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Surf Spotlight: Cape Kiwanda, Oregon surfing at its best By Chad Nelsen MAKING WAVES, August/September 1999 |
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Next time you find yourself crossing a suspension bridge as you walk down a pine needle padded trial in a temperate rain forest on your way to an empty beach with perfect surf, odds are, you are in Oregon. To learn more about this mystical and often overlooked (much to the delight of the locals) land of cold water big wave surfing, I talked with Paul Klarin, executive committee member of the Oregon chapter and staff member at Oregon's Coastal Management Program. Name: Gas Chambers Location: Cape Kiwanda, Oregon Chad: What's your favorite surf spot? Paul: Gas Chambers at Cape Kiwanda. Chad: What makes that spot special? Paul: Cape Kiwanda offers several different waves ranging from "cove" next to the headland to to "Gas Chambers" a hard edge beach break with deceptive snap. Cape Kiwanda, located in Pacific City, can handle surf up to 12 feet, but the paddle usually weeds out the less experienced and conditioned surfers once it pushes 8'. It's a year-round surf spot that catches all swells and the headland can offer some relief from the NW winds that come in summer. Driving on the beach is permitted and there is an access ramp from the parking lot that also serves the dory fishing boats that launch through the surf in the cove. A brewpub, complete with volleyball net next to the outdoor tables, overlooks the break and serves excellent micro-brews for the after session. Chad: What is your favorite thing about surfing in Oregon? Paul: Oregon surfing is a full body and soul aesthetic experience. Most spots provide dramatic natural landscapes with huge jutting headlands, forested slopes, sand dunes, cliffs and bluffs. The surf is demanding but plentiful for the committed. Crowds are minimal and even the most popular and accessible spots like Cape Kiwanda can still be surfed with a only a hand full of friends on good days. Though surfing is definitely on the rise in Oregon, energy sucking cold water, big rips, and the ever-present "food chain" factor continue to moderate its growth. There is a certain spook factor to some spots and having a few more faces in the water is often appreciated. Chad: What are the environmental threats to Oregon's surf spots? The Oregon coast in general? Paul: Poorly sited coastal development is the primary threat to Oregon's beaches. This is centered in the few urbanized beach towns where newcomers continue to insist on trying to build too close to the edge. Fortunately, Oregon law prohibits all development on beaches, providing a permanent public easement to all beaches. Outdated sewage plants, overburdened by the recent boom in development, are failing to do their duty, causing water pollution problems at several surf spots in Newport and Florence. As a result, law suits and enforcement orders have forced these cities to start building new facilities. Chad: What are the solutions? How can they be applied to the rest of the coast? Paul: The Oregon Coastal Management Program is aggressively addressing coastal erosion and hazards problems by assisting local governments in making better siting decisions. By mitigating the risk to development from coastal hazards, this strategy will result in fewer attempts to use shoreline stabilization for protection. In one well publicized case this past year, a County and Governor Kitzhaber, refused to allow a subdivision of expensive condos to rip rap the shoreline to keep the structures from sliding down a headland. One tool to help communities address coastal hazards was developed for the Oregon Coastal Management Program by coastal geologist and surfer John Marra, a board member of the Oregon chapter. His Littoral Cell Management Planning process is now being adopted at several erosion hot spots on the coast, enabling them to avoid future disasters through better understanding and planning. |
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