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Surfer in foreground while large, righthand wave peels in background

What Does It Take To Save Ruggles?

Photo: Tim Fater / @timfater1

Ruggles, like many Northeastern breaks, has a decades-long, storied history. In 1964, a lone surfer and a single fisherman got into a major conflict about who had the right to be enjoying the public space where Ruggles Avenue met the sea, on the southern end of Easton Bay, Rhode Island. Following the incident, the fisherman, who happened to be the police chief, played an integral role in banning surfing between First Beach and Castle Hill.

Despite the ban, surfers still took to Ruggles, often being kicked out by authorities. Then, in October of 1971, local skateboarding and surf icon Sid Abruzzi decided to push back. Refusing to leave when asked, it took five police cars to arrive and a barrage of shouting before he paddled in. He was arrested, and found guilty in district court by Judge Corrine Grande. Abruzzi decided to take action against the ordinance. 

Contrary to the legal advice Abruzzi received, he and his friends continued to surf the spot. Their crew even saved three fishermen when their boat crashed into the cliff, using their boards to bring them ashore. The fishermen were greeted by an ambulance, and the surfers were welcomed by police, who still asked them to leave despite their heroism. Karma was on the surfers’ side, however. By December of that year, Abruzzi was vindicated when surfing at the spot was ruled legal. Today, the spot has been liberated for over 50 years.

Two surfers walk out into the water between sets.Photo: Tim Fater / @timfater1

"I've been surfing Ruggles for 60 years," Abruzzi explained. "Obviously it means everything to me. Growing up, before it got discovered, it was a place to show your friends from out of town."

In March 2013, Ruggles was threatened by a proposed project to rearmor and repair the city’s popular three-and-a-half mile Cliff Walk after damages sustained from Superstorm Sandy. The jetties that were set to be built would have destroyed the wave in the process. Abruzzi and activist Dave McLaughlin were on the front lines, working with a marine biologist and the Army Corps of Engineers to develop a lower-impact, surfer-friendly restoration plan that ensured protection of Rhode Island’s most iconic wave.

Surfrider’s Rhode Island Chapter kept close tabs on the situation throughout the process, wagering a statement of concern regarding the jetties, attending meetings to review plans, and reporting out to the community. Rhode Island's Coastal Resource Management Council held a public meeting on July 17, where lower-impact, surfer-friendly plans for the Cliff Walk repair were discussed & approved.

In regards to the next generation of environmental advocates, Abruzzi is confident that they will learn from their fathers and mothers: “It's all the basic stuff – pick up litter, respect the environment, and respect the water. We lead by example. Waves are free, and they are for everybody,” Abruzzi said.