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February 2007 Issue

End of a Lifestyle: Historic Sale of Cojo Ranch

By Ben Preston

It’s a fact we cannot escape. Land developers find the Gaviota Coast very attractive. What’s not to like? This relatively untouched stretch of Pacific Coastline is one of the most beautiful pieces of real estate our state has to offer. The Camp Pendleton military reservation and the Gaviota Coast are the last undeveloped expanses of coastal land in Southern California. In fact, the Gaviota Coast comprises 50% of California’s remaining rural coastline. Added to its list of attributes is the fact that its near-shore waters are biologically rich and diverse, providing valuable commercial and recreational resources.

Let’s not forget that Gaviota serves us, the humble surfers, with such amazing spots as Naples, El Capitan, the Hollister Ranch, and countless other points and reefs in between. Sitting in the water on a sunlit day, with the green (or brown, depending upon the season) hills and mountains behind, the full effect of this area’s beauty can be truly felt. Now imagine the same scene with a bunch of mansions cluttering the hillside. Not so nice.

This was the fate that befell Malibu, which, unfortunately, was developed at a time when “Weekend at Bernie’s”-style houses were en vogue. What were once beautiful bluffs and deserted beaches are now ugly houses that are literally falling into the ocean. Bearing this in mind, it is surprising that anyone would want to develop on a coastal bluff, but land development companies such as Vintage Properties have just such a thing in mind for the property at Naples.

Naples, however, is the tip of the iceberg. All along the Gaviota Coast, bids and proposals exist for developments of one sort or another. El Capitan Canyon Resort wants to add a significant number of new guest facilities in El Capitan Canyon. Vintage has plans to build 50 to 70 mega-mansions at Naples. There are countless plans for development of smaller land parcels up and down the 101 corridor, consisting mostly of single-family dwellings.

Topping all of this is the recent sale of the Bixby Ranch at Point Conception. This huge chunk of pristine coastline has served as a cattle ranch for the past century, but its sale to a no-nonsense Boston investment firm gives it—for now—a somewhat uncertain future. At $135 million, this is one of the priciest land sales in California history. It’s hard to imagine that an investment firm would have benevolent conservation efforts planned for a property which is so attractive to a very wealthy lot of prospective homeowners. However, their attorney said that they do not yet have any plans for the property.

As surfers and lovers of our uniquely rural coastal scene, many of us would like to see the land preserved. The only way to ensure that this happens is to get involved. There are several organizations dedicated environmentalism and a slow-growth ideal—the Gaviota Coast Conservancy, the Naples Coalition, and Surfrider Foundation, to name a few. For more information, visit the following websites: www.gaviotacoastconservancy.org, www.savenaples.org, or www.sbsurfrider.org.

Your Next Board: The 'Green' Board
By Katie McLean

The 2005 demise of Clark Foam, due to lack of compliance with environmental regulations, has opened up experimentation with 'green' alternatives. Many companies and shapers are attempting to use other methods and materials to make boards that will meet the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency and benefit the environment. But polyurethane foam has proved over the years to be hard to replace because of its quality and price, so thousands of polyurethane blanks are being imported from countries around the world. These countries still use the harmful TDI that is restricted by the EPA and their extensive shipping is wasteful. With the end of the manufacturer of 65% of the world's surfboard blanks, various forms of blanks have been created to fill the hole in the market. Hess Surfboards is using sustainable harvested wood, cork, EPS foam, and epoxy resin. Aviso and Firewire are working with hollow carbon fiber board technology. Surftech is utilizing their Tuflite technology to mesh together fiberglass and PVC with epoxy resin over an EPS blank. S-core by Salomon uses hydrophobic extruded polystyrene foam and epoxy resin. Ocean Green's Ecofoil boards use hollow balsa blanks and organic hemp cloth.

UK's Sannyasi is using castor oil polyurethane and starch polymer resin to create biodegradable boards that are free of petrochemicals. Fletcher Chouinard is using low-pollution foam, chromium-free fiberglass treatments and epoxy resin. But because these alternatives are just now being introduced, they still have some problems. Wood boards are too heavy and cannot be produced in large quantities. Other boards will not gain enough attention because of their unattractive natural look. One of the most popular alternative, EPS foam, even includes some production, environmental, and popularity problems. Some shapers do not like extruded polystyrene foam because the huge blocks must be cut with a hot wire into blanks before the string glue-up. The metal molds in which polystyrene beads are expanded are expensive and difficult to make. Because of their bead composition the EPS foams are hard to shape cleanly and must be sealed before glassing. EPS foams must also be glassed with epoxy resin, which contains 75% volatile organic compounds, which contaminates air and water and contributes to global warming. Riders also complain of the stiffness of these boards. To win over shapers and surfers these new boards must provide quality, durability, aesthetic appeal, and ease of production. They must also struggle in competition with longstanding popular boards and cheaper boards. But what is important here is the surge in environmental designs encompassing both recyclable and sustainable materials showing the industry's desire to protect the environment.
The biggest advancement in environmental surfboards is Homeblown's new 'green' surfboard blank, which was recently presented by Ned McMahon at Surf Expo. In partnership with the UK's Eden Project and Wetsand, Homeblown has created a blank with 50% of the core ingredients constructed from renewable agricultural products. It does not contain synthetics, toxins, or any environmentally damaging substances. It was originally constructed from balsa wood which proved to be to heavy, so Chuck Menzel of Wetsand then formulated Biofoam by replacing the petroleum component of the foam with materials converted from natural plant oils. This production results in 36% less global warming emissions and a 61% reduction in non-renewable energy use. It reduces dependence on fossil fuels, reduces water and air pollution, and has low health risks. The polyurethane foam uses MDI rather than TDI, a foam that Gordon Clark himself had begun to experiment with. MDI has less health hazards, is stronger in compression strength, and is ten times more waterproof than TDI. It's small cell structure is good for color work and absorbs less resin. It eliminates air voids and pour marks, and has a consistent density for easy and clean shaping. This formula is ideal for shapers to easily work with to produce lighter and stronger boards. This environmentally conscious company has invented a blank that benefits the environment while still gaining the approval of shapers and riders. Homeblown understands that to win popularity, these eco-boards must impress the public with their performance and cost. In order to compete with other blanks, Homeblown has factories in Cornwall and Jeffrey's Bay and has recently opened their third plant in San Diego to support the largest surfboard manufacturing base in the nation. With the excitement of the surf industry's first 'green' surfboard blank, shapers, pros, and you will be lining up to try the 'green' board.

Posted February 2007 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.

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