For anyone in the san francisco area there is a save the waves benefit party this week (thursday the 22nd) at the 111 Minna gallery in SF. there will be live music, art showings, surf/surf related films, raffles for some really cool prizes and a silent auction. among the items being auctioned are a mandala and an andreini surfboard as well as some other surf gear. tickets are $20 for general admission and $50 for the green package which includes a STW membership and goody bag (available at www.savethewaves.org). all proceeds benefit the save the waves coalition.
Which waves, exactly, did you have in mind to save? And, with all due respect, How? Is there a plan, or target?
This is from the save the waves website (www.savethewaves.org)
Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica Controversial project threatens to change Puerto Viejo forever. A new marina will be built on top of surf spot “La Escuelita” burying it forever and possibly altering famous surf spot Salsa Brava. -more- Molle, Sweden Harbor extension and “wave-stoppers” in Skane, Sweden, could potentially destroy Sweden’s best right point break. -more- Cobquecura, Chile A series of left point breaks in Southern Chile are being threatened by the construction of a pulp mill upriver from the breaks, which promises to badly pollute the water. -more- Rabat, Morocco
photo credited to Said Achenane. Thanks Said! New plans for development in Morocco’s northern coastline threaten multiple surf spots.
-more- Playa Yankee, Nicaragua The hollow, barreling peak at Playa Yankee will be buried under a controversial “public pier,” currently being constructed by an ocean-front property owner who intends to make the beach private.
-more- Baja, Mexico Baja’s coastline is experiencing an unprecedented coastal growth that is threatening many of Baja’s world class surfing spots.
-more- Vetchies, Durban, South Africa Huge coastal development project threatens to cement over Durban’s “cradle of surfing”. -more- Whangamata, New Zealand The world class Whanga Bar may be destroyed by a Marina “development” recently approved by Members of the New Zealand Parliament and a small group of boat owners. -more-
Fill out the Whanga Bar economic survey <a href="http://www.sinofartz.com/whangamata/whangamata.php" class="bb-url"><span style="font-weight:bold">-here-</span></a>.</span> <img src="http://www.savethewaves.org/images/blue_dot.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /> <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-size:6px">Rodiles, Asturias, Spain</span></span> <a href="http://www.savethewaves.org/rodiles.asp" class="bb-url"><img src="http://www.savethewaves.org/images/home/rodiles_uribe.jpg" alt="" class="bb-image" /></a> <a href="http://www.savethewaves.org/help_rodiles.asp" class="bb-url"><img src="http://www.savethewaves.org/help_save_copy_sm.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /></a> <span style="font-size:6px">Yet another of Spain's best river mouth breaks is about to fall victim to a dredging project, similar to what happened in nearby Mundaka Bay. Rodiles, often known as Mundaka's little sister, could disappear if the project is allowed to proceed. <a href="http://www.savethewaves.org/rodiles.asp" class="bb-url"><span style="font-weight:bold">-more-</span></a></span> <img src="http://www.savethewaves.org/images/blue_dot.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /> <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-size:6px">Alamo, Montauk Point, LI, NY</span></span> <a href="http://www.savethewaves.org/alamo.asp" class="bb-url"><img src="http://www.savethewaves.org/images/alamo/Alamo1.jpg" alt="" class="bb-image" /></a> <a href="http://www.savethewaves.org/help_alamo.asp" class="bb-url"><img src="http://www.savethewaves.org/help_save_copy_sm.gif" alt="" class="bb-image" /></a> <span style="font-size:6px">East Coast regional classic, Alamo, is under threat due to plans to fortify historical Montauk Lighthouse.
-more- Tasmania, Australia Four surf spots and an entire coastline are threatened by effluent discharge of a proposed Pulp Mill project on the North Coast of Tasmania. -more- Bastion Point, Victoria, Australia A boat ramp has been proposed at this beach that will negatively impact a rare jewel of a surf spot, as well as detract from the natural beauty of the Mallacoota coast. -more- [=1][ 4]Gijón, Spain[/][/] Eight surf spots are about to be shadowed by a massive harbor expansion of this industrial port on the North Coast of Spain. -more- Akae Beach, Miyazaki, Japan A group of citizens in this small beach community have sued the ex-governor of the city for approving the project at Akae Beach, which threatens both an excellent wave and valuable nesting grounds for the endangered red sea turtle. -more-
Save the Waves was started by a NorCal local, Will Henry, who was looking to, well, create an advocacy group intended principally to lobby on the issue of coastal development with respect to how it impacts surfers.
The group is VERY VERY surfer specific. It is safe to say, in fact, that they do not lobby for environmental causes that do not have a substantial surfer focus. Sorta like Surfrider before they were taken over by non-surfers.
A lot of the work consists in identifying waves that are threatened - by breakwaters, or commercial development that will pollute, and organizing the voices of surfers to let the local government know the cares of the surfers, and the value of that particular wave to the locale. In many cases, they make a real difference.
Here are some past efforts
http://www.savethewaves.org/past_campaigns.asp
Will Henry also plays a mean guitar and is one of the CNB singers. I know and have spoken to Will many times about surfing and Save The Waves, and he is the real deal, and I consider them the BEST place to give money or time if you are interested in improving the quality of surfing worldwide. As I look over the Board of Directors, I see a lot of the guys I knew well at Ocean Beach - guys who were friends, have lived and surfed together for a few decades, and are using Save the Waves to give back, and are making a difference.
a marina in puerto viejo?!
for what!? the 2 dolphin tour boats?!
they can’t be that stupid…that places goes off when everyone is in town
for salsa brava.
terrible.