The California Coastal Commission recently struck an important blow in the struggle over the future of Ocean Beach by rejecting an unwise and ineffective plan to dump more rubble onto the sandy beach in an ultimately counterproductive attempt to protect nearby wastewater infrastructure.

But as significant as it is, the commission’s decision is just one piece of a complex, long-term process of choosing a path for an area of precious coastline where for more than 15 years San Francisco City bureaucrats have dumped rocks, sidewalk and pavement debris, rebar, poles, and other assorted junk and rubbish onto the beach and into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area with astonishing regularity and commitment.

Coastal Commission rebukes San Francisco

In July the California Coastal Commission unanimously denied a formal request by San Francisco to leave in place the debris it has strewn across Ocean Beach from Sloat Boulevard south to the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant, including hundreds of feet of rock revetments built without permits in 1997, and the commission also refused the City’s request to add even more rubble and two retaining walls.

The Coastal Commission is tasked with upholding the California Coastal Act, the landmark coastal-protection initiative passed in 1972 by voters. The act is designed to protect coastal resources and public access to beaches.

The entire Coastal Commission staff analysis, including vivid photographs, is available online. Photographs over the past 50 years are available at the California Coastal Records Project, and the San Francisco Surfrider Foundation maintains a blog regarding the situation.

To put the matter in context, the entire area, which now resembles a third-world war zone, is actually a national park — part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Imagine if the City of Merced suddenly concluded that the Merced River through Yosemite Valley posed a danger, and tried a stunt like dumping old sidewalks and rebar in Yosemite Park.

The Coastal Commission ruled the situation untenable and the City’s strategy, or lack thereof, unacceptable. As the hearing unfolded, commissioners were astonished that instead of a long-term plan to deal with continuing erosion, the City was instead asking for permission to continue to dump junk onto the beach.

During the hearing the City took the position that “vital infrastructure” is threatened and must be protected. What wasn’t clear, though, is what the City considers “vital” and at what point it is considered “threatened.”

For example, the restroom at the Sloat Boulevard parking lot and the roadway could easily be moved to provide for managed retreat and bluff restoration. Restored bluffs are the best defense for a rising ocean. In fact, the National Park Service, in their letter to the Coastal Commission regarding the Sloat situation, said it believes the rock revetments constructed by the City are actually exacerbating erosion in the area. This would confirm what experts have long known — that sea walls and shoreline armoring don’t stop erosion, they make it worse.

Coastal Commission members took umbrage at San Francisco’s use of trash to stop erosion, a technique long ago discredited in California. Commissioner Brian Brennan from Ventura pointed to a successful program of rock removal and shoreline retreat and restoration at the Ventura Fairgrounds in Southern California.

Commissioner Mark Stone of Santa Cruz County referred to a project in which his county spent many millions of dollars along East Cliff Drive at Pleasure Point to construct a vertical seawall. In contrast to San Francisco’s proposal, that seawall visually matches the existing bluff, and includes formal stairways, emergency-escape goat trails, view benches, parks, restrooms, and hiking and biking trails.

Other commissioners concurred that the type of debris dumping San Francisco has engaged in would never be permitted in any other California coastal community. The fact that the City claims on its website to be the “Greenest City in North America” just adds insult to the abuse done at Ocean Beach.

In legal terms, all the debris is now illegal. The illegality is ironic inasmuch the San Francisco Board of Supervisors basically ordered the Department of Public Works to stop dumping rocks, remove old debris and do long term planning for the Sloat area way back in 1999 [EDITOR'S NOTE: City and County of San Francisco, Board of Supervisors, Resolution 698-99, File 991163, Resolution on Ocean Beach and Great Highway Emergency Authorization. July 30, 1999]. Yet DPW, for reasons not clear, ignored Mayor Willie Brown and the Board of Supervisors, and has continued to run amok and make a mess of the area since.

What happens next is that the City will be given an opportunity to remove the offending debris and rocks. Should San Francisco continue to ignore the Coastal Act they will be subject to fines and penalties of up to $15,000 per day. Based upon DPW’s past actions and continuing reliance on lobbyists urging more dumping of rocks and rubbish, tens of millions of dollars in civil fines and penalties are a distinct possibility.

What does the future hold for Ocean Beach?

Fortunately, in addition to the 1999 Board of Supervisors resolution, there is an ongoing master-plan effort for Ocean Beach that will be concluded around the end of the year. In public meetings thus far, activists and the National Park Service have shown overwhelming support for the protection of natural resources at Ocean Beach. This was the case in 1999, and this sentiment has been present in the work of Friends of Ocean Beach and the Ocean Beach Task Force as well as every other public participation process ever convened regarding management of the beach. As far as the record stands, the only organization to ever support throwing trash and junk onto the beach is DPW.

Further, genuine long-term planning and strategic-retreat analysis are clearly needed and necessary. Yet despite requests from the Board of Supervisors and the Coastal Commission, DPW has steadfastly refused to engage in future planning. Based upon the most reliable scientific analysis available, seas are expected to rise approximately 4.5 feet over the next 80 years, a dramatic increase over the 9-inch rise over the past century. If such forecasts prove to be accurate, much of the beach and oceanside development in San Francisco will be drowned, creating an urgent need for adaptive and resilient planning now.

One view of the situation at Ocean Beach is that if future armoring is needed south of Sloat, it should be limited to the Oceanside water-treatment facility, meaning that DPW should plan now to move beach amenities, sewage connector pipes, and the roadway. None of it needs to happen tomorrow. It could be planned in phases over many decades. And future armoring of the water-treatment facility should coincide with tidal reconnection of the ocean with the northern portion of Lake Merced, to provide a safety relief valve wherein ocean energy can be directed into part of Lake Merced, either by pipeline or an open ocean inlet.

For those who care about the future of Ocean Beach, now is the time to join the Coastal Commission in rebuking DPW and its insistence on continuing to dump debris in a national park. For without your voice, and the continued watchdog efforts and legal fines and penalties, DPW is unlikely to change course in future years.

Mark Massara is a longtime Ocean Beach resident and an environmental lawyer specializing in coastal resource protection.

Help Stop the Permit for More Armoring at OB!

2011-07-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Inner Bar Surf at South Sloat - Threatened By Backwash

Heads up friends,

The California Coastal Commission is set to have a vote on SFDPW's permit application to expand armoring at Sloat Boulevard.

The meeting will be on Wednesday July 13, at Marin County Board of Supervisors 3501 Civic Center Drive Rm 330 San Rafael starting at 9am.

This is the set of permits that goes way beyond the work needed to finish last year's emergency repairs. We have already sent in well over 100 letters from our supporters, as well as spoke directly with the Commission about this issue.

Our main point remains that permitting the expansion of armoring is unnecessary, and will only serve to undermine a primary goal of the SPUR Ocean Beach Master Plan process. That objective is to create a long term plan for Ocean Beach erosion shaped by all stakeholders - public, government, and non-profits.

Please come on down to comment in person if you can. If not, you are always welcome to send letters directly to the Commission. They don't allow email, so please print out your letters and send them via traditional mail: Here's the contact info.

North Central Coast District Office
Charles Lester, Senior Deputy Director
Ruby Pap, District Supervisor

45 Fremont Street, Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94105-2219
(415) 904-5260 or
(415) 904-5200
FAX (415) 904-5400

Click this link for the meeting agenda.

Thanks!

Blog posting originally posted by Bill McLaughlin of Surfrider SF.

The Search for Solutions to Erosion Issues at Surfer's Beach

2011-06-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Photo of Surfer's Beach by Brian Overfelt

Efforts continue to find solutions to protect Surfer's Beach in Half Moon Bay, California. The construction of a breakwater to create the harbor in 1961 has exacerbated erosion rates by causing more sand to be deposited on the harbor side. Now only a thin strip of beach remains at Surfer’s Beach, limiting recreational uses of the beach, threatening habitat for the federally threatened western snowy plover, and eroding away the embankment of Highway 1.

Several possible solutions have been looked at, including building an artificial reef, poking a hole in the breakwater to see if circulation could be restored, building a small structure to trap sand and hall it away, and dredging. In order to discover whether any of these options would actually help the problem, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have first planned a study that takes into account all the factors that are causing the erosion. The impacts of these possible solutions have also yet to be assessed.

To establish baseline conditions for this study, the engineers partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to disperse tide gauges and buoys to collect information about the wind, waves, and water to help them understand the problem and how to solve it. The Corps of Engineers, in partnership with San Mateo County Harbor district, presented these baseline conditions at a recent public meeting on June 6, 2011 in order to gain local community and general public input on the problem.

The engineers will spend the summer analyzing data and calibrating a model of Surfer’s Beach, and then later this year will propose alternatives for the beach to the community.

Grommets Need a Place to Surf...

2011-05-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Keep Following Us on Facebook

2011-05-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

One of the recent changes to Facebook is the new limited newsfeed feature. You may have noticed that you are only seeing updates in your newsfeed from a few people, and that, whilst the same circle of people are commenting on your news, everyone else seems to be ignoring you. Well, the likelihood is that no one has actually blocked you. "New Facebook" has a newsfeed setting that, by default, is automatically set to only show people you've interacted with recently. Any other friends are now invisible to you and you to them.

TO FIX THIS:

Scroll down to the bottom of the Newsfeed on your HOME page and click on "Edit Options". In the popup, click on the dropdown menu next to 'Show posts from:' and select "All Of Your Friends and Pages" and then click Save.

By doing this, you will receive newsfeeds from all your friends and pages. This will ensure that you will receive important updates about protecting coastlines and the ocean worldwide from Save The Waves.

Save Sloat!!!

2011-05-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

The original Strategic Relocation vision from the Ocean Beach Task Force 2002: Courtesy of Brad Evans and Bob Battalio of Phillips Williams and Associates.

Information courtesy of Bill McLaughlin of Surfrider San Francisco

As has been done throughout the world, the City of San Francisco has been developed right up to the edge of the coastline in Ocean Beach. The bluffs have been eroding slowly over time, but early in 2010, much of California was battered by a series of powerful winter storms. Coastal erosion was widespread. At Ocean Beach, the area south of Sloat Boulevard was hit particularly hard. Up to 30 feet of sandy bluff washed away exposing large amounts of concrete debris. The southbound lane of the Great Highway was undermined and fell off the cliff onto the beach.

On January 15th a declaration of emergency was issued by the SF Department of Public Works (SFDPW) to protect City infrastructure in area. In addition to the Great Highway, a wastewater tunnel that runs underneath that road was thought to be in danger of being unearthed. Acting under emergency powers, the agency began construction of a 440 foot long wall of boulders (or rock revetment) to halt the erosion and to protect the tunnel and what remained of the road. Surfrider Foundation San Francisco Chapter and Save the Waves Coalition joined forces to oppose the revetment and have argued the need for a more sustainable long-term plan.

So now, engineers under the SPUR Master Plan and key city officials are beginning to form alternative long term plans for Sloat Erosion. The next public workshop which will offer citizens an opportunity to weigh in on this issue will be June 4. Location TBA. In the meantime Surfrider San Francisco would like to begin a deeper discussion of our preferred plan: Strategic Relocation (also known as Managed Retreat). Below is a series of links in which Strategic Relocation was used to respond to coastal erosion events in California. These three examples involve public infrastructure that was being threatened by an encroaching high tide line, as well as the need to remove fill/rubble and add sand in its place. Note the 2 local projects. Successful examples of this strategy are found in our own backyard...

MAKING THE CASE FOR STRATEGIC RELOCATION (CLICK THE LINKS BELOW):

SURFER'S POINT - Ventura, Ca:
SURFER'S POINT (PWA PROJECT WEBSITE)
SURFER'S POINT (NOAA WEBSITE)
SURFER'S POINT (SURFRIDER WEBSITE)
SURFER'S POINT (VENTURA RIVER WEBSITE)

PACIFICA STATE BEACH (Lindamar) - Pacifica, Ca
PACIFICA STATE BEACH (PWA PROJECT WEBSITE)

CRISSY FIELD - San Francisco, Ca
CRISSY FIELD (PWA PROJECT WEBSITE)

+ LIFE IS A WAVE 2011 +

2011-04-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

111 Minna Gallery - San Francisco - June 10, 2011

A Few Minutes Could Help Save Two Irish World-Class Breaks

2011-04-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

Photo of Crab Island by Mickey Smith.

The fight continues to save Doolin Point and Crab Island. Despite the recent approval by the Clare County Council to build a pier that threatens the world-class waves of Crab Island and Doolin Point, the project now must acquire a foreshore license by the Department of the Environment, which is being applied for now. Please urge the Department of the Environment to rethink this project. Letters must arrive before the 21st of April, so don’t wait. Send you letter today! See guidelines below.

The Foreshore Unit,
Department of Environment, Heritage, and Local Government,
Newtown Road,
Wexford.
Ireland

Date: ____________

Re: Section 19 of the Foreshore Act, 1933. Clare Co. Co. application to Mr. Phil Hogan T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government for permission to occupy an area of foreshore at Doolin, Co. Clare for the purpose of constructing an access road, pier structure and associated dredging works at Doolin Pier, Doolin, Co. Clare.
Ref: MS/51/11/234

Dear Sir/Madam,

The following points are of concern and we would ask each of you to choose some of these points and maybe add some additional issues of your own, elaborate upon them with a few sentences and submit to the above address by post to arrive before 21st April 2011. The following points are the opinion of the West Coast Surf Club in light of our assessment of the proposed development:

• The new pier structure has the potential to destroy a highly regarded surfing wave at Doolin Point and potentially have a significant impact on the surfing quality of the world renowned wave at Crab Island.
• The new pier structure will be located where surfers currently safely access the water. The new development will result in a significant danger to surfers as they will have to enter the water at either the shore side of the pier, crossing the ferry paths, or at the seaward side of the pier where the reef is extremely dangerous and this will be compounded with the backwash from the new pier.
• The proposed pier, as designed, will create significant currents in the water in and around the area where surfers paddle. This will create a serious health and safety hazard and surfers may be dragged onto rocks, the new revetment or into the paths of ferries.
• The proposed pier is of an extremely large scale which will be visible from many surrounding areas, in particular the renowned views of the point from the hills to the south.
• The pier will involve significant blasting and dredging of the seabed. The full impacts that these activities will have on the environment in and around the subject site have not been assessed appropriately. The works will have potentially disastrous repercussions for different aquatic species in the area including dolphins. A full Environmental Impact Statement should be prepared.
• The pier requires a new tarmac access road which will be constructed on the existing limestone pavement at Doolin Point.
• The development could have a significant impact on the amenity value of the Doolin area for surfers, sightseers, walkers, bird watchers, hikers, due to its size, and location.
• There is a need for a new pier. However, a design which will not have the above negative impacts can be provided and should be designed as an alternative to the current proposal.

The above points are to guide you in your submission. However, we would ask you to make your submission as personal and unique as possible. Please include your full address in the submission.

Follow this effort on the "How You Can Help Save Crab Island" Facebook page.

Contact the West Coast Surf Club at info@westcoastsurfclub.com for more information.

Will Peru Take the Final Steps to be a Global Leader in Surf Spot Protection?

2011-04-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

Photo: Leonel Romero

Ten years ago the Peruvian Government passed Law 27280, the Law for the Preservation of Waves. This world’s first federal law that specifically protects surf spots actually includes an official registry of waves, listed by geographic coordinates, and these waves are protected from physical harm under this law.

However, this important law hasn’t gone into effect yet. For the law to be implemented, several ministries, federal agencies, and institutions must “approve” its language and enshrine it as the rule of the land. As a consequence, Peruvian waves are still facing constant threats.

Photo: Web ISA

Peru is blessed with a coastline of world-class breaks, some of the top surfers on the globe, a vibrant surf culture, and a fascinating surf history. Many Peruvians have recognized the importance of protecting the coastline to not only preserve Peru’s heritage, but also for the country’s economy. Peru has become a top surf destination, with national and international surfers chasing swell up and down the coast.

To keep the pressure on the Peruvian government to implement Law 27280, more than 100 surfers and body boarders recently paddled out at Playa Waikiki in Miraflores, Lima to ask authorities to implement Law 27280. Check it out:

FENTA, Sociedead Peruana de Derecho Ambiental, and Save The Waves will continue to urge the Peruvian government to protect its breaks by implementing this landmark legislation.

A Year after the Earthquake and Tsunami, the Battle for Clean Water Continues in Chile

2011-03-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Chilean coastline stretches 2,700 miles, extending across 38 degrees of latitude. That’s comparable to the stretch of Pacific coastline from La Paz, Mexico to Northern British Colombia, Canada. It is a country with the wildest geography, a string bean of land with so many climate types, from some of the driest deserts, areas with a Mediterranean climate, humid subtropics like Easter Island, to cold mountainous regions and numerous islands in the south.

It’s a magnificent coastline that not only provides habitat for otters, dolphins, whales, and many other coastal and marine species, but also some of the best surf on the planet.

In February of 2010, Chile was hit with a magnitude 8.8 earthquake and ensuing tsunamis that devastated more than 400 miles along the coast and took the lives of many Chileans. Being uniquely positioned to assist with relief efforts following the disasters, last year Save The Waves, spearheaded by my predecessor Josh Berry, delivered supplies and equipment to the Chilean people and assisted with community projects to get people back on their feet. Among other supplies, the Save The Waves team delivered 1,000 water filters that allowed over 10,000 Chileans to have access to clean water immediately after the disaster.

Visiting the region, I completely understood why Save The Waves decided to undertake the relief project. With good-natured and hospitable people and a coastline like this, it was not an option to sit idle. The STW team felt obligated to support the people who have worked with us side by side for the past five years on conservation and water quality issues. The health of the coastal and marine habitat and wildlife also depends on the well-being and vitality of the Chilean coastal communities.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located just off the coast of Cobquecura in the Bíobío region (southwest of Santiago). Tsunami waves headed northeast and southeast of the epicenter, hitting Constitución, Pelluhue, and Curanipe hard in the north and Talcahuano, Dichato, and Concepción in the south. The destruction of the natural disaster is astounding. Countless times my partners would point out what was a structure and now is only dirt. They would say, “There used to be houses here, a restaurant there, or a theater was over there.” In Constitución, at the mouth of the Maule River communities built on the southwest banks were completely washed away.

One year later, many of the affected towns are still struggling to recuperate and return to some sense of normalcy of life before the earthquake. Communities are rebuilding, although some people are still living in camps that were meant to be temporary. Seeing the aftermath of the disaster still an everyday reality one year later, my thoughts turned to the current situation of the people of Japan who were hit by a worse fate just days before my trip to Chile.

While immediate needs understandably have taken priority following the earthquake and tsunami, water quality remains an issue for the coastline where industrial giants rule the land. In 2008, Save The Waves, having worked in the region for years, founded the Maule Itata Vigilante Costero (Coastkeeper), in partnership with the environmental legal nonprofit FIMA. The mission of the Maule Itata Coastkeeper is to monitor the quality of water along this region from the Maule River to the Itata River, along Chile south central coast. Rodrigo de la O works to monitor the coast, provide environmental education, and to build the local community’s capacity to serve as advocates on water quality issues. Charismatic, humble, and passionate, Rodrigo works with the local community to protect the Maule and Bíobío region’s coastal heritage.

In 2006, despite vehement opposition from Save The Waves and local groups like Salvemos Cobquecura, a new pulp mill plant owned by the company CELCO was constructed in the valley of the Itata River. The plant, the Nueva Aldea Forestry and Industrial Complex, is the largest plant of its kind in the county with the capacity to produce more than 800,000 tons of bleached pulp per year. Originally dumping waste directly into the Itata River, CELCO constructed a 50-kilometer pipeline, completed three years after the plant’s opening in 2009, to carry the plant’s effluent underground through the region’s agricultural lands and out into the ocean. This effluent carries the byproducts of pulp production, which includes the use of chlorine to bleach the pulp leaving highly toxic organochlorines like dioxins and furans. Standing at the mouth of the river near the last section of the duct, the earth trembles from pumps underground forcing the waste into the ocean. This waste is deposited into the ocean along a stretch of perfect left point breaks that dominate the region.

North of the Nueva Aldea plant, Constitución, once called the Pearl of Maule, is a town that has been living with the realities of pulp mill production since the late 1960’s. The pulp mill plant occupies prime coastline of the town and emits fumes that burn your eyes and nostril, reeking of toxic cabbage. A friend traveling with us, who is from Constitución, shows us the best place to get a birds eye view of the plant and points to an open space on the hill and says, “This is where we played as kids.” The consent amongst the townspeople is that air quality is now better following the installation of several air filters. Downwind of the plant, I couldn’t imagine what it was like before.

These plants transform pine and eucalyptus and into wood products and pulp to be later processed at paper plants. In the northwestern coastlines of the region BioBio and Maule, the forestry industry owns a great majority of the coastal and adjacent land where Pine and Eucalyptus, both exotic, highly invasive, quick-growing, and water consuming species. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, from 1985 to 1995, Chile lost nearly 2 million hectares of native forest, decimating local ecosystems and biodiversity.

Despite the forestry/pulp mill industry’s intent to turn the land into a profit machine, the coast is breathtaking with grasslands and forests with a rocky coast along perfect left point breaks stretching down every few kilometers. Pockets of wetlands and native Maule coastal forest habitat remain amidst the vast rows of tree farms.

The Mediterranean climate, comparable to that of California, allows small-scale farmers—at least 40,000 along the valley of the Itata River—to produce grapes, corn, wheat, potatoes, berries and other crops in the fertile lands. Along the rocky coast, artisanal fishermen live of the sea by catching Merluza, Pejerrey, Jaibe, Reineta, Corvina, Congrio, Robalo, Lenguado, and other seafood.

In addition to pulp mill pollution, another threat is lurking in the shadows for this region. A coal-fired project called Los Robles is proposed for coastal land just north of the big wave spot Santos del Mar in the Maule Region. The project entails the construction of a 750-megawatt coal-burning facility and industrial port. Pulverized coal shipments from Australia would be unloaded there, damaging the ecosystem and polluting the ocean with ashes and toxic wastewater.

More than twenty proposals are approved or pending for the construction of similar coal-powered plants throughout Chile, many slated for the coast. Despite this overwhelming number of proposals, community organizing efforts have paid off in other regions like in Barrancones where controversial plans to build a thermoelectric plant near a protected area in the northern Chilean region of Coquimbo were cancelled. This victory illustrates the need to stay united and mobilized to protect the coast and ocean.

Up against powerful polluting industries and a pro-business government that bows to company interests, every day, local and international heroes are working for communities’ rights to clean water and air, as well as the right to a sustainable livelihood. Individuals from groups like the Maule Itata Coastkeeper, Salvemos Cobquera, Accion Ciudadana Pro-Defensa De La Costa Del Maule, Conservación Patagonica, Patagonia Sin Represas, Greenpeace, FIMA, Terram, and many others. In addition to these groups, many everyday residents (fishermen and landowners) have become leaders by drawing a line in the sand, sticking to principal, and refusing to accept bribes to overlook pollution created by powerful companies.

Save The Waves is continuing to work in the region to engage and support community members to participate as advocates to address water quality and coastal conservation issues. Like our colleagues at Maule Itata Coastkeeper say, our movement is about “Aguas Limpias, Communidades Fuertes (clean water, strong communities).” That about sums it up, although I might add “Olas Perfectas” (perfect waves) to the tag line for it to be ideal.

- Katie Westfall, Environmental & Program Director

Santa Cruz, California & Ericeira, Portugal Approved as World Surfing Reserves

2011-03-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

World Surfing Reserves announced that two nominated surf zones – Santa Cruz in Northern California and Ericeira in Portugal – have been formally approved and will be dedicated as World Surfing Reserves (WSRs). The two iconic surf regions will join Malibu, California, which was dedicated as the first World Surfing Reserve in October 2010, and Manly Beach, Australia, which was approved in 2010 and is awaiting dedication sometime in 2011, as the first sites to receive the prestigious WSR designation.

Beautiful barrels at Natural Bridges, Santa Cruz.

The Santa Cruz zone, approximately 11 km (7 miles) of coast extending from Natural Bridges on the western end to Opal Cliffs just east of Pleasure Point, is made up of a dense collection of cold-water dream waves and is steeped in surfing tradition. The zone is best known for the iconic spots at Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point, both world-renowned righthand pointbreaks.

“I can’t think of a more deserving location than Santa Cruz,” said the city’s most notable icon, Jack O’Neill, who invented the surfing wetsuit so he and his friends could surf the frigid waters back in the ‘50s and ‘60s. “It’s got so many amazing surf spots, a wonderful surf community, and it’s just a beautiful stretch of coast. The World Surfing Reserve designation will be a great way to help preserve the area.”

The clean lines of Ericeira, Portugal.

The Ericeira area of Portugal is a surf mecca for Portuguese and international surfers alike. The approved Ericeira surf zone consists of 4 km (2.5 miles) of coastline that contains a highly concentrated group of quality surf breaks, several of them world-class, including the popular Ribeira d’Ilhas and other world-renowned breaks.

“Ericeira is such a diverse surfing coastline, it has something for everyone,” said WCT professional surfer Tiago Pires, who grew up surfing there. “There are big waves, small waves, expert waves, and beginner waves. I love this area, and I’m glad to see it get the recognition it deserves, as well as a tool to help better protect it.”

World Surfing Reserves seeks to designate and protect the most important and cherished surf areas around the world, in partnership with local surf communities. WSR sites are nominated and selected based on four major criteria: quality and consistency of waves, importance to surf culture and history, environmental characteristics, and community support. So far over a hundred sites have been submitted for consideration for WSR status from 34 different countries.

Ten-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater, who lent his support to the World Surfing Reserves movement last year, also expressed his strong backing for Santa Cruz and Ericeira. “Any time we have a chance to officially preserve a beach or specific surf break, I'm all for it,” he said. “World Surfing Reserves is setting the bar high and far-reaching by covering the globe with the next group of beaches to be protected. I look forward to the dedications and future protection those beaches – as well as many others – will see.”

Beyond its cultural and aesthetic significance, each WSR is a meeting of land and sea selected for the unique and salutary nature of its waves and natural setting. The dedication of each WSR seeks the protection of this coastal zone of waves and habitat from inappropriate development, through international and local partnership that builds community around conservation, to improve and dictate stewardship of the area.

About World Surfing Reserves
World Surfing Reserves (WSR) proactively identifies, designates, and preserves outstanding waves, surf zones and their surrounding environments, around the world. WSR is an initiative launched by Save The Waves Coalition in 2009 in conjunction with National Surfing Reserves - Australia, and through additional partnerships with the International Surfing Association (ISA) and Stanford University’s Center for Responsible Travel (CREST).

For more information: www.worldsurfingreserves.org

Help Us Save The Waves in Peru!

2010-11-29T17:51:00.000-08:00

We're working on a campaign to promote the new Wave Protection Law in Peru. View the video and sign our petition below:

> Sign the petition here --- "Saving Peruvian Waves" - on ThePetitionSite.com

> Learn more about Peru's official federal Wave Protection Law by downloading the proposal here in our Save The Waves Library. (clicking on the link will automatically begin PDF download)

Save The Waves Bids Fond Farewell to Josh Berry

2010-11-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

Environmental Director moving on after five years with organization:

San Francisco, CA – November 23, 2010 – Save The Waves announced that current environmental director Josh Berry will be leaving the organization’s staff in December. Berry, who served as STW’s Chile program director for three years before serving as environmental director for the past two, will be leaving the organization to pursue other interests, including a months-long break from environmental work to refresh and recharge.

“I’m honored to have served as an advocate for the coastal environment on behalf of Save The Waves and the greater community,” says Berry. “I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished, from igniting a coastal environmental movement in Chile, to launching the World Surfing Reserves movement, to leading a major emergency relief operation in Chile. Save The Waves has proven repeatedly that with the right focus and passion, you can accomplish a great deal with humble resources.”

Berry leaves Save The Waves as the organization continues to grow in both size and awareness, leading a growing movement around the world to protect the coastal zone with particular emphasis on protecting surfing coastline. Berry, who also led Save The Waves’ Documentary Film program, also hasn’t ruled out collaborating with Save The Waves in the future, and will remain an active member on the organization’s Advisory Board.

“Josh has done amazing work for Save The Waves and has always had a no-nonsense attitude of getting things done,” says STW executive director Dean LaTourrrette. “He’ll definitely be missed, but at the same time he’s also laid solid groundwork for others to come in and continue this significant work. We’re looking forward to expanding on his work in Chile and beyond.”

Above: Josh and the STW Chile Relief ground team, Fall 2010. Photo by Geoffrey Ragatz.

Save The Waves is actively interviewing for a new environmental director, to continue to lead its environmental programs. Interested parties should contact the organization through email via "info at savethewaves dot org" or 831-426-6169.

Film Festival Awards

2010-11-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks to filmmakers Sachi Cunningham (Awesomest Filmmaker Award), Kyle Thiermann (Epic Grommet Activist Award) and Angel Marin (Fuerza Chile Award) for creating great work! Below are the awards that each won at Save The Waves Film Festival on November 12, 2010.

> View Sachi's new 3-part film: Chasing the Swell.

> Watch Kyle's rad new film: Buy Local, Surf Global.

> Enjoy Angel's film that screened at our film festival: Standing.

WAVES

2010-11-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

Last night in Malibu:

Ron Herman presents WAVES by Steven Lippman. Proceeds benefit Save The Waves. Info here.

Ben Marcus Chats With Save The Waves Film Festival

2010-11-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

Turns out that Save The Waves Film Festival is this Friday at the Victoria Theatre, somewhere in San Francisco. Josh Berry (the event producer for STW) offered a free ticket and no margaritas or poki, but he did add: “Hell, the bar sponsors are Ocean Vodka, Jim Beam, some rum, 21st Amendment Brewery, Peligroso Tequila, Zola Acai.”

That all sounded good but I still had reservations. First of all I worked at Surfer Magazine for 10 years and one of my claims to fame was starting the Surfer Magazine Surf Video Awards. This is a really big show now but when I did it the first four years, it was me and a guy named Fran Battaglia suffering the “one yard stare” sitting in an editing booth looking at hour after hour after hour after hour after hour after hour after hour of endless surf videos. Most of them numbingly the same. The Surfer Video Awards shows were great but I swore I would never watch another surf video again.

I come from a time a long time ago in a decade far far away, a time called the 1970s, when surf movies were actually movies, and shot on film. They were expensive to make and so they were rare, and it was a very big deal when a traveling surf movie would roll into town. Surf movies like Five Summer Stories and Free Ride were a big deal then - they were hard to make and special, in the times before the instant gratification of the Internet.

So I avoid surf videos but could be missing out, because sometimes I’ll see an impressive, interesting effort like the Kelly Slater documentary, and wonder what else I am missing.

I expressed that to Josh and he fouled it off: “We've got a short film called THE SURF MAGAZINES DON'T TALK ABOUT LAPSED CATHOLICS that you absolutely must see. Then we screen a short film collection that's 20 mins long, followed by a quick intro chat to the Mavericks short film CHASING THE SWELL (15 mins short), followed by a solid intermission with live music, and ended with 87 minutes of 180 SOUTH to finish the night. So you can sneak out at various opportunities but I recommend you see CHASING THE SWELL. And the short films that start the night are fricken good, no surf porn waste of space. I also passionately hate surf films, and this will be different if I've done my job.”

So that sounded promising. My other claim to fame at Surfer was writing the first story about Mavericks. My dad lived on Airport Road about a mile from the place and so I had been riding motorcycles up to the north of the spot since the 1970s, and used to see it break all the time. That led to me contacting Jeff Clark when I worked at Surfer and opening Pandora’s Bowl.

So the movies sounded good but I also told Josh I was allergic to hipsters. I said that one of the disadvantages of age is seeing endless generations of 20-somethings reinvent the wheel. When I was a kid, tattoos were low class and bad taste. Now that tattoos are hip, they’re truly vulgar. I said hipsters made me start sneezing and I didn’t want to disrupt the show.

I attended the premiere showing of 180 South in Santa Barbara last winter, and there were so many bearded 20-somethings in puffy Patagonia jackets, they had to haul me out of there on a crash cart. Josh Berry commiserated. He said that he, too, was allergic to hipsters, and he said that he, too, didn’t like surf movies. He apologized again for the lack of margaritas and/or poki, but hoped I would attend anyway.

Maybe I will and maybe I won’t but I am old and jaded. If you are young and fresh, it sounds pretty good: Save The Waves Film Festival is on Friday, Nov 12 at 7pm at the Victoria Theatre. Located at 2961 16th Street, San Francisco. Advance tickets sold here: www.savethewaves.org/filmfestival

- by Ben Marcus

Grommet Activist at Save The Waves Film Festival

2010-11-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

A new short film by our young surfer-activist friend and Save The Waves ambassador Kyle Thiermann will premiere at Save The Waves Film Festival:SHOP LOCAL, SURF GLOBAL documents Kyle as he physically follows his purchase of a piece of clothing from a local surf shop in Santa Cruz to its factory origins in Sri Lanka.

In this new film, exotic adventures ensue as he uncovers the mysterious origins of the manufacturing of all the hard goods we take for granted. See it first at Save The Waves Film Festival!

LAUNCH IT - this Thursday 11/11

2010-11-07T09:27:00.001-08:00

Join us on Thursday at the Park Chalet at SF's Ocean Beach for a Launch Party Happy Hour for Save The Waves Film Festival. We'll screen BALI HIGH - that 1981 surf travel classic with the awesome rock soundtrack - and CAPTURE, a documentary by Waves for Development.

We're at the Victoria Theatre on Friday - Save The Waves Film Festival:

Eco Surf Films, Art, Music at STW Film Festival

2010-10-28T09:57:00.001-07:00

SAVE THE WAVES FILM FESTIVAL is on Friday, November 12 at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco:

* Buy tickets here for STWFF * General Admission ($20) and VIP Admission ($50) tickets are on sale now!

Save The Waves Film Festival features the Malloy's 180 SOUTH surf adventure film; Dave Rastovich's new TRANSPARENT SEA; and Mickey Smith's DARKSIDE OF THE LENSE; the festival short films include fascinating heart-stoppers about the 2009-2010 Mavericks surf season, eco surf issues tackled by Save The Waves own film program, and local activist inspirations!

Featuring live music by MY PEOPLES (formerly Kapakahi) and a crazy art exhibit by Brooklyn artist MIKE HOUSTON.

Get your tickets now for this epic one-night event:

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/134687

Thank you. All proceeds benefit the non-profit environmental programs of Save The Waves Coalition.

All art in this post is made by Mike Houston.

Chile Relief - a One Photo Update

2010-10-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick shot of our Chile earthquake relief team at work. We built this greenhouse and now the ladies shown below are growing and selling flowers from it. With the profits they're rebuilding the homes destroyed in their neighborhood! They're doing really well. Photo by Geoffrey Ragatz.

Team Fuerza Chile at work. Geoffrey Ragatz photo.

- Click here for another Chile relief photo from last week. Full Chile relief update coming soon.

Malibu World Surfing Reserve Map

2010-09-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Click on map for larger image:

This is the official boundary map of the Malibu World Surfing Reserve. Join us on October 9 for the dedication and celebration in Malibu:

www.worldsurfingreserves.org

Join Us On October 9:

2010-09-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

MALIBU WORLD SURFING RESERVE
Dedication & celebration on October 9 in Malibu
Presented by Save The Waves Coalition

World Surfing Reserves Partners: Save The Waves Coalition, National Surfing Reserves & International Surfing Association
Malibu World Surfing Reserve Partners: California Coastal Commission, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Surfrider West Los Angeles/Malibu, County of Los Angeles, City of Malibu & Mayor "Zuma Jay," Project Save Our Surf, EcoHero Kids Foundation, Malibu Surfing Association, Surfing Heritage Foundation, NativeCalifornia.com.
Blue Ocean Supporters: Paul Mitchell, Body Glove, Billabong, Duke's Malibu.
Green Wave Supporters: Jim Beam, Primo, Clif Bar, Ocean Vodka, Rosenthal Winery, The Malibu Motel, Surfline, Patagonia, Peligroso Tequila, Volcom.
Thank you to the Malibu Local Stewardship Council: Michael Blum, Steven Lippman, Allen Sarlo, Bill Parr, Andy Lyon, Julie Cox, Dillon Perillo, and Josh Farberow.

~

Fundraiser tickets on sale now - buy tickets here - admission includes music by Jon Swift & Friends, buffet & open bar.

~

Schedule of Events for Malibu World Surfing Reserve on Saturday, October 9, 2010:

* 7AM - SUNRISE PADDLE OUT at First Point - free event & all are welcome!

* 11AM - DEDICATION CEREMONY at Surfrider Beach - free event & all are welcome!

* 7PM - FUNDRAISER CELEBRATION at Duke's Malibu - tickets on sale now - all ages. 7PM live music at Duke's with Jon Swift & Friends. Admission includes live music, hosted open bar and buffet.

Malibu photo courtesy of Bill Parr.

Project Save Our Surf Joins WSR

2010-09-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

Project Save Our Surf Bands Together with World Surfing Reserves

Organization joins Save The Waves Coalition in support for Malibu World Surfing Reserve

September 1, 2010 – World Surfing Reserves and Save The Waves Coalition announced collaboration with Project Save Our Surf, an organization dedicated to ocean and marine ecosystem conservation. Project SOS works in Southern California to advocate for clean beaches and oceans.

“Project Save Our Surf is in full support of the Malibu World Surfing Reserve, and is joining Save The Waves to help preserve one of our most sacred habitats: cherished surf breaks,” said actress, surfer and PSOS founder Tanna Frederick. “Malibu is being designated not only for its world class surf, but for its diverse wildlife, coastal ecosystem and native land as well.”

>>> Read more...

Project Save Our Surf in action at the "Surf24" event.

At Outside Lands Festival

2010-08-26T10:15:00.001-07:00

Save The Waves had an outreach & educational booth at Eco Lands in Golden Gate Park over the weekend of August 14. Below are some action photos:

We were giving away DIY sunblock until the Fire Dept shut that part down. (open flame)

Lots of people having fun means lots of waste to compost and recycle.

Grow your own salad!

Dean and Emily are awesome.

Monthly eNews

2010-08-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

Our monthly eNewsletter is out now:
> View Save The Waves August 2010 Newsletter.

Sign up here to receive our newsletter directly to your email inbox!

Outside Lands Kick Off Party!

2010-08-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

We're raffling tons of gear, photos and Outside Lands tickets at this event. Come over, have fun and help us raise funds for Save The Waves environmental programs:

Please join Save The Waves at our annual Outside Lands Kick Off Party! In the raffle you can win tickets to Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival and other great prizes including art, surf photography and surf gear. Then, follow it up with a > BEACH CLEAN UP on Saturday, August 14 at Ocean Beach, presented by Outside Lands, SF Surfrider, and Save The Waves.

Outside Lands Kick Off Party!
August 11, 2010
7:30pm
RAFFLE PRIZES, DRINK SPECIALS & MORE!

Location: John Colins Cocktails
138 Minna Street
San Francisco, California
>> Map link here.

All proceeds to benefit Save The Waves Coalition's nonprofit environmental programs. This event is produced in association with Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival and John Colins Cocktails.

> Map it here:

View Larger Map

>> Beach Clean Up on Saturday, August 14 at Ocean Beach. 10am.

New FCD Patagonia T Shirt Coming Soon

2010-07-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

New T shirt coming soon courtesy of Fletcher Chouinard Designs and Patagonia. Proceeds to benefit STW Chile disaster relief.

Malibu To Be Declared World Surfing Reserve

2010-07-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Legendary California surf break the first in global network of World Surfing Reserves

Save The Waves Coalition, in partnership with National Surfing Reserves Australia and the International Surfing Association, is proud to announce the forthcoming dedication of iconic Malibu Surfrider Beach as the first World Surfing Reserve.

The enshrinement ceremony for the Malibu World Surfing Reserve will be held at Surfrider Beach on October 9th. There will be a paddle-out celebration, daytime media event, and evening fundraiser to celebrate this special occasion. The October 9th event will also mark the commencement of a stewardship and preservation plan for Malibu aimed at building general awareness around the importance of protecting the world’s greatest, most cherished surf spots.

Malibu is California’s definitive pointbreak and one of the world’s first ‘perfect waves’. Following World War II, Malibu helped established directions in technology, surfing style, and the image of the sport that are still followed today. It remains a transcendent name: included in more than 75 surfing films, representative of a Southern California lifestyle, and represented by name on any number of products and businesses.

A Local Stewardship Council, made up of community members intimately familiar with and dedicated to surfing at Malibu, will be responsible for implementing the stewardship plan to protect Malibu’s environmental, cultural, social and economic benefits. Confirmed members of this Council include local surfing legends Allen Sarlo, Andy Lyon, and Steven Lippman, as well as community members Bill Parr and Michael Blum. Honorable Mayor of Malibu Jefferson Wagner, also known as Zuma Jay, has also voiced his enthusiastic support of the initiative. More stewards will be announced soon.

>> Read the full story here...

* All Malibu photos in this post by Bill Parr.

Letter for Ireland's Crab & Doolin

2010-07-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

From: Save The Waves Coalition
To: Senior Executive Officer of Planning
Clare County Council
Aras Contae an Chlair
County Clare, Ireland
Re: PL 10-8006 New Pier at Doolin, County Clare

To Whom It May Concern:

“The secret is officially out. Ireland is one of the top surfing destinations in the world.” – from Discover Ireland (www.discoverireland.ie)

This letter contains important arguments from Save The Waves Coalition about the proposed new pier, rock revetment and harbor development at Doolin near Crab Island in County Clare.

We respectfully yet adamantly request that planners of the project known as “PL 10-8006” in County Clare cancel current plans for the new harbor pier in Doolin and instead engage directly with the West Coast Surf Club and Irish Surfing Association to revisit alternative existing designs of this project. Alternate designs exist that do not damage the world class surfing waves at Crab Island and Doolin Point, and would ensure that surfers accessing the waves are not endangered by passing ferries.

Save The Waves Coalition is a nonprofit organization based in California with thousands of supporters worldwide, and our sole mission is to protect surf spots and their surrounding environments. It has come to our attention that the proposed design for rock revetment and new pier extension at Doolin would destroy the quality of the surfing waves at Crab Island and Doolin Point, due to wave backwash and wave energy reflection created by the new pier construction. Furthermore, surfers who visit the waves at Crab Island and Doolin Point would be forced to cross the operating paths of ferries using this new facility, consequently endangering their safety with these large boats.

Crab Island and Doolin Point are internationally renowned surf spots visited by thousands of Irish and overseas surfers, and this natural surfing attraction drives a robust local and regional economy based on surfing tourism. The proposed development will effectively destroy or drastically alter the surfing attraction of the area. Personally, I have surfed Ireland’s waves and found them to be unforgettable due to their unequalled quality and consistency. This type of environment for surfing is increasingly difficult to find in the world and is unique. It must be protected.

Our major concern is that this project will destroy a naturally occurring recreational opportunity - surfing - that is already in limited availability worldwide. Surfing and waves are a very limited and valuable resource that must not be destroyed nor altered.

Surfing waves are naturally occurring and exceptionally low-cost to society, and they provide and in fact create a well-developed and rich local surfing economy and culture. In fact, Irish surfers were employed and filmed for nationwide advertising campaigns with Discover Ireland in 2007-08. This means that the government of Ireland recognizes the important cultural and economic value of its unique surfing coastline. These surfing resources must be permanently protected for the benefits of culture, environment and economics.

Save The Waves Coalition respectfully insists that the planning authorities responsible for the new pier project at Doolin clearly and directly address the concerns of surfers who would lose a limited recreational resource if this project is executed as designed. Local surfers have informed our organization that their concerns and interests have not been addressed in the documentation and proposal of this project. By working with the local surfing club and the Irish Surfing Association, we believe that County Clare can find an acceptable alternative to this project without destroying the waves or endangering surfers in the water.

It is important to note that an online petition is now circulating and has already gathered over 3,500 individual signatures asking decision makers to consider these arguments to protect the surf spots at Crab Island and Doolin Point. We look forward to a comprehensive solution to address our legitimate concerns reflecting the interests of local and international surfers.

>>> Sign the petition to save these waves!
Photos by Mickey Smith.

Rebuilding Chile

2010-07-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

There's something incredibly rewarding about witnessing something you love being built over time. It's the tangible, visible result of hard work and dedication. Here are a couple of photos of our recent work in Chile for tsunami relief aid:

We're helping a community group in the Bio Bio Region of coastal Chile to build greenhouses for sustainable, organic, educational gardens that create jobs and resources for the unemployed.

>> Click here for more photos of our recent tsunami relief work in coastal Chile.

>> Click here for a news update on our work in Chile.

>> Click here for a first-hand account from our fieldworkers in Chile.

A blurry shot of fishermen who lost everything to the tsunami, receiving new nets in Colmuyao. Please forgive the blur, it's low-light wintertime in Chile.

Surfer Activists - In Action

2010-07-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

Here at Save The Waves, activism is in our core. The main part of activism is action. Here are a few photos of surfer activists in action in Arica, Chile, protesting an illegal breakwater construction that threatens northern Chile's best surf spots:

> Read more about this here.

About the Long Beach Breakwater

2010-06-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

We're proud to support this excellent short film - an independent study by a local concerned citizen, activist and surfer who questions the presence of the Long Beach breakwater and its role in coastal ecology:

Mother Wants Her Beauty Back
a film by Grant Eads:

Mother Wants Her Beauty Back from Grant Eads on Vimeo.

> More information

Action Photos of Life Is A Wave

2010-06-01T16:53:00.001-07:00

More photos>> here on our Facebook Fan Page.
Paul Naude accepts the Wave Saver Award. Jon Swift swoons us. Xperimento rocks it. San Franpsycho screenprints everyone. The oysters and art were delicious. Big thanks to EVERYONE! >>> Photos by Giovanni Agnoli.

>> www.savethewaves.org/lifeisawave
Life Is A Wave was on Thursday, May 27, 2010.
The annual fundraiser for Save The Waves nonprofit environmental programs.
* Music by Jon Swift / Xperimento / C Funk / DJ M3 / DJ Solomon / Special Guests
* Live & Silent Auction / Surf Films / Music / Art / Photography / San FranPsycho Live Art
* Complete event info & list of event supporters at savethewaves.org/lifeisawave

* Life Is A Wave is sponsored by

Clif Bar / Longboard Vineyards / Carve Designs / Hog Island Oyster Co. / Jim Beam / Limón Restaurant / Mavericks Surf Ventures / Patagonia / Ocean Vodka / Quiksilver Foundation / Sovereign Earth / Surfline / Zola Acai / 21st Amendment Brewery

> All photos this post by Giovanni Agnoli.

Just The Facts! Chile Relief Specifics

2010-05-20T16:41:00.001-07:00

This week we sent out a press release with general information about our ongoing Chile relief work. Details of this work are too numerous to include in a short press release, so here are the beautiful details:

Our Santiago based Chilean coordinator, Patricio Mekis, is administering Save The Waves' Chile efforts from Santiago. This capital city is the productive heart of the country and is the place to "get things done." From Santiago he is coordinating all activities with our new Chilean "tsunami ambassadors" who are based in Pichilemu, Constitución, Curanipe, Buchupureo and Cobquecura. They are also working closely with a strategic planning expert in Santiago who has experience with small NGOs. Mr. Mekis also administers a tight monthly budget for purchasing materials and other help in Santiago destined for each region.

In Pichilemu, Philip and Ramon are administering a local budget to purchase fishing nets, dive masks, and other materials for fishermen in the Pichilemu area. Philip is also working out the details with local schools for several thousand dollars in local grants for students who are involved in leading other local relief efforts. They are also distributing Clif Bars (4 pallets were generously donated and shipped to Chile by Clif Bar), wetsuits and other supplies for the harder-hit regions south of Pichilemu and near Constitución.

In Constitucion, Pocha is organizing a zodiac boat to ferry the remaining 20+/- water filters, miscellaneous supplies, construction materials and Clif Bars to a remote area upriver from Constitución that was completely cut off by the earthquake (the area previously depended on a dilapidated train for all outside contact but the quake destroyed the rails into this remote area). Pocha is also organizing a massive beach cleanup of Constitucion coastline this month, and he will be coming online with other great local projects for Constitución as his time permits. The destruction, and the scope of work left to do, is quite serious in this area and there is not a lot of outside help now that nearly 3 months have passed and the urgency of the situation has simmered down in the media.

In Curanipe, Grillo is collaborating closely with our partner Coastkeeper program and together they are organizing the purchase and distribution of construction materials and fishing supplies for Curanipe and Pelluhue tsunami zones. Grillo is also organizing a small work and cleanup crew for these reconstruction projects in an area that was completely destroyed by a direct tsunami hit. Once this is accomplished, Grillo will also be administering a small scholarship program for student tsunami victims there and will be starting a gardening project.

Also in Curanipe, a group of 3 doctors from Santiago traveled to the region on behalf of Save The Waves. The docs tended to dozens of people at the clinic in Curanipe and at the end of their weekend they made a visit to a local woman who had been stuck in bed since the earthquake, terrified, deeply depressed and unwilling to move. To make a long story short, the doctors got her up and out of the house, they had her walking around the neighborhood and stoked on life! Her family and neighbors saw it as nothing less than a miracle. We'll be organizing monthly visits like this one, for all regions, especially Constitución where the need is deep.

In Buchupureo, a local gardener - Carlos "Pollo" - has been hired and is in the process of building a greenhouse, planting seeds, and getting ready for a winter cultivation project. The goal is to have vegetables ready for the local schools' lunches by September and through December. A cash scholarship will also be administered for the two tiny schools in Buchupureo and students will be involved in the gardening project. Funds for Buchupureo have also been destined to purchase materials and training for the local Buchupureo firefighters whose efforts in the days after the quake were heroic.

In Cobquecura, Cesar is organizing construction materials and a work crew to rebuild the center of a local neighborhood group. Cesar is also starting a scholarship program there and is getting materials together for a community garden located where his house once stood in Cobquecura. We are also supporting an entrepreneurial group of women who are growing flowers for sale in this region, and we are purchasing materials for artisan fishermen who are members of a locally syndicated group of "shore pickers" in the remote coastal area just south of Cobquecura.

A strategy that we've been working on implementing is to listen to the locals and ask them what they NEED before we tell them to implement gardens, construction, fishing supplies, beach cleanups, etc. Some regions don't need a beach cleanup or a garden or a fishing net but they do need something else that no agency or org is supplying. So we're really trying to listen to the locals before we tell them what we have to give them. This is working out well as it adds an element of self-empowerment that is much needed in the tsunami zone!

More mini-projects will be coming online soon in all of these regions, please stay tuned for monthly updates.

Thanks to everyone for your continued support, encouragement and confidence in our work: savethewaves.org

Fuerza Chile!

"This Strain on the Coastal Edge..."

2010-05-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

"...is symbolic of humanity's larger struggle to survive amidst environmental problems that always trace back to the ocean."

- An excerpt from page 1 of the new Patagonia Surf eCatalog, whose epic theme is "Protect Your Break."

>>> View several short videos about Save The Waves. This week at this blog we'll be featuring slides and quotes taken from this Patagonia Surf eCatalog. Or view you can virtually "thumb through" the entire catalog here. Save The Waves staff wrote all of the enviro-surfy content for this catalog. Enjoy!

>> Patagonia Surf eCatalog
>> Save The Waves Films

Tapped in San Francisco

2010-05-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

In San Francisco next week:
"Tapped - The Movie"
>>> Watch trailer here

From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car this timely documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never become a commodity: our water.

From the plastic production to the ocean so many of these bottles end up in, this inspiring documentary trails the path of the bottled water industry. Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce?

When: Wednesday, May 12, 6:30pm
Where: Temple Night Club :: 540 Howard St, San Francisco
Presented by the San Francisco Chapter the Surfrider Foundation.
Find more event details here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=119718968041766

Great News from Chile

2010-05-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

Save The Waves is in Pichilemu, Chile, administering a small grants program for local independent fishermen to get their boats back in the water after tsunami & earthquake damages. Many coastal towns in Chile have lost entire fishing fleets, including boats, motors, nets and other gear. We've shared much solidarity with Chile's artisan fishermen over the years through our campaigns against pulp mill and sewage pollution. We're now very happy to assist these fearless ocean advocates in a time of their greatest needs. We are now supporting the fishing communities of 5 different coastal towns near the tsunami epicenter:

A damaged "panga" before it gets fixed up with a STW micro-grant.

Fiberglass boat repairs - grassroots style.

Taking a break after finally getting the motor reattached back onto a repaired boat.

The boat motor repair shop - many boats lost their motors in the tsunami and we helped rebuild this repair shop damaged in the 8.8 earthquake.

The freshly-fixed finished product: just add sea water, nets, fish and fearless fishermen! All photos by Philip Muller. Stay tuned for more news soon about our new programs in organic gardening and student scholarships for Chile!

Life Is A Wave On May 27

2010-04-29T17:39:00.001-07:00

>>> Tickets on sale NOW at EventBrite
Life Is A Wave
Save The Waves Coalition's annual fundraiser
7pm
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Featuring music by Jon Swift, Funky C, Xperimento, DJ M3, DJ Solomon, DJ Boogie
Live & Silent Auctions
Art, Music, Film, Environment, Surf, Community
Honoring special guest Paul Naude

>>> Tickets on sale NOW at LifeIsAWave.EventBrite.com

May 6 is Ocean Beach Meeting With DPW

2010-04-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

Save the date! Thursday, May 6 at 6:30pm, San Francisco's Department of Public Works is holding a community meeting and presentation about its work at Ocean Beach, including their emergency work on Sloat Boulevard erosion and the Merced Wastewater Tunnel. Please attend:

WHAT: Ocean Beach Community Meeting
WHERE: The Janet Pomeroy Center, 207 Skyline Drive, San Francisco
WHEN: Thursday, May 6, 6:30pm-8pm
WHY: Because our local beaches are eroding and our streets and sewers are falling into the ocean due to poor planning and rising sea levels.

>>> More info at savethewaves.org and at San Francisco Surfrider Erosion Blog.

>>> SAVE SLOAT!

This Wave Would Be Buried by a Breakwater

2010-04-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

A Reason for Surfers to Stop Visiting Ensenada? Proposed Port Expansion Could Destroy Baja Surf Spots:

A new coastal development proposal for the Baja Norte coast could alter some of Ensenada’s best surf spots. According to Zach Plopper of WiLDCOAST, “The Sauzal Port Development project would expand the existing port north of Ensenada with a breakwater extension and additional jetties, destroying Tres “M”s and Stacks and potentially damaging Baja’s iconic San Miguel.“

A public hearing was held in late April about Ensenada's Sauzal port development and numerous local residents and surfers expressed their opposition to the project. Eight out of 10 public speakers at the meeting were in opposition to the project. According to José Puig, of local surfer-environmental group Surf-Ens, "Several of the area's best surf spots are at serious risk of being destroyed. A big industrial port would be an eyesore at the entrance of this city driven by tourism, not to mention a reason for surfers to stop going to Ensenada."

The three stage project would cover over 500 acres of coastline and likely usher in additional development along the San Miguel-Ensenada corridor. Over 150 people were in attendance at Wednesday's meeting, including representatives of Surf-Ens, WildCoast, and local surfers. The public opinion was overwhelmingly against the proposed project.

Stay tuned as Save The Waves learns more about this development, its feasibility and its threats to the coastline. Baja California is famous for half-baked coastal projects such as this that are only partially developed but end up being nuisances and eyesores for everyone involved. We will be collaborating with WiLDCOAST, Surf-Ens and local opposition to do everything we can to protect the surfing areas of Baja Norte.

Santa Cruz Fundraiser this Wednesday!

2010-04-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

Please join us this Wednesday, April 28 in Santa Cruz:

// April 28 // 7pm // Crepe Place // 1134 Soquel Avenue //
// Live music by '7 Come 11' // $10-$25 admission donation //

// a fundraiser for Save The Waves Chile Earthquake & Tsunami Relief //

Recap of World Surfing Reserves Online Vote Campaign

2010-04-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

Save The Waves wishes to thank Body Glove and Surfline for their support towards bringing increased awareness to the World Surfing Reserves (WSR) program and 2010 as the year of global surf spot enshrinements.

WSR seeks to identify and enshrine the most important and cherished surf areas around the world, in partnership with local surf communities. Each WSR is a meeting of land and sea selected for the unique and salutary nature of its waves, surf history and natural setting. The dedication of each WSR seeks the protection of this coastal zone of waves and habitat from wanton destruction and exploitation - through no other mechanism but the positive force of appreciation and valuation.

The "Vote for your Favorite and Most Sacred Wave" campaign has reinforced this mission and has proven to be a useful tool for Save The Waves to have an initial indicator of community support towards the enshrinement of specific iconic waves from around the world.

Through this voting process, STW learned that Trestles was the most voted wave (354 votes), proving it's still on the mind of most surfers as an endangered wave. Faraway waves such as G-Land and Teauhpoo got significant votes (more than 100), epic Northern California (ok officially Central California!) waves such as Mavericks and Santa Cruz got less than 75 votes, while Southern California gems such as Malibu and Black's Beach both received over 75 votes. Finally, world-class surf zones such as Ericeira and Hossegor in Europe, Fernando de Noronha in Brazil, North Narrabeen, Manly Beach and Burleigh Heads in Australia got less than 30, while Raglan in New Zealand and Punta de Lobos in Chile got around 50 votes.

Ongoing evaluation of community support means connecting with local national surfing federations, local surf club representatives, local environmental organizations, local surf businesses, local policy-makers and local story-tellers to establish a group of people who can be representative stewards of the surf spot.

In late 2009, more than 40 sites from a pool of over 125 iconic beaches nominated by 34 countries were scored and selected as WSR eligible by our Vision Council (VC). The VC scores waves based on three fundamental criteria: 1) Quality and Consistency of Wave/Surf Zone; 2) Surf Culture and History of Wave/Surf Zone and 3) Environmental Characteristics of Wave/Surf Zone and neighboring areas.

The naming of the specific WSR eligible sites that will be enshrined in 2010 is anticipated soon, according to Dean LaTourrette, Executive Director of Save The Waves Coalition. "In 2009 STW focused on creating a nomination process that could be as inclusive of all surfing communities, yet have explicit global legitimacy - through our partnership with the International Surfing Association and National Surfing Reserves - Australia as well as important meetings with UNESCO Staff in Paris we achieved our goal. We are now ready for 2010 as the year of global surf spot enshrinement!"

Stay tuned for updates on enshrinement events and ways to participate in the World Surfing Reserves movement.

For more information please visit:

www.worldsurfingreserves.org

"Standing"

2010-04-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

Chile tsunami relief - a new film by Save The Waves:

>> Click here or on above image for best screen viewing <

* From the artists at PerroRata.cl

Surfer's Benefit for Chile

2010-03-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

At Brushfire Records in Los Angeles.

White Buffalo, his voice, and his guitar.

Last Friday, March 26 was a surfer's benefit for Chile at Brushfire Records: the evening was an impromptu and intimate gathering of friends, surfers, artists and musicians coming together to raise funds and solidarity for victims of the recent massive earthquake and tsunami in Chile. Local surfers and fishermen in Chile who've always lived the simplest of lives are among the hardest hit and in need of help.

Brushfire Records graciously hosted the evening at their Los Angeles studios with musicians Jackson Browne, Jon Swift, White Buffalo, Andrew Bird and the Los Angeles alt-rock band Dawes. Surfer filmmaker Chris Malloy was the master of ceremonies. The artists performed heart-felt acoustic and electric sets for a tiny sold-out crowd inside Brushfire's recording studio with the onlookers spilling out into the studio backyard. The evening also featured an auction of art, photos and other donated items from surfing luminaries Jack Johnson, Kelly Slater, Thomas Campbell, Wolfgang Bloch, Shepherd Fairey and others.

LA rockers Dawes.

Surfer and filmmaker Chris Malloy summed up the community's feelings perfectly at the event: "My entire family and I forever hold priceless memories of great times with our generous friends in Chile. The least we can do is give back to this place and its warm people who have given us so much."

A tremendous time was had by all at Brushfire, many empanadas were eaten, some tears were shed for our Chilean hermanos and over $10,000 was raised for Save The Waves Coalition's ongoing Chile relief effort. Learn more and support the movement at www.savethewaves.org

Save The Waves extends a special thanks to the entire Malloy clan - Chris, Keith, Dan, Carla, Pearl & Emmett (plus their significant others), Brushfire Records, and all of the musicians for their support.

Folk rock legend Andrew Bird sang & whistled, plucked his violin, and rocked out solo and with Jackson Browne.

Jackson Browne played a 45-minute acoustic set.

Friends of Chile unite!

Chris Malloy, Greg Long, Jackson Browne, Dawes, Andrew Bird... the list of legends in this photo is too long to finish!

All photos this post by Jason Murray and Save The Waves.

Chile Relief Update - March 17, 2010 (archived):

2010-03-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

Save The Waves distributes one thousand water filters to coastal Chile, works with Paul Walker/REACT Worldwide to provide medical relief

March 17, 2010 Pichilemu/Curanipe, Chile – Save The Waves Coalition, operating though a passionate volunteer ground team led by professional surfers Ramon Navarro, Greg Long and Kohl Christensen, completed the first phase of its Chile relief efforts by distributing nearly 1,000 water filters along with other essential supplies to coastal Chile. The water filters, provided by partner nonprofit Waves for Water, are now providing clean drinking water for up to 10,000 Chileans, many of who live in remote coastal areas and were cut off from clean water in the wake of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami on February 27, 2010.

Through national press recognition of the “surfers without surfboards who distribute water filters,” all of Chile is aware of the organization’s relief efforts, and the heartfelt appreciation has been overwhelming. The recognition led to an invitation this week to the home of the US Ambassador to Chile, Paul Simons, to discuss Save The Waves’ relief operations in Chile in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

“The spontaneous relief efforts by the surfing and coastal communities have been amazing,” said Save The Waves executive director Dean LaTourrette. “I’m proud that we were all able to come together so quickly and accomplish as much as we have to help the Chilean people, and that Save The Waves was in a position to help coordinate this tremendous volunteer effort. There’s still a lot that needs to be done though, and the international surf community will need to continue to lead the way.”

While Greg Long and crew were operating out of Pichilemu to the north, Save The Waves environmental director Josh Berry has been based further south in the Curanipe region, working alongside actor Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious) and his REACT Worldwide team of doctors and medics, an organization that was founded by Walker. “The Save The Waves–REACT effort was an incredibly inspiring teamwork experience that combined Save The Waves’ years of field experience in Chile with REACT’s medical knowledge, fearlessness and energy for disaster relief,” said Berry. “Paul threw himself into the thick of the heaviest situations with passion and intelligence. The chemistry between the organizations was immediate and we’ll definitely be working together again.”

The distribution of the water filters marks the completion of phase one of the relief efforts, which were primarily focused on getting clean drinking water to those who were cut off in coastal areas. Save The Waves’ phase-two work will begin shortly, focusing on helping coastal communities in Chile’s Regions VI and VII rebuild and restore economic activity, including potentially fishing, surf tourism, and other businesses.

Chile Relief Update: March 5, 2010

2010-03-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

CHILE EARTHQUAKE RELIEF UPDATE - 3/5/10 (archived): The primary focus of Save The Waves' initial relief mission is to help provide clean drinking water to the hundreds of thousands of Chileans who are currently without water. Save The Waves is partnering with Waves for Water to distribute water filters for clean drinking water, and currently has 1,000 filters – enough for up to 10,000 people to get clean water – en route to being distributed in coastal Chile, with more to follow. Waves for Water successfully provided clean water through thousands of filters in the wake of the Haiti disaster, as well as the Padang earthquake last year.

A second focus is to provide initial mobile shelter supplies to the hundreds of thousands who are currently without any housing. Tents, tarps, sleeping bags and blankets are being sourced and distributed in Chile to the hardest-hit areas, augmented with shipments being sent from the U.S.

Save The Waves dispatched environmental director Josh Berry and a small team to Chile on Wednesday, to rendezvous with ground crews there and assist in relief efforts. Josh and team have been securing supplies in Santiago and are slated to head out to the coast near the quake epicenter on Saturday.

Support has been from all parts of the world, including from the surf industry, and Save The Waves, local residents, and international travelers have assembled ground crews in the coastal town of Pichilemu. Teams are already running supplies from Pichilemu to the surrounding areas while organizing runs further south, to the areas hardest hit from the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunamis, with the support of Save The Waves. STW is also working closely with its local partner, Maule Itata Coastkeeper, which has an office in Curanipe further south, one of the hardest hit coastal towns, to distribute water filters and shelter supplies in that region.

High profile professional surfers have jumped in to support the relief efforts, led by Chile’s own Ramon Navarro, who was traveling to the Todos Santos Big Wave Event in Mexico when the earthquake hit. Navarro, a Save The Waves surf ambassador, is working with Quiksilver's Quinn Campbell, on the ground in Pichilemu and Billabong’s Chris Evans in California to activate swift relief efforts via Save The Waves. Says, Navarro, "I sincerely appreciate support for Chile from my international surf community, Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Malloy brothers, Kohl Christenson, Save The Waves, Jon Rose from Waves for Water, Greg Long's whole family, Patagonia and others - they have shown they’re true friends and care a lot for Chile. Chile needs your help so please get involved."

Save The Waves ambassador Greg Long along with Kohl Christensen also left for Chile on Friday to transport water filters along with shelter supplies, and to help with efforts on the ground.
Patagonia, Inc., the outdoor apparel company, has stepped up and provided significant support for this initiative, and has been rallying others to join the cause.

Save The Waves is also now working with Operation Rainbow, a nonprofit with extensive experience in providing medical services to impoverished regions, to provide some basic medical supplies and relief, along with expertise, with the possibility for more involvement after initial needs are better assessed. On the ground in Chile, Save The Waves has also partnered with REACT Worldwide, a dedicated network of trained individuals who act as rapid, first responders to major disasters globally, including with direct medical aid.

Metallica Says: Fuerza, Chile!

2010-03-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

Metallica band members thank Save The Waves supporters for their generosity in helping Chilean victims of the tsunami and earthquake:

You can also watch the video on YouTube.

Chile Earthquake Aid This Week!

2010-03-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

Help Earthquake Victims & Donate Now:
> www.savethewaves.org

CHILE EARTHQUAKE UPDATE:

SAVE THE WAVES PARTNERING WITH WAVES FOR WATER TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN RELIEF

HELP CHILE NOW:
www.savethewaves.org

A massive earthquake and tsunami hit Chile this weekend. The earthquake epicenter was just 5km from Save The Waves Coalition's Maule Itata Coastkeeper office and is where Save The Waves' environmental advocacy efforts are focused. The earthquake and tidal wave damage to the area where Save The Waves works is devastating. Friends, colleagues and neighbors in coastal Chile need everyone’s help now more than ever before. The destruction to infrastructure is severe, and includes massive damage to structures, drinking water systems, power, transportation, and communication. This means that aid and relief in the next few weeks will be crucial to help save lives.

Because Save The Waves Coalition's ongoing environmental work is in the exact same area as the disaster, the organization is uniquely positioned to help direct humanitarian relief efforts in the region. Save The Waves is organizing a focused relief effort to this hardest hit region of Chile, including a humanitarian aid trip this week with a team that includes doctors, medics, and other relief workers. The organization is now accepting donations to support travel to the region to distribute water filters, medical treatment and supplies, local relief supplies, and camping gear to the affected coastal areas.

The primary focus of the mission will be to help provide clean drinking water to the hundreds of thousands of Chileans who are currently without water. Save The Waves is partnering with Waves for Water (http://www.wavesforwater.org) to distribute water filters for clean drinking water, and hopes to get up to 1,000 filters – enough for 10,000 people to get clean water – distributed in coastal Chile during the first week, with much more to follow. Waves for Water has extensive experience in providing clean water for disaster relief, and successfully distributed over 4,000 water filter systems to Haiti in the wake of the recent earthquake there, providing clean drinking water for up to 40,000 people.

Patagonia Inc, the outdoor apparel company, has stepped up and provided significant support for this initiative, and has been rallying others to join the cause.

All donations to Save The Waves for Chile earthquake relief will go directly to humanitarian work on the ground in the devastated regions near the quake and tsunami epicenter. Humanitarian aid efforts will be focused in the more rural coastal areas, between the major cities, where help and aid will generally be less available. Since Save The Waves is a small and nimble organization with years of experience in coastal Chile, support for this effort will be extremely effective, with no bureaucratic filters, no delays, just pure aid for the coastal communities that are in dire need. Donate and learn more at the link below.

PLEASE DONATE & HELP SAVE THE WAVES EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN CHILE:
* www.savethewaves.org *

* Chile Relief & Media Contact:
Josh Berry
josh@savethewaves.org
Tel. 415-578-8388

Above photo courtesy latercera.com

International Conference on the Protection of Waves

2010-02-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

First International Symposium on the Protection of Waves as a Natural, Economic & Sports Resource

Save The Waves Coalition is proud to announce its participation in the First International Conference on the Protection of Waves to be held next week in the Canary Islands. Save The Waves Coalition's environmental director Josh Berry will be presenting to an international audience of students, faculty, professionals and coastal experts at the University of La Laguna in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.

The conference aims to explore and promote the environmental, economic and recreational value of waves as a natural resource. Waves and their surrounding culture and environment hold great significance for the environment and for coastal communities. Waves as a natural resource exist in all coastal areas, yet waves are largely overlooked in coastal planning, community development, environmental awareness and the political process. The surf zone is also a focal point of diverse marine flora and fauna and waves have an important economic dimension that is increasingly becoming apparent through economic studies and the growing popularity of coastal communities.

Waves are the backbone of sport and leisure activities such as surfing, windsurfing, and other popular ocean pursuits. Yet waves are also constantly at risk of destruction or damage from development, pollution, erosion, climate change and other threats. This conference will promote and explore the benefits of waves and their importance to humanity.

Presented by: Spanish Surfing Federation, Canary Islands Surfing Federation and the National Sports Council
Organized by: Ángel Lobo Rodrigo and Tony Butt
With the support of: School of Law at University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
More Information: www.fesurf.net and www.fcsurf.es

Location: Aula Magna, Faculty of Law, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Dates: February 25 & 26, 2010
Languages: Spanish and English

Speakers:

− Tony Butt. PhD Physical Oceanography, University of Plymouth
− Dr. Angel Lobo Rodrigo. Lecturer in Administrative Law, University of La Laguna
− Josh Berry. Environmental Director, Save The Waves Coalition
− Jaime Saavedra Rodríguez. Economist and Consultant
− Ana González Pérez. Professor of Financial Economics and Accounting, University of La Laguna
− Marcel Bonnet Escuela. Professor of Institutional Economics, Statistical Economics and Econometrics, University of La Laguna
− Xavier Pascual Lorente. Road, Canal & Ports Engineer; Head of Engineering and Architecture at Sener Consultants Spain
− Jorge Núñez Fraga. Professor of Zoology, University of La Laguna
− Antidia Citores. Lawyer specialized in European and International Issues, University of Pau and Pays de L’Adour, France

Conference Objectives:

− Understand the physical mechanisms behind the generation, propagation and breaking of ocean waves for surfing
− Understand the natural environment within which coastal ocean waves exist
− Become familiar with legal methods that can be used to protect the waves
− Understand the impact of coastal ocean waves on the local economy
− Study ways of intervening in the coastal environment without destroying waves
− Understand the economic importance of coastal ocean waves for energy and tourism

Conference Schedule:

February 25, 2010:

- Waves as a Natural Resource
- Wave Generation, Propagation and Breaking
By Tony Butt, Physical Oceanographer
- Marine Ecosystems and Waves
By Jorge Núñez Fraga, Reader in Zoology
-The Coastline and Waves
By Tony Butt, Physical Oceanographer
- Waves as an Economic, Sports and Social Resource
- The Sea as a Source of Energy
By Ana González Pérez, Professor of Financial Economics and Accounting
- Practical Examples of the Importance of Waves as Recreational, Economic and Natural Resources
By Josh Berry, Environmental Director, Save the Waves Coalition

February 26, 2010:

- Tourism & Waves
By Jaime Saavedra Rodríguez, Economist and Consultant
- The Surf Industry
By Marcel Bonnet, Professor of Institutional Economics, Statistical Economics and Econometrics
- Legal Protection of Waves
By Angel Lobo Rodrigo, Lecturer in Administrative Law.
- Classification of Waves as Entities of Worldwide Historic and Cultural Heritage (Europe and UNESCO)
By Antidia Citores, European and International Lawyer.
- Sustainable Coastal Intervention
- Practical Examples of Sustainable Coastal Intervention
By Xavier Pascual Lorente, Civil Engineer
* Closing Round table: Towards a Policy of Sustainable and Respectful Coastal Intervention
-Ángel Lobo Rodrigo (Chair)
-Tony Butt
-Josh Berry
-Antidia Citores
-Representative of the Coastal Planning Department
-Representative of the Canary Islands Government

For a complete conference schedule, click here.

Save The Waves Releases “Surfonomics” Study at Mavericks Contest

2010-02-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

Complete study now available – $24 million per year in economic value at the fabled break:

February 12, 2010, Half Moon Bay, CA – Save The Waves Coalition announced it has completed its second “Surfonomics” study, a measure of the economic value of the world-famous big-wave break at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, California. The study found that the surfing site and area has an estimated economic value to visitors of nearly $24 million per year, based on approximately 420,000 annual visitors.

“Mavericks is an iconic, world-renowned surf break that’s truly unique,” said Save The Waves executive director Dean LaTourrette. “This study provides evidence of not just its environmental value, but of its economic value as well. This further reinforces the notion that it and other special coastal areas around the world need and deserve to be protected.” The study, which includes an economic value report as well as an analysis on the value of the break from an ecotourism perspective, will be available beginning on Saturday, February 13th, 2010 at the Mavericks Surf Contest.

The study combined the economic value visitors place on the wave with intrinsic or cultural values of a coastal location with a world-class wave such as Mavericks. An important goal of the project was to build a model that can inform decision makers in coastal communities with important waves around the world. While prior studies of the value of waves have focused on the economic impacts of a contest or industry to local economies, this study looked at the benefits that surfing provides to surfers and observers by focusing on the value they place on the Mavericks wave through what they give up to experience it, as well as their qualitative comments.

The combined study, entitled “The Value of a Wave: An Analysis of the Mavericks Region and the Mavericks Wave from an Ecotourism Perspective,” was conducted by University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, in partnership with the Center for Responsible Travel at Stanford University, under the guidance of Save The Waves Coalition.

The complete study is available just in time for the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest, which has been called on Saturday, February 13, 2010, at Mavericks Beach. Save The Waves is an environmental partner for the contest and will have a booth at the event, as well as more detail on the study.

Summary of Key Findings:

1) The wave at Mavericks has an estimated minimum economic value to visitors of $23.9 million per year. *
2) The average visitor is willing to pay a minimum of $56.70 per trip to the Mavericks surf area.
3) Surfers visit the area nearly five times more often than non-surfers and thus accrue more value from the area.
4) The study did not include the Mavericks Surf Contest, which has drawn anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 people to the area on contest day, and thus results in additional economic value to visitors each year.
5) Almost 90% of the respondents labeled surfing an ecotourism activity, and thus important to the cultural and environmental health of the community. Respondents believed that Mavericks helped to positively define the Half Moon Bay area.

* Based on estimated visitation levels of 421,431 per year
____________________________________

> Click here for more information about Surfonomics.
> Click here for more info about the Mavericks Surf Contest.

Photos: Mavericks - Large & In Charge! Both photos by Will Henry.

Saving Sloat from San Francisco Bureaucrats

2010-02-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

The beach at South Sloat on SF's Ocean Beach is littered with giant boulders, chunks of cement and asphalt, and brick construction debris placed there to "protect" the eroding sand bluffs and city infrastructure. The City's Dept of Public Works has, since 2003, ignored community task force guidelines to stop throwing rocks at the ocean.

Boulders and other artificial hard structures are proven to worsen long-term coastal erosion. Scouring of sandy beaches is intensified by the placement of hard structures on the beach. Read here our recommendations to protect this area and restore it to a natural setting free of extreme erosion, crumbling infrastructure, and the aforementioned junk.

This week we won a compromise victory of sorts by getting the DPW to use less rock armoring and to listen to our argument for implementing long-term solutions.

The southern Sloat area is GGNRA (Golden Gate National Recreation Area) property, which means it's a national park. Why are we allowing the City to dump construction waste and other artificial structures in a national park? If you travel less than 1 mile north on this same beach, you'll find a beautiful, long stretch of sandy dunes, flourishing native coastal vegetation, and thriving habitat for a threatened bird, the Western Snowy Plover. All strictly managed and protected by the GGNRA. No erosion nor hard structures trashing the dunes. Residents and tourists stroll on the beach, fly kites, walk their dogs and sunbathe (if it's not foggy).Why isn't southern Sloat being restored to similar circumstances?

This is a problem of local government's neglect, inertia and inaction that will only be exacerbated by rising sea levels. An outdated wastewater tunnel and a misplaced roadway are the City's excuse to continue throwing rocks at the sea without implementing the very clearly marked long-term solution. Save Sloat! Write our SF City Supervisors by clicking here for this excellent petition by Surfrider. I am working with SF artist Travis Weller to produce a pretty image for the "Save Sloat!" campaign. Stay tuned.

* Click here to read detailed history & background info about this environmental issue.
* Click here for the petition to Save Sloat!

This isn't a beach, it's a junkyard for the City's construction waste:

The wave we aim to save from the City's Slaves:

Happy New Year

2010-01-04T11:25:00.001-08:00

Save The Waves wishes you an epic 2010 full of great surfing, clean coastlines, protected ocean waters and the inspiration to protect all of the surf spots you love!

* Click here for an update on the great programs and campaigns we were busy with in 2009, and for what to look forward to from Save The Waves during this new year.

STW Film Festival: List of Raffle Items

2009-11-02T18:42:00.000-08:00

You can win these epic raffle prizes on November 13 at Save The Waves Film Festival:

* Las Olas Hand Shaped Fish Surfboard: size 6'2"
>surfboard photo here
* Patagonia Wetsuit: brand new, you choose the size!
* The North Face jacket
* Patagonia backpack & Patagonia fleece jacket
* Framed art by Travis Weller
>www.travisweller.com
* Art by Chivo
>see Chivo's art at mybrowncoat.com
* Jack Johnson signed CDs and DVDs
* a custom framed, signed & numbered limited-edition film festival screen printed poster!
* "The Cove" limited edition T-shirts
* a Mavericks surf contest jersey signed by 2008 contest winner Greg Long
* stay tuned for more surprise raffle items!
Get your admission tickets & more info here: www.savethewaves.org/filmfestival

RAFFLE TICKETS WILL ONLY BE SOLD AT THE EVENT ON NOVEMBER 13

Save The Waves Presents Captain Paul Watson

2009-10-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will present The Cove and a short talk at Save The Waves Film Festival at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco on November 13.

More information and advance tickets at www.savethewaves.org/filmfestival

Save The Waves Film Festival features Capt. Paul Watson, The Cove, Lost Prophets, All Points South, The Devil's Teeth, an art exhibit by Travis Weller and live music by The Eldorados.

SharktoberFest is October 16 & 17:

2009-10-12T17:40:00.001-07:00

We love sharks! Come to SharktoberFest - featuring live sharks, amazing shark films, shark talks by the world's leading experts, and more. Buy tickets and learn more at www.seastewards.org

World Surfing Reserves PSA:

2009-10-09T16:26:00.001-07:00

Save The Date: November 13

2009-10-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Save The Waves Film Festival
November 13, 2009
at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco
Doors 7:00PM / tickets go on sale online in late October.

Featured films include:
> The Cove
> Lost Prophets
> All Points South - Best Short Film, NY Surf Film Fest
> Keeping Coast - Best Short Film, Cottonwood Creek Environmental Film Fest
> Devil's Teeth

"All Points South" Wins Best Short Film at NYSFF!

2009-09-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

New York City, NY:

Save The Waves Coalition and the New York Surf Film Festival are very proud to announce that Save The Waves’ documentary film, All Points South, has been awarded Best Short Film by the festival jury. The surfer-activist film, about pulp pollution, surfers, and fishermen in Chile, was chosen as best short from a field of over 15 films in the short films program.

New York Surf Film Festival co-founder Tyler Breuer announced the award to a packed audience gathered at the awards ceremony in lower Manhattan on Sunday night. “This short film is an emotional and compelling story with great surfing, and it completely deserves the award. It was an overwhelmingly strong decision by our 12-member jury panel to award the prize to All Points South.”

Save The Waves environmental director Josh Berry, who wrote and co-produced the film, was in New York to accept the award. “We took very serious risks to expose this ocean pollution drama in Chile, so it’s a great reward for the hard work put in by everyone involved in the film. The story of All Points South is not over yet and the people of Chile are the true stars of this ongoing chronicle.”

Said film director Sachi Cunningham, “We're thrilled with the recognition and hope that it inspires surfers everywhere who are concerned about the environment to not only think globally about our oceans' health, but also act locally to keep their breaks clean.”

Photo - a scene from All Points South: the installation of a massive forestry waste pipeline into the Pacific Ocean.

About the New York Surf Film Festival: The New York Surf Film Festival is the premier showcase for international independent surf film. The mission of the New York Surf Film Festival is to provide filmmakers who are exploring the diversity of surfing an opportunity to present their work to a larger audience. As surf culture becomes more popular, the notion of what it means to be a surfer expands. The New York Surf Film Festival's aim is to build upon and shape the idea of what a surf movie is, while fostering the growth of this global community in NYC. www.nysurffilm.com

About All Points South: www.allpointssouth.org

Photo: Canadian Raph Bruhwiler surfs in Chile for All Points South.

Mavericks Beach Cleanup: Saturday, September 19

2009-09-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

JOIN SAVE THE WAVES: SATURDAY / SEPT 19 / 9AM-NOON / MAVERICKS / CALIFORNIA COASTAL CLEANUP DAY!

Meet our team at 9AM at end of West Point Ave, Half Moon Bay: map it here

Or, find another local beach that's participating!

September 19 is California Coastal Cleanup Day!

2009-09-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Join Save The Waves at Maverick's in Half Moon Bay for our local beach cleanup, part of the statewide movement on Saturday, September 19, to clean up California's beaches! We are the official stewards of Pillar Point's beach park and in partnership with California Coastal Cleanup Day we are organizing a group to pick up trash at Maverick's.

More information soon at savethewaves.org

Weekend Cleanup at Ocean Beach

2009-08-27T11:50:00.001-07:00

Join us for a beach cleanup this Saturday and Sunday with Surfrider, Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, and surprise celebrity guests!

10 am-12 noon.
Saturday and Sunday, August 29 & 30.
On the beach at Stairwell 17, where Golden Gate Park meets Ocean Beach.
San Francisco.
More info at this link.

STW / Mavericks Tee Shirt

2009-08-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

Surf photo by Seth Migdail
Epic ingredients for a surf t-shirt: 1 huge wave, our WSR program director João de Macedo charging, 8.5 recycled plastic bottles, organic cotton, $5 per tee shirt sale donated to STW by Mavericks Surf Ventures:
see the tee here.

* www.maverickssurfgear.com

Click here to view tee and purchase.

2009-08-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

"The times when you really appreciate surfing are the times you're really sort of becoming one with nature. Surfing's as raw of a sport as it gets.”
- Kelly Slater

Bare Necessities Tour

2009-08-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

'Bare Necessities' is a bike and surf trip along the wild coasts of Oregon and California by two young adventurers and friends, Ryan Ebersberger and Charlie Clark. They have generously decided to support Save The Waves on their epic journey through outreach and fundraising:

> Bare Necessities Tour 2009 <

Visit their website at the above link and support their fun efforts!

We are very proud to announce:

2009-08-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Save The Waves Film Festival
November 13, 2009
at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco
Doors 7:00PM / tickets go on sale online in October.

Featured films include:
> The Cove
> Lost Prophets
> Keeping Coast
> Devil's Teeth
... and more to be announced soon.

Poster art for this event is in the works, by Travis Weller!
Very special guest activists and filmmakers to be announced soon!
Stay tuned for more information at www.savethewaves.org

A quote:

2009-08-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

“When you do dance, I wish you a wave o' the sea, that you might ever do nothing but that”

- William Shakespeare

All Points South: A New Film by Save the Waves Coalition

2008-06-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

I just returned from an incredible trip to Southern Chile, to continue filming our next film project, All Point South. This new film follows our past films "Pulp, Poo & Perfection" and "Lost Jewel of the Atlantic," and promises to be our best yet. We at Save the Waves take a different approach to conservation issues than many other non-profits. We believe that to win battles in a consumer society, it is just as important to influence the consumer market than it is to attack the polluters themselves.

All Points South is a documentary film about the pulp mill pollution in Chile and what all of us, as consumers of paper, can do to influence the problem. While Chile may seem a long way away, what many of us don't realize is that the US, and many other countries in the Northern hemisphere, make up the largest market for Chilean-manufactured pulp. Pulp is the raw material used to make paper, and its manufacture creates a waste stream of toxic chemicals that go straight into our oceans.

Every time we go to the office store and buy bright, white paper, we are supporting companies like CELCO (Celulosa Arauco-Constitución), which over the last few years has killed two of Chile's most beautiful watersheds due to industrial accidents, and promises to pollute one of the world's best surfing coastlines. Save the Waves has been at the forefront of the battle to stop this negligent polluting. We have funded legal research through FIMA (Fiscalía del Medio Ambiente) to start what will be a long legal battle against CELCO's practices. But in analyzing the best ways to fight this behemoth of an industry, we realized that the quickest and most effective tactic would be to influence their consumer market. After all, is their customers start to demand more eco-friendly paper, they would have no choice but to change.

I haver been visiting Chile since 1992, making an annual pilgrimage south to sample what I consider to be one of the world's best surf destinations. What I have learned over the past 15 years is that the coastline is being raped by industrial interests. This discovery has led to Save the Waves Coalition's ambitious campaign to put a stop to this abuse. We as surfers, along with the many thousands of native fisherman that eek out an existence along this coastline, will bear the brunt of this increasing threat of pollution. But we as world citizens cannot afford to ignore it. Chile's fisheries are some of the richest in the world, and they are rapidly disappearing. The fish that survive may someday be too contaminated to eat. What we hope to convince the Chilean government is that this is not a sustainable plan for the future.

All Points South will feature surfing from some of the world's best - Keith Malloy, Raph Bruhwiler, Timmy Turner - and some of the hottest upcoming surfers from Chile, such as Ramon Navarro, Leon Vicuña and Nano Zegers. On our last trip, accompanied by Portuguese friends João Valente, Edgar "Macaco" Nozes, and João "Massas" Macedo, we scored 16 straight days of perfect surf, including sessions at Puertecillo, Punta de Lobos, and string of secret spots in the deep south, hosted by our good friend Sergio "Pocha" Susarte at the home of the infamous Masi. Our luck couldn't have been better. Let's hope that our luck against CELCO will, in the long run, prove equal.

In the meantime, all of us can do our part to curtail pulp mill pollution. Next time you buy paper, get the one that is 100% recycled content, and chlorine-free. It's out there, and is even available in most large office supply stores. If you can't find it, buy from eco-friendly paper companies like New Leaf Paper, at www.newleafpaper.com. The ocean and the fishies will thank you!
- Will Henry

How Much Is Your Wave Worth?

2008-01-03T03:41:00.000-08:00

(Published in Surf Portugal, January 2008)

What is a surf spot worth? That is a question that could change our sport – for better or for worse – over the next few decades. To a surfer, the value of a surfing wave is obvious. We know how rare they are. How many waves like Coxos are there in Portugal? Only one. So what is that wave worth? The simple answer is: hell of a lot of money.

The main problem is that governments don’t always realize this simple fact. Take, for instance, Madeira, where the wave in Jardim do Mar was damaged just for the sole purpose of building a massive concrete wall. There, surfers were the victims of political pandering. The politicians wanted a big project so that they could look good before the elections, and so they ignored the surfers’ pleas and built a huge pork-barrel project right on top of the surf spot. Now the wave is mostly gone, the town a good deal uglier, and everyone seems to have forgotten about Jardim. Everyone except the surfers, of course, and the local people who depended on their money from abroad.

If the surfers in Jardim would have been able to demonstrate to the government of Madeira that the wave there was worth, say, 20 million Euros over the next 10 years, perhaps they could have convinced them not to build the wall. With hard data regarding the high economic value of surf spots, surfers stand a better chance of preserving their wave heritage.

The Madeiran President reacted in a way that shows us that the world still does not always hold our sport in high regard. He called us “barefoot tourists,” and told us to “go surf somewhere else.” From these comments we can learn that (1) surfers are still seen as beach bums with no money, and (2) the government did not recognize the unique characteristics of the surf spots they were destroying. If surf spot preservation is going to become reality, these misperceptions will have to change.

Some new studies currently in progress seek to provide surfers with better data regarding wave value. The Surfrider Foundation has two such studies, one headed by Environmental Director Chad Nelson to study about the waves of Puerto Rico, and the other by Surfrider Australia’s Neil Lazarow, to determine the value of a surf spot to certain economies in Oz. Save the Waves is also managing a similar research project, focusing both on Mundaka Bay, Spain (which lost its wave for two years this decade, as well as the WCT event that went with it), and the country of Costa Rica. All are prime examples of the benefits of surf tourism towards economic growth.

Surfers are not barefoot tourists any more. The sport has grown to a multi-billion euro industry – and that’s just the clothing sales. Take tourism into account, and we’re talking about a major global economic force. I think back to my trip to the Mentawai Islands last year, where I boarded a flight in Singapore to discover it was filled – every seat – by surfers. They almost couldn’t fit all of the boards in the cargo hold. And to think that every one of these surfers was going to get off the plane, book a hotel room, eat in restaurants, and then hop on a boat trip – itself for upwards of 100 euro per day – and we have a major boon for the local economy. This was a great example of what good waves can bring, in terms of real wealth, for an economy – especially one that has little else to offer.

The visit to Portugal in October by Dr. Kerry Black of ASR Ltd., the world’s leading surfing reef manufacturer, was yet another reminder of how the perceptions of our sport need to change. ASR has projects going all over the world, and some of their reefs are being built for the sole purpose of bringing tourist dollars to a nearby area. So, if governments are willing to pay millions of dollars to build a new surf spot, why would they ever want to pay money to take one out? It doesn’t stand to reason.

Says Dr. Black, “if you build a 2 million Euro wave, the income generated for the local economy will bring about a tenfold return on your money in less than ten years. That’s just good business.” Good business, indeed. The trick is how to get governments like that in Madeira to recognize it. But then again, the more we move towards this goal, the better armed we will be to take on the next battle.

So what is a wave worth? The long answer is that every wave is unique, and thus each has different value. Of course, that value is also difficult to quantify. But suffice it to say that a surf spot is worth a lot more than people realize. The studies by the Surfrider Foundation and Save the Waves, and the ongoing projects by ASR, all have a striking similarity – they remind the world that surf spots are good for business. Perhaps for this reason, some day we will live in on a planet with more surf spots, and not less of them.

Carrying the Torch

2008-01-03T03:22:00.000-08:00

Some people might be wondering what I've been up to lately, and why I'm no longer Executive Director of Save the Waves Coalition. So, allow me to explain.

After five years as ED of Save the Waves, I decided to pass the helm over to long-time board member Dean LaTourrette. No, I wasn't deposed by mutiny, or "asked" to leave. I simply moved to the Board of Directors, where I was subsequently elected Board President. Truth be told, I needed a break. Running a non-profit is a tough job.

Nonetheless, I think the move will be a very good one for Save the Waves Coalition. Dean is an immensely talented individual, with more practical business experience than I. My career started as an artist, and despite my best efforts to become a leader in the non-profit field, an artist I will always remain. In the end I realized that my strenghts would be better employed in other ways, both for my own personal growth as well as for that of the organization.

So, I continue to remain very involved in Save the Waves' daily affairs. I am also managing the project to produce our next film, All Points South, which I describe below. That, and remaining an integral part of the Eco-Warrior project (www.eco-warrior.org), which will certainly become yet another way to publicize the plight of our oceans worldwide.

For the past six months I have been living in Portugal (waves pictured above - yes, it has been good). This has always been one of my dreams. The time here has also helped me to promote our last film project, Lost Jewel of the Atlantic, here in Europe, as well as become more involved in the endangered wave issues in Northern Spain. I return to the US this month, and am excited to be coming home. I hope to see you all in the water.
- Will Henry, founder, Save The Waves Coalition

Chile Revisited

2007-05-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

I recently completed a trip to Southern Chile to begin filming Save the Waves next movie project, All Point South. The trip, for me, was bittersweet. I have always loved the country of Chile. Since my first trip in 1992, I have returned every year. My friends would think I was crazy. "Why go to some frigid place when you could go to the Mentawais or Tahiti?" they would ask. I would just smile, knowingly, because I don't mind surfing in a little rubber, and they didn't know what they were missing. The points of Southern Chile are some of the best in the world - and to top it off, there are no crowds.

Especially on that first trip, surfers were sparse on that coast. Things have changed a bit since then. There are sometimes crowds in the water, and sometimes tempers flare, but in general it is the same place I went to some fifteen years ago. In the deep south, still my favorite place to go, oxen pull carts and boats up the sand, and men ride horseback from one town to the next. Crowds only come on the weekend, if at all.

The landscape of Southern Chile is forested, and the people that inhabit the coasts make their living mostly from fishing, farming, or diving. At first the forests seemed beautiful to me, until later I realized that the trees were non-native, and planted in rows. In fact, I recognized the types of trees themselves - Monterey Pine, which grows where I live, and Blue Gum Eucalyptus. Two of the fastest-groing trees in the world. Still, my curiosity stopped there. I figured they were growing them as a crop in order for lumber or firewood, and didn't question it further.

Later on in life, as I became involved with Save the Waves, I started to learn of the environmental devastation caused by these false forests. They were feeding a pulp industry with a voracious appetite, and one that was growing out of control and polluting most of the major water sources around my favorite surf spots. It was then that it all made sense to me, and after some further digging, I discovered that at one time this part of Chile was a lush green forest of hazelnut and allerce trees, with abundant indigenous flora and fauna. Pinochet (Chile's former dictator), in one of his grand economic schemes, gave huge incentives to clear the land and plant tree farms, and (surprise) some of his good friends made out like bandits. The rest of the local population lost their native landscape. Walk around under the canopy of a tree farm, and you will see nothing. There is no life under the trees. Where once there was a huge diversity of plants and animals that fed on them, now there is only bare ground. The first time I visited a reserve in this area - a small plot of land spared from the former clear-cutting - I almost cried. I was astounded at the beauty of it. I left with pockets full of fresh hazelnuts and a lump in my throat.

Now with further resolve, Save the Waves Coalition is going after the industry that destroyed it all. CELCO, a company with potentially one of the worst environmental track records on the planet, has just built a new mill upriver from my favorite surf spot in the world. The pollution will indeed be overwhelming.

Our trip to film All Points South consisted of a great group of surfers and environmentalists. We visited the town of Consitucion, where five great waves lie in the path of pulp mill effluent. Three of us braved the waters to surf a wave right in front of the effluent pipe (if you had seen it, you would have considered it, too). The water was putrid. We also surfed waves further to the south, where the new mill at Nueva Aldea is building their pipeline to the sea.

I have no doubt in my mind that we have a great film in the making. Not only were the waves great, but the scenery and interviews we captured were priceless. We will continue working on this film until we have a top-notch film that will make wave across the world. Until then, help us out by buying a t-shirt, or donating a little cash, as we need all we can just to get there.
- Will Henry

Environmental Extremism

2007-03-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

I was brought up in a family with deep ties to business. My father and grandfather, both Stanford men, were very successful businesspeople, which means I grew up in a home that propagated pro-business and open-market beliefs, where any extreme stance against these two pillars of Americana was considered an assault on freedom. I learned at a young age that many of my father's contemporaries considered the environmental movement to constitute such an affront. They considered many of the laws to have passed in recent decades to be devastating to the American economy, and to be the work of environmental extremists. Many a dinnertime was spent talking of different ways to kill a spotted owl, whose addition to the endangered species list prevented many landowners from developing their properties. This, according to many of my family's friends, was a call to arms, an attack on everything they stood for.

These days, I look back on these early experiences and try to learn from them, as they tell me a lot about the people who I frequently find myself up against. Extremism in any form, especially when related to anything political, rarely achieves results. Many blame extreme religious philosophies on many of the problems the world today faces, especially war. Political processes rely on compromise, which is something that many leaders - be they environmentalists or not - sometimes fail to do. One only has to look at the partisan bickering in Congress to know what I'm talking about. They don't get much done.

In many senses, extreme environmentalism has actually hurt the cause of creating increased sustainability on our planet. That is not to discredit many of the leaders who have helped to preserve the valuable natural places we still have left. Quite the contrary, it is a suggestion to many of those who still are working towards furthering the environmental cause to be good negotiators, because it is crucial to our success. All of my experience in the field of marine conservation have taught me that we never will achieve anything if we take an extreme stance. We must understand what motivates our opponent and be willing to find middle ground - otherwise we might lose everything we are fighting to preserve.

In Madeira, our failure to properly negotiate with the government ultimately led to the destruction of some of the world's best surf spots, most notably in Jardim do Mar and Ponta Delgada (pictured at left). We were the only international organization involved with this issue, and unfortunately, we made some mistakes. Ultimately the government labeled us as extremists, and then refused to deal with us at all. We no longer had them as an audience to our concerns, and surf spots were buried by concrete without a thought. It seemed like such a crime against nature to all of us there - but at the same time, I realized that if we had been more willing to find middle ground, or at least to appear as such, we would have stood a much better chance at protecting the waves. Sure, we wouldn't have stopped all the development, but we might have been able to spare the surf from harm. That thought continues to haunt me.

Some environmental organizations take a very extreme stance towards development, and have hurt the overall cause to promote more sustainable growth. We must realize that no governments will allow for economic growth to stop. We must find better, more intelligent ways to let the growth continue. Otherwise we will lose the battle entirely.

These days, when I sit at the dinner table with my family at holiday time, and brush shoulders with some of father's business friends, I must behave myself. No none wants to ruin dinner over political beliefs. According to everyone around me, I am a self-proclaimed environmentalist. Even though most of these people have known me since childhood, I am now in the enemy's camp, a traitor in their midst. Sometimes this leads to provocation, and arguments spoil the meal - but most times we are forced to be cordial and listen to one another's beliefs. I think for some of them, it is the first time they have talked to an environmentalist that knows where they are coming from, politically speaking. I may not agree with everything they say, but I listen to their words and afterwards try to reason with them. I even think sometimes that certain things I say actually get through to them.

I have never believed economic growth and environmental sustainability to be mutually exclusive. Look at Patagonia, Inc., proof positive that a large business can also be a model for good environmental conduct. By promoting these kinds of business practices, to both consumers and business leaders alike, our world stands a better chance at future survival. It might, in fact, be our only hope. But do we achieve this by burning down new developments with acts of arson? Absolutely not. This only hurts our cause, and invalidates what we are saying.

Thankfully, when we look at the battle between industry and the environment, the playing field in recent years has gotten much closer to being level. Developers in today's world, particularly in the US and in Europe, must be aware of most environmental issues, and conduct multiple studies at great expense to themselves. It's the only way for them to get what they want. In other words, due to better environmental policy, they have been forced to compromise. I think that we environmentalists should use the same tact. We might find that, in listening to the other side of the argument, we will actually do a better job protecting what is valuable to us.

The Challenges of an Eco-Warrior

2007-02-09T05:10:00.000-08:00

A lot of people ask me the same questions about Save the Waves. So, what exactly do you guys do? How are you different from Surfrider? Where do you get your funding, and how is it spent? And do you really think what you do makes a difference?

These are all valid questions, and in this first posting on my blog I will address them to the best of my ability. First, though, let me tell you a little bit about Save the Waves Coalition and how it all got started.

I founded the organization in 2001 to fight a marina proposal in Madeira, Portugal, that stood to destroy a wave I had surfed many times, and had given me more barrel time than almost any other on the globe. I had been traveling to Madeira for many years, returning each year like falling back into the arms of an old lover. Suddenly my lover was being raped in front of my very eyes. I stood watching the waves at Lugar de Baixo with some of my Madeiran friends as bulldozers raked rocks from the line-up and hastily built up a seawall along the shore. The water was brown and stinky, but being surf addicts we paddled out anyway. The session was tainted. My friends explained that a marina was being built on the very spot. They felt that because Madeira was so unknown to the rest of the world, and there were only 30 or so surfers who lived there, they stood no chance of stopping the project.

There are no words to describe to you the feelings I had that day. I screamed. I cried. This beautiful nature-made place, with it's rounded boulder bottom, perfectly placed by time and wave energy to produce glorious blue-green barrels, was going to suffer the same fate as Killer Dana. This wave had brought me so much joy over the years, and so had the friends I had made on the island. I made a commitment to myself to do whatever I could to stop the project from happening on the point. Not just for me, but for everyome who rode the waves there, or even watched them in awe when they broke.

Well, to make a long story just a litle bit longer: Save the Waves was formed that afternoon, and together we stopped the project. I returned home and suddenly was overwhelmed with phone calls from old friends and acquaintances who had heard about our new organization, and wanted to help. As we put things together to become a 501 (c)(3) and formed a Board of Directors, the emails started flowing in from all over the world. Cries for help. Surf spots were being destroyed everywhere. Governments and developers could give a flying fajita about what they considered barefoot tourists, surf bums, who didn't spend enough money and just wasted their time with frivolity. They saw cash signs on the coast and surfers were like bugs in their ears.

But I digress. These please for help gave me a commitment to continue. I have been blessed in my life with being able to make money at an early age, and hence a 9 to 5 job (and a salary) was not an absolute necessity at the time. So for three years I worked for free, trying to raise money from a mostly stingy surf industry only interested in profits, and a host of foundations that placed surf spots far below world hunger on their list of priorities. Needless to say, raising money has been the hard part, and unfortunately, it takes me away from my job of protecting the world's surf.

So now on to the questions:

What do we do?

Well, we treat every problem that comes our way differently, as there are always different variables and forces behind the wave-destructive projects that we find ourselves fighting. Since we work worldwide, there are also cultural considerations to be careful of. Lastly, we don't want to seem like a bunch of Americans telling other countries what to do. (For the record, we are an international team, but we have to be based somewhere). For each endangered wave there is a new strategy. We gather facts, write letters to the proponents of the projects urging tem to protect the surf and find alternatives, and generally try to be as diplomatic as possible. I have found that being their friend - or at least pretending to be - often achieves the quickest results. We also motivate the world community to gather togther and apply pressure on the project's proponents. You would be surprised at how effective this can be. We live in a global economy, and developers don't like the threat of international scrutiny. We use it like a weapon. If all diplomatic effots fail, then we pull out all the stops and take it to the streets. Read the story about Jardim do Mar on our website (under damaged waves) and you will see what happens when we get angry.

How are we different from Surfrider?

The Surfrider Foundation is a wonderful organization and run by a great group of people. However, they are by design ill-equipped to deal with international problems. In essence, they only operate in countries where active Surfrider chapters exist. When I first heard of what was happening in Madeira, I called Surfrider's national office in the US, and then the one Europe. They told me that they were overwhelmed by their current projects, had no money to help us with, but agreed to help us publicize what was going on. At the time I was a bit upset that they couldn't do more. Alright, I admit it, I was pissed off. But thankfully I held my tongue because now, after six years at the helm of my own non-profit, I completely undertsand their position. All of the ocean non-profits are in the same boat - we are underfunded, and we are fighting multinational corporations and governments who have very deep pockets indeed. We need to stick to our respective missions, do what we are good at and not get distracted by peripheral issues, or we dilute our strength.

Where do we get our funding?

This has been our greatest challenge over the years. Most wealthy philanthropists could care less about surfing, unless they actually do it themslevs. They don't realize the economic benefit it brings to remote regions of the globe (i.e. the Mentawais, or Mexico, to name just a couple), nor the happiness it fosters in the world's population. Advisory Board member Terry Gibson once told me, "I think surfing will save the world." At first I thought he was exaggerating, but as I examined the thought more closely, I saw the validity in it. Is there any greater sport to bring cultures together, and to make the world a more happy, peaceful place? I sometimes struggle with the fact that we seem to be asking for money for a cause that may seem trivial to those who are aware of the world's more dire problems. But at the same time I see our work's positive influence on the world, so I feel justified in seeking monetary support.

Unfortunately, the industry that we are out there protecting - the surf apparel and travel industries, to be specific - are for the most part uninterested in helping us. They are interested in profit and profit alone. When I look at the way some of these guys are making tens of millions per year - and consistently slam the door in our faces every time we knock - I am truly disgusted. There are a few good apples out there - Newman's Own Organics, Patagonia, Clif Bar, XS Energy Drink - but the funny thing is, with the exception Patagonia, none of them even makes a surfing product. How will we achieve our goals if the one industry we support will not support us? I don't like to be negative, but it is hard to put a positive spin on this. The only salvation for the surf companies is SIMA, whcih raises money for ocean non-profits at its Waterman's Ball every year. I commend them for that, but it's not enough. That leaves us with a challenge of growing our membership base, of which all of you are an important part. For those of you that have given, I can't thank you enough.

How do we spend our funding?

You can actually view the 990 form for any non-profit on the web, as they are public documents. These are the forms we are required to file with the IRS and have all of the organization's details, including staff salaries and program spending. You can view ours at www.guidestar.org. We also are planning on posting our 990's on the website soon. In a nutshell, though, about 65% of our money goes directly towards active field work. The rest is our overhead, and the salaries for our staff, who are dedicated people who could probably make a lot more money working for someone else. Personally, my annual salary (for full-time work) is $12,000, and our highest paid staff member is at $22,000. What that means is that we don't use your money to make ourselves rich. We use it to make good things happen, and don't waste a dime.

Do we really think what we do makes a difference?

Absolutley, yes. Otherwise I'd be doing somehing else. We have already been successful in helping to save many waves, and not only that, in improving world opinion about our sport and its benefits. When I see the smile and hear the thank you on a young grom's face, I know that what we are doing is right.

I hope this answers some of the questions some of you may have had over the years about us. We are always trying to present a transparent image to the public, to let you know how deeply committed we are to our work. I hope you can tell your friends about us, and if possible, become a member. It really does help us, more so than you can imagine. If money is a problem, at least register on our website so that you can follow what we do over the coming years. It's free, and you will receive our monthly newsletters and announcements, and nothing else.