September 2006 Issue
Serenity South of the Border
Words and photos: Branden Aroyan
Serenity South of the Boarder
The crew: Jimmy Gamboa, Daniel Graham and myself.
Peace and simplicity enjoying the open space and exploration while digesting culture.
When the local lineups were messed up with fowl attitudes and broken up sections, we skipped town to
find some room to play.
Each of us brought a couple favorite boards to mix up the quiver and the newly shared quiver mixed us up with a few new favorites. Since there was no one around and the waves were pumping, there was plenty of space and time to tune into a different board and slide and drive all the way to the shore.
Pasta again was still as good as the night before with the addition of fresh lobster dropped off by a local fisherman.
Still no one else showed up to surf three, four days later. The tide determined which vehicle to ride and each ride sang the song the shaper played with each line the planer made. Ahhh Mexico, it’s what’s for and what it’s about and what we bring back adds a little more each time.
Posted September 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Baja Sessions
Seven adventurous surfers travel south for relief from the crowded winter surf of Southern California
Photos by Jeff Johnson
Captions by Shannon Menzel
The girls: Liz, Shannon (myself), Brooke, Belinda, Rebecca, Shannon S. and Mary (not shown...she caught a wave)
Belinda Baggs sliding and gliding
On the other side of the point and our camp lay this un-ridden beach break. Belinda Baggs checks it out...
After 7-hour surf sessions,
it was only fitting to end the day in the water.
Posted September 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
News
Time for a Change
By Katie McLean
Local surfers, families, and visitors will be mourning by the end of October upon the closure of Santa Barbara's Esau's. For 52 years, 403 State Street has been the funky breakfast and lunch shop with surf decor and lines going out the door. Scott Stanley bought the restaurant from Esau 28 years ago, and with his wife, Arti, has managed it, along with the Esau's they opened 4 years ago in Carpenteria. Stanley, who loves the ocean and has been surfing since he was 12, moved here when he was 18. Now living in Carpenteria, his wife usually runs the restaurant there on Linden Avenue, while he runs the one in Santa Barbara.
Landlord of the property, Abe Safina, has refused to negotiate a 5th lease. Safina owns over 30 downtown properties, mostly on Chapala Street, which he received from his father who purchased much of Santa Barbara in the 40's and 50's. Tadd's Liquor, next door to Esau's, was evicted after 25 years of business, and has remained vacant for the last 3 years now. Bitter feelings are directed at Safina for not giving any reasons for eviction. The last and only words given to Stanley for reason were, “Time for a change.” Remodeling the space to sell or lease at a higher price, has not proved to be the reason, but with the patten of recent Santa Barbara landlords, this could end up being the result. As Santa Barbara's small local shops are being forced to close down, they are being replaced with large chains of businesses, taking away the uniqueness of Santa Barbara. With the recent and upcoming openings of Volcom, Michael Stars, Pacsun, Sephora, and Ripcurl, downtown Santa Barbara is beginning to look all too much like L.A. The original quaint Santa Barbara is selling out to new developments of condos and hotels that are overcrowding the once small town, which used to have the space to breath that locals appreciated. The crowds of Southern California are creeping up the coast, and who knows, maybe Safina is making room for Santa Barbara's first Walmart.
In the final months or month of business, Stanley is searching for cheap rent somewhere downtown to continue Esau's. If nothing comes up, an opening of Esau's in Ventura might become an option. Until then, Esau's family of workers are staying to the end. If a new Esau's doesn't look possible, then some workers will move over to the one in Carpenteria, while Stanley looks into other opportunities, such a selling Esau's pancake mix in local stores. Possibly the most enticing opportunity for Stanley is the availability of more time to visit his house in Scorpion Bay to surf. Until then, Stanley greatly appreciates the strong support from customers and the great memories, but the doors have yet to close, so get your pancakes while you still can!
US Open of Surfing
By Katie McLean
The Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O’Neill in Huntington Beach, a six-star WQS rated event, resulted in a number of personal victories.
Former two-time event champion Rob Machado lost last year in a close final against Andy Irons. This year Machado clawed his way from the early rounds of the trials to win his third US Open. Despite the wind-blown head high surf, he was very happy with the crowd's energy and his comeback. With his success in the few contests he has competed in this year, including his win earlier this year at the four-star WQS at Pipeline, this could be the turning point that puts him back on the WCT and qualify him for the Foster's ASP Men's World Tour.
Runner-up Roy Powers' (HAW) rookie season was not going great as he was struggling to keep his spot for next years tour, but this finish will boost his WQS ratings and help him re-qualify for the World Tour. Goofy-foot Mike Losness lost to his childhood hero, Machado, in the semi-finals. This finish has inspired him to want to try more WQS events next year. Eighteen year old Jeremy Flores' (REU) finish in the semi-finals shoots him up to fifth on the WQS, which could qualify him for next year's World Tour, but being so young, he sees no pressure in qualifying yet.
Santa Barbara's Bobby Martinez advanced to the quarter-finals, but his biggest victory was defeating legendary Sunny Garcia. As a rookie on the World Tour, Martinez was delighted to surf along side the Hawaiian hero and former ASP World Tour Champion. Martinez easily advanced in the opening heat with a total heat score of 15. He took out Damien Hobgood and other big names along the way.
Women's U.S. Open of Surfing & Pro Junior
By Katie McLean
Surfing the Women’s Honda U.S. Open of since age14, former ASP Women's World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER) achieved her childhood dream of finally being crowned champion. This year's physical and mental training at home successfully resulted in winning the first WQS event that she has competed in this season. After being runner-up on last year's World Tour, Mulanovich struggled this year, but is sure that this confidence booster will keep her on a roll. With her new WQS points, jet ski, and $4,500 prize money, as well as her current spot at 8th in the world, Mulanovich is stoked.
Meanwhile, in one of the closest heats of the Target Women's Pro Junior, Lee Ann Curren(FRA) edged out competitors to win the ASP $10,000 Grade Two event. Curren admits entering the 2-3ft surf nervously, because of the talented competitors and difficultly in finding good waves. She plans on surfing more WQS events, but without letting them interfere with her last year of school. With her victories at the Roxy Pro Junior and the Buondi Pro Junior in in Portugal, this is her third consecutive Pro Junior win this season, all in the last few weeks.
Posted September 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Environmental News
Preserving a National Treasure: Big Waves a Coming
By Greg Karpain
The battle to save the Naples coastline from a proposed 54 mansion development project is under way and the Naples Coalition is calling on concerned surfers to suit up and help protect the Naples reef and the Gaviota Coast. The United Nations lists the Gaviota Coast as one of the top 15 ecological wonders in the world, a designation signifying its biological diversity. If the proposed Naples development project is approved, it will
-Set an unwanted precedent for building up and down the Gaviota Coast
-Destroy the natural beauty of the area forever
-Claim some of the last remaining open coastland in Southern California
-Imperil the water quality in the sensitive Naples Reef ecosystem
In addition to losing one of the world’s great open coastal scenic views, the wrong project at Naples would cause disastrous consequences for conservation efforts on the Gaviota Coast. A new housing development in the middle of the Gaviota Coast would set the wrong expectations in the minds of other landowners, and create the wrong permitting precedent by the County.
Surf’s up! The Naples Coalition Paddles Out
That’s why the Naples Coalition (created by Surfrider Foundation, Gaviota Coast Conservancy, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Citizen’s Planning Association, and League of Women Voters) banded together in 2003 to protect the rural character of the Gaviota Coast. After years of fact finding, soul searching, debate, and discussions with the developer, the Naples Coalition crafted an alternative proposal which is listed in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR ) as Alternative 2. Alternative 2 allows the developer to obtain a reasonable return on investment, while protecting the rural character and environmental qualities of the Naples area.
The Naples Coalition’s decision to develop an independent, community-based alternative grew out of the legal realities at Naples. After a long struggle with land speculators over the legality of a long-forgotten 1888 paper subdivision, the County was forced to adopt an Official Map in 1995, recognizing 274 lots at Naples, a historical legal exception to the agricultural zoning of the Gaviota Coast. This wasn’t a political land use decision by the community; this was a legal coup by the Morehart Land Company. The Morehart Land Company then sold most of its interests to Matt Osgood’s Vintage Communities of Orange County, a residential development company.
Santa Barbara Community Speaks Out Loudly
On July 14 the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission and the Central Board of Architectural Review (CBAR) hosted a public tour of the Naples and Dos Pueblos Ranch properties. The developer constructed “story poles” outlining the general height and size of selected buildings. About 100 citizens, an extraordinary number for such an excursion, took off a workday to view the dramatic visual impact of the future mansions on the viewshed.
About the same time, the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Naples development project (officially called the Santa Barbara Ranch Project) was released for public review on June 28th and contains, in addition to the developer’s 54 mansion proposal, the more environmentally sensitive Naples Coalition proposal (Alternative 2). County Planning staff is currently accepting public comments and letters for an extended 90 day period ending September 27.
Between 200-250 members of the public, an unprecedented number, attended the public comment meeting on the DEIR on June 27. During this overflow, standing-room-only meeting, concerned citizens, the Naples Coalition, and Chumash representatives, presented a series of policy discrepancies and inconsistencies in the recently released DEIR, and requested an extension period (which the developer granted) to further study and understand the complex 1400 page document. Fifty of the attendees spoke in support of the Naples Coalition Alternative 2 during the four hour overtime session.
A Flawed DEIR Revealed
The Naples Coalition and its attorneys, Marc Chytilo and The Environmental Defense Center, have been reviewing the 1400 page DEIR in exhaustive detail. This document is seriously flawed and needs significant revision, if not a complete rewrite. Here are some of its most serious inadequacies:
A Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) study was undertaken in conjunction with the DEIR. The methodology and assumptions of this study inflate the value of the development, making the desirable transfer of the building rights more difficult.
The developer is attempting to “sequence” the development of the project, building the inland portion before receiving Coastal Commission permission to build the coastal portion. This sequencing prejudices the review of the project in several very important ways in favor of the development and is strongly opposed by the Naples Coalition.
The DEIR includes a zone district that sets the guidelines for building. This zone district is vague and inadequate, and allows that a residence of any size could be built. The Naples Coalition developed its own zone district language (in Alternative 2) that states that if anything is built on the property it must be environmentally sensitive and not significantly exceed the size of the average house currently on the coast.
The DEIR sites the building of the California Coastal Trail inland (along the railroad tracks and frontage road), disregarding State suggested guidelines which state that the Coastal Trail shall be built as close to the coast as possible.
By the Naples Coalition’s count, more than 20 of the proposed residences will be visible from the Highway 101 and coastal trail viewshed as Class One (significant, non-mitagateable) impacts. This is not permissible under County guidelines, but the DEIR proposes it anyway.
The deadline for the public to send in comments is September 27, 2006. A link to the DEIR, information on where and how to send your comments, as well as in-depth information on the issues can be found at the Naples Coalition website www.savenaples.org. It is important to send in comments (via automated email or letters from the www.savenaples.org website) on DEIR inadequacies as well as your opinions on “Keeping the Coast Clear.” Get involved if you care about the future of our coast.
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Posted September 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
