On June 8 — World Ocean Day — the World Surf League, the Surfrider Foundation, California State Parks, the San Onofre Parks Foundation, and members of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, came together at Trestles to mark the start of the WSL Trestles Pro and celebrate the conservation of this iconic place.
Held within the San Onofre State Beach, the event honored the immense cultural significance of the coastline and the collective effort to protect it. The day began with an opening blessing and traditional song led by Acjachemen spiritual leader Adelia Sandoval and several Acjachemen singers. As the sound of waves echoed in the background, the group offered prayers, burned white sage, and welcomed all participants into the space with intention and respect for the land.
Tribal Chairman Nathan Banda followed with opening remarks that acknowledged the Tribe’s long-standing connection to this coastline — a relationship rooted in stewardship since time immemorial. Professional surfers Griffin and Crosby Colapinto and Cole Houshmand were present and received blessings from Acjachemen leaders ahead of their competing in the WSL Trestles Pro event this week.
Photo courtesy of World Surf League.
Following the ceremony, Surfrider’s Coastal Adaptation Manager, Alex Ferron Mignogna, addressed the crowd and shared about the ongoing restoration work underway — an effort made possible through support from WSL’s One Ocean program.
Throughout the WSL-sponsored 2025 restoration project, Surfrider staff and volunteers worked alongside California State Parks, the San Onofre Parks Foundation, and the Acjachemen Nation to remove invasive plant species and marine debris from the Trestles shoreline. Over five months of events, volunteers removed:
- 5,000 pounds of invasive iceplant from the beach and dunes — creating space for native plants and wildlife to thrive
- 400+ pounds of trash — primarily plastic and polystyrene debris, which can cause lasting harm to coastal ecosystems
All of this is to improve the resilience of the natural ecosystems at Trestles and allow them to adapt as nature intended.
These efforts are part of Surfrider’s long legacy of stewardship at Trestles. In 2005, we joined with Tribal leaders, local communities, and thousands of advocates to stop a proposed toll road that would have permanently damaged this treasured stretch of coast. Nearly two decades later, the work continues — not just to protect the wave, but to restore the surrounding habitat and honor the cultural and ecological richness of the land.
During the June 8 event, volunteers split into two groups. One team focused on trash collection along the shoreline, while the other, led by Senior Environmental Scientist Riley Pratt of California State Parks, continued the habitat restoration work by removing sea rocket — an invasive plant that disrupts native coastal vegetation. As a way of giving back to the surf break that shaped their early surf careers, the Colapintos and Houshmand volunteered their time to partake in the day’s restoration activities. Together, volunteers removed 300 pounds of sea rocket, and 26 pounds of trash from the beach, including over 500 plastic fragments.
This season’s success would not have been possible without the collaboration of WSL One Ocean, California State Parks, the San Onofre Parks Foundation, the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, and the hundreds of volunteers who showed up to care for this extraordinary place.
Surfrider’s public restoration events at Trestles will pause for the summer season, and will return in the fall. The next event is scheduled for Saturday, September 20, in coordination with California Coastal Cleanup Day.