agreed to address the conference, and his speech was an inspiration, and yet also a warning, about what it takes to dedicate your life to protecting the coastal environment.
Saturday night gave attendees a chance to honor several Surfrider "heroes", enjoy the OB Geriatric Club's precision marching surf show, and finish off the night with an authentic surfers stomp that shook the genteel Marriott Hotel until almost midnight.
Yet there was still work to be done, and Sunday saw the workshops cranking up at 9 am for another five hours of ideas, information, and real stoke coming out of the dedication of Surfrider activists.
The conference concluded in the afternoon with a special presentation on the armoring of the California coast with seawalls. The 30 minute video was a sobering reminder that as populations increasingly crowd towards the coast, surfers have a special responsibility to arm themselves with information and inspiration in defense of waves and beaches.
The Surfrider Summit, celebrating the Foundation's 15th anniversary, was something unique in the world of surfing: it wasn't commercial, it wasn't competitive, and in fact much of the most important moments occurred miles from the ocean. But from a long-term perspective, the weekend of events was an epic surf session, in terms of stoke and dedication, for the hundreds of participants who are locked into the heaviest tube ride of all: a lifelong commitment to protecting the surfing environment for present and future generations.
Defending the surfing environment requires a commitment no different than riding inside a very heavy barrel: you need courage, judgement, brains, and determination. Since 1984 the logo of the Surfrider Foundation - the view from inside the tube - has symbolized that kind of special commitment to protect waves and beaches. Last month Surfrider celebrated 15 years of making waves with a special weekend of activities in San Diego.
Starting early Saturday morning with a paddle-out around the Ocean Beach Pier organized by Surfrider's San Diego chapter, the celebration brought together hundreds of members from around the world.
One of the themes at the "Surfrider Summit" which officially convened at nearby UCSD later that morning was that progress was being made. Workshops and presentations filled the day covering the strategies and war stories of being a surfer AND an environmentalist. Although there are many battles being fought around the
country, the general feeling was one of satisfaction at Surfrider's achievements, both past and present. In fact, at times there were five different workshops going on simultaneously, covering everything from surfing's "green" history to swimming with the sharks in Washington, D.C. to successful storm drain stenciling programs of Surfrider chapters.
The conference adjourned on Saturday with a plenary session where an almost full house heard from Peter Douglas, the executive director of the California Coastal Commission. It was a tribute to Surfrider's maturity and reputation that Douglas
Surfrider Celebrates Fifteen Years of Making Waves
By Glenn Hening
1999 Board of Directors and Staff
left to right: current Executive Director, Christopher Evans; Former Executive Directors, Pierce Flynn and Jake Grubb
