However, once it's over you want another and another. It's the same way for photographers.

An epic shot is never enough. It might be up on the wall or grace the pages of a surfing publication for all eyes to see, but the proverbial "what have you done for me lately" looms large for each photographer wanting to make a name for him or herself.

It's why surfers surf and lens men push the shutter.

The Blue Edge 2007 Photo Annual is a collection of images taken from the past year and that's all. It's a tight edit of photos from right out the back door and around the globe.

Flip through the pages and absorb the action, because before you know it, 2008 will be upon us.

Chuck Graham, Editor, BE

]]> http://www.blueedgenews.com/news/archives/2007/07/blueedge_2007_p.php http://www.blueedgenews.com/news/archives/2007/07/blueedge_2007_p.php Feature Articles Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:24:13 -0800 6 DEGREES North
I guess my daughter Sarah’s right (she usually is). She's been insisting for awhile now that I get some kind of living trust or Will or something, especially if I’m gonna be traveling as much as I have been. It sunk in last week, half way into a four hour bus ride from San Jose, Costa Rica, to a small town south named San Isidro General. Usually my wife Debi and I rent a car to cruise around Costa Rica, but this time our friends that live in San Isidro offered to drive, so we decided to bus it to their place.

Traveling for surf is an inherently dangerous business, and using public transport i.e, buses and ferries, usually increases that risk substantially. The bus driver was passing eight cars at once, going down very steep mountain roads, with cliffs on each side. No one really seemed to notice, especially the 62 year old Tico man who'd been talking my ear off since he figured out I understand Spanish. By the time we got to San Isidro, I knew his life story, and he knew mine.

“Better put your jackets on,” the stewardess warned. “It’s a bit breezy out there.”
Tyler Smith, Raph Bruhwiler, Josh Mulcoy, Chris Burkard, and I stepped through the Dash 8’s door and were nearly blown off the airplane stairs. The wind was sharp, the air freezing. Black storm clouds loomed. Alaska lay within sight. Behind us were jagged, snow-covered mountains, and ahead lay shallow Hecate Strait, one of the world’s most feared waterfetches, just wicked today, smeared white by the southeasterly gale.

“At least it’s offshore somewhere!” someone yelled over the din.
Of course, this was expected. Daily, for months leading up to our departure, I’d monitored Haida Gwaii’s weather online, and the forecasts were repetitive, like the one posted the day of our arrival:

By David Pu’u

It has been said many times by writers and travelers: “Bali is an amazing, magical experience.” I had heard that from Aussie traveler and surfer Jim Banks who had been there thirty years prior, exploring the surf potential: “Mate you HAVE to go there” was his principal direction. Being a little slow, it only took me those
thirty years.

I have found that the Gods of Bali dictate the tempo and timbre of the voice, heartbeat and siren song that drew a long history of transients into the island country from the ancient Chinese to present day Euro tourists, Japanese, a dwindling number of Aussies and now only occasional Americans. A world in turmoil has thrown Bali on the do not call list for international tourism. The US consulate had warnings up as we had left, about radical terrorism threats in Bali and Java. Asking around, I had decided to come anyway. It was a relief to see who and what actually controlled this part of the world. It definitely was not Al Quaida, as I was to learn in passing. It was a people who embraced me and taught me about the dance with the Gods of their land.

A case in point would be Petulu. The village we stayed in. In the sixties a clash with government troops had caused the entire village to be slaughtered. Genocide as our driver Gusti had described it. An even more horrible concept than a Western mind could accommodate when one experiences the closeness of the Balinese family unit. The silent homes of the vanquished lay dormant, waiting seemingly, he said. But for what? A couple seasons later something odd occurred. White herons descended into the trees above the village, a huge number of them. The Balinese believe. It was said to be the incarnation of their belief and proof by their Gods: the slaughtered innocent returned in the guise of those white herons. They are there to this day. I was dumbfounded when I saw that they would return at sunset each night to roost overhead. But that is “The Real Bali”: a land that urges one to believe.

Then there is the smile. Yes, a miraculous thing when one hails from the West where smiles are reserved for special occasions. In Bali people just look at you, and the first reaction is generally a smile. It is a reflection of what they have on the inside I found, and entirely infectious. I was a little confused when the first light of a Balinese smile fell on me, as it was in passing through Customs, a place where stories of touts and forced offerings to the government abound. The customs officer did it when he waved us through, opting NOT to search our huge pile of luggage, gear and boards.

Camping in winter eliminates creature comforts and outdoor cooking, instead replaced by hot smoky campfires, tipsy postprandial walks, rough slumber without good shelter. It is time best spent alone. And so driving along Highway 1 in winter too may harken of times preceding Sonoma’s chambers of commerce and expensive Sea Ranch homes, before the vintners and abalone pickers and gargantuan RVs, before elegant art galleries and bed-and-breakfast romance, before retirees and southerners en masse fled their suburban sprawl, which people actually needed to escape so they could revisit nature. But when the south was rural, why go north? It was much colder, much darker, vastly remote—decades ago, to Southern California surfers, Santa Barbara was a fringe, Santa Cruz was arctic, and nobody seemed to know what lay north of San Francisco.
That night I ate cold pizza and drank beer in fogbound darkness on the south bank of the Gualala River. The campground was flooded with rain beneath dripping redwoods, bordered by the fat river’s muffled rush. There was no noise from insects or animals—only water. I sat on a wet picnic table and watched the wide river when the fog broke, illuminated dimly despite the absence of moonlight.
Around three in the morning I woke thinking a jet airplane was landing nearby. It was heavy shorepound, the booming thundercrack funneled to my campsite along the river corridor. Since dusk the wind had died and the swell had hit—a giant westerly with a twenty-five-second period, strong and orderly, undoubtedly the winter’s best swell.
At dawn I parked in a pullout above the river, which was separated from the ocean by a narrow spit. The surf was huge, the sight impressive — because of the high tide and the beach’s severe drop-off, sets were slamming full-force onto the sand, immense wave energy accumulated over thousands of Pacific miles at last terminating in violent fashion.
Suddenly a rogue wave flooded the spit, scattering a flock of gulls and spilling into the river, the wake quickly forming a riverine version of what had created it. This chest-high river wave peeled flawlessly for dozens of yards in both directions before expiring into the riverbank, one of the most bizarre acts of nature that I had ever seen, in the middle of a Northern California river, an occurrence so rare it was an incredible stroke of luck to capture it on film.

Slater says, “I am still excited about every board Al and I work on, even after 20 years. With Jake and crew coming into the company and with the depth of resources they can bring to the table I feel that we can create something totally unique in the industry.”

Kelly currently has several signature boards with Channel Islands. Combining efforts is the next logical step for both as they work to progress the sport. Channel Islands was purchased by Burton Snowboards founder Jake Burton Carpenter in 2006, which has allowed Merrick the opportunity to concentrate on the craft and develop new and better surfboards. Having Kelly provide feedback on the development of new technologies is also in line with Burton’s own “rider-driven process” of incorporating athlete feedback into each one of its products.

“Kelly and I have a great longstanding personal and business relationship,” says Merrick. “I am excited now that we have the resources and technologies to develop new and better boards. I know that Kelly is going to play a massive part in this and his involvement will help lead surfboard design into the future.”

“It’s our goal to work with Al to see that surf technology can progress faster than ever. We have all known that Kelly is an integral part of this process, and not merely because of his standing in the sport, but because of his unique understanding of what makes a surfboard work, his determination to make it better, and his commitment to finding ways to accomplish this in a more environmentally friendly way,” says Jake Burton. “I look forward to being around and benefiting from Kelly’s involvement and leadership.”
About Channel Islands Surfboards
Founded by Al Merrick in 1969 and based in Santa Barbara, California, Channel Islands Surfboards shapes boards for many of the world’s best surfers. For more information, visit: www.cisurfboards.com.
Media contact: Shana Frahm (802) 373-2374 or Travis Lee (805) 566-0963.

Domoic Acid on the Rise
By Ben Preston

If you were concerned about the frequent occurrence of dead and dying birds and marine mammals upon local beaches last year, prepare for a worse situation this year. An even larger algal bloom—the worst in history in the Los Angeles harbor—will cause a higher-than-normal level of domoic acid (DA) to which these creatures are exposed.

DA is a toxin found in blooms of phytoplankton algae, which is fed upon by shellfish and small bait fishes, such as anchovies and sardines. When birds and marine mammals feed upon these organisms, the DA—which is concentrated in the tissues of the shellfish and small fishes—acts as a neurotoxin, causing seizures, brain damage, and eventually death in severe cases.

So far this year, record numbers of dead seabirds and marine mammals have been found washed up on beaches—including a 29-foot sperm whale near the University of California at Santa Barbara—from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The California Department of Health Services (CDHS), which normally issues an annual quarantine on sport-harvested shellfish from May 1st until October 31st, issued its quarantine early this year, in accordance with record levels of toxins found in shellfish in the waters off Santa Barbara. The routine testing conducted on April 24th showed the average toxin level to be about 450 parts per million—far above the 20 parts per million requiring a warning to be issued.

CDHS biologist Greg Langlois stated, “This toxic bloom has reached shore at various locations from Monterrey Bay to Ventura—and produced very high toxin levels. It is our hope that oceanic conditions will shift and push it further out to sea, or that it will run out of steam…before reaching shore farther south.”

Although no human illnesses have been reported, high levels of domoic acid can affect human physiology, causing the same symptoms as those exhibited by seabirds and marine mammals. Because of this, the quarantine on sport-harvested shellfish spans the entire California Coast, including its bays and estuaries. San Luis Obispo issued a warning against consumption of the dark-colored organs and viscera—commonly referred to as crab butter—of anchovies, sardines and crustaceans.

To report sick seabirds in the Santa Barbara area, call (805) 966-9005, and for sick marine mammals, call (805) 687-3255. For deceased animals call Joe Cordaro of the National Marine Fisheries Service at (562) 980-4017. In Ventura County, report sick or deceased animals to Animal Care Services, at (805) 388-4341.

For more information on quarantines and health advisories, visit the California Department of Fish and Game website: www.dfg.ca.gov. The CDHS Shellfish Information Hotline is (800) 553-4133.

Growing up on the tropical north shore of Hanalei, Kauai, with a family of surfers, surrounded by talent and support, and plenty of more-than-mediocre breaks, Janna Irons got the full grom experience. Back then she was one the few competing girl longboarders, but as of last year she joined the ranks of top longboarders in the first-ever ASP Women's World Longboard Championship. Along with her brothers, Bruce and Andy Irons, Janna is among the slew of talented surfers that have spent their grom years in Kauai.
Now a student at UCSB enjoying the waves of Santa Barbara, Janna Irons looks back at the old days of her gromhood.

What was it like growing up on the North Shore of Kauai?
Kauai’s North Shore was an amazing place to grow up. Not only is it gorgeous with great waves, but it’s also is a very close-knit community. Everyone knows everyone, which as anyone from a small town can attest, is a good and bad thing. On the upside, hitchhiking was a relatively safe way to get around the north shore when we were groms as you likely knew whoever picked you up, but on the downside nine times out of ten my mom would hear from that “friendly driver” that I was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be.
As far as surfing goes it was rad to grow up around so much talent. Maybe there’s something in the drinking water there or something, but everyone kills it. Most of the time being in the line-up at Pinetrees was like paddling through a surf video.

How old are you, and how many years have you been surfing?

Pat: 10 years old. I have been surfing for four years.
Frank: 12 years old. I have been surfing for four years.

Free surfing or competitive surfing?
Pat: Both. I like to free surf because you don’t have to be so nervous, and I like to compete because you win lots of prizes.

Frank: Both, but I like free surfing better because you can stay out in the water longer.

Do you compete in the NSSA?
Pat: Yes. I'm in the “Menehune” division.
Frank: Yeah. I'm also in the “Menehune” division.

Best contest results?
Pat: Volcom--1st place with lots of prizes.
Frank: Christian Surfing Association (2nd place).

Where have you traveled to for surf?
Pat: Australia, France, Panama and Hawai’i.
Frank: The same as Pat, but I surfed bigger waves.

Favorite surf spot in Santa Barbara?
Pat: Sandbar at the harbor. I own that wave.
Frank: The Pit on a good day. Pat doesn’t own that wave; I do!

Did you guys really surf four sessions in one day at Snapper Rocks?
Pat: Yup. It was really hollow, but crowded.
Frank: I liked the barrels, but not the crowd. They were very aggressive.

Favorite music?
Pat: My dad’s music.
Frank: Switchfoot

Last book that you read?

Pat: “How To Make Your Mom Happy By Doing What She Says”

Play music?
Pat: drums
Frank: guitar

Do you feel that there is a connection between your surfing and playing music?
Pat: Uh, yeah. I get amped when playing the drums and surfing big
Rivermouth!
Frank: Like when I play guitar, I get so amped just like when I drop in on Pat
into a macking, gaping left barrel!

Favorite surfers?
Pat: My dad, Taylor Knox, Kelly, Rob Machado and Erin Smith.
Frank: POPS, Ollie from Bali, Taylor Knox, Gramps and Rob Machado.

What was the heaviest wave you surfed this past winter?
Pat: Pipeline
Frank: V-land

Your WORST wipeout besides the one at Cortes Bank, 100 miles due east of San Diego?
Pat: Oh yeah, I remember that one. At the Pit, a guy shot his board at me as I was going over the falls, but I had my helmet on.
Frank: A gnarly one outside Ledbetter on a big day at a minus lowtide.

Do you guys stay fit by “cross training” like your coach, Brandon Smith?

Pat: Brandon WHO?
Frank: You mean, “Sponger Smith?”

What’s your favorite maneuver?
Pat: Barrel
Frank:Barrel

Have You learned anything from Uncle Joe?
Pat: He talks to me about my cutbacks.
Frank: Same thing, cutbacks

How about your dad?
Pat and Frank: Paddle hard and set your edge when you go in to the barrel.

Any last words?
Pat: Don’t sell your boards. Ever

***************************************************************************************************************
Making Strides: Andrew Benett
By Chuck Graham

Paddling out at dawn in the rivermouth at Rincon, there’s no mistaking the big redheaded kid pig-dogging it on a sand-sucking barrel. He resembles a young Luke Egan (former world #2), utilizing his size to his advantage.

However, it wasn’t until this past fall that 19 year old Andrew Bennett put it together in the NSSA, where he vaulted from 50th in the open season ratings to 5th in a matter of just a few contests.
"He’s a bit of a late bloomer," says his coach, Mike Lamm of the goofy-footer. "But I think in the next 18 months he’ll make some inroads."

First Generation, South Pacific
Today, groms exist just about everywhere.

Papua New Guinea’s natural cornucopia is of Oceania’s most pristine. A maze of islands, reefs, mangroves, and passes, here lies a marine domain of dazzling fertility. Dangling from the eastern edge of southeast Asia’s center of coral reef biodiversity, Papua New Guinea’s waters are poorly surveyed, hosting thousands of uncharted of coral reefs—including fringing, barrier, and atoll formations—and is one of the world’s most stunning marine habitats, exceeding species known to the Australian Great Barrier Reef, the Hawai’ian islands, and the West Indies combined.

Santa Barbara Surfrider was privileged to host Yvon Chouinard at their April 5th general meeting. Speaking before a packed house at the Faulkner Gallery in the Santa Barbara Public Library, Chouinard kept the audience captivated with background information on his unique business ethic—always striving to minimize environmental impact and look out for the best interests of his employees—and bits of advice on how we can improve our lives through more careful use of resources.

“Scandinavian countries are way ahead of us,” he informed the audience, “They are resolved to be oil-free by 2010.” He went on to explain that in terms of quality of life, the US ranks 14th in the world—not in keeping with our disproportionate consumption of natural resources. “We’ve got nothing on the Italians as far as quality of life goes.” he said.

Chouinard also talked about volunteering and local land use issues, both important tenets of Surfrider’s modus operandi. He gives each of his employees two months of paid vacation every year expressly for the purpose of volunteering for environmental programs. Many employees opt to travel to far away places to help out, but involvement in local environmental organizations is encouraged as well.

Chouinard also donated a number of signed copies of his book, Let My People Go Surfing, to the Santa Barbara Chapter. “We hope to work with Yvon and Patagonia to achieve mutual coastal preservation goals,” said Chapter Chair Scott Bull.
****************************************************************

By Ben Preston
The fate of Goleta Beach Park—arguably the county’s most frequently visited park facility—hangs in the balance as Santa Barbara County prepares to make a final review of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The DEIR addresses the two different ways being considered to deal with the park’s beach erosion problems.

One, favored by many Goleta Beach enthusiasts and the owner of the Beachside Café, employs a coastal armoring measure called a permeable pile groin. This concept consists of wooden piles arranged like those supporting the pier, but closer together. Erected perpendicular to the shoreline, the idea is that the closely-spaced piles would cause a reduction in the longshore current and allow sand to collect on the up-current side of the groin, while still letting sediment through to the down-current side. It involves an initial placement of 500,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach, and regular maintenance replenishments. Advocates of this method reason that the gaps in the groin will cause less down-current erosion than a traditional non-permeable groin.

The other method, preferred by many environmental groups, is called managed retreat. Managed retreat moves park facilities and utility lines away from the shoreline in order to allow for a wide coastal buffer zone. Proponents of this approach argue that the beach naturally fluctuates over time, and that allowing a coastal buffer zone is a better way to protect park facilities without compromising sediment deposition further down the coast. Many people favor this method, as it provides a more natural beach setting, and tends to require less replenishment than hard armoring.

Earlier, the hard structures for coastal armoring proposed to the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission involved the use of a rock wall running the length of Goleta Pier. Since this approach would have allowed no sand to get past it for down-coast sedimentation, community groups caused enough of a disturbance to get the armoring plan changed to the permeable pile groin setup.

Emergency rock revetments were placed at Goleta Beach in 2003 with a 30-month expiration date. Still there, the concern of many is that if the county doesn’t have enough funding to perpetuate sand place on the beach by a dredge, the rock wall will become exposed and cause more rapid erosion of the beach.

Currently, the final arrangements are being made for a long-term plan for Goleta Beach Park. Members of the public are encouraged to make public written and verbal comments to ensure that their views are held in contention during the creation of the final EIR. This is the time to find discrepancies in the DEIR, and find things which haven’t yet been addressed.

So whether you are a dyed-in-the-wool property rights activist or a Volkswagen-driving environmentalist, now is your time to be heard on this issue. For further information on the Goleta Beach DEIR, please visit the following addresses:

For the County’s official notice of availability:
http://www.sbparks.org/GoletaBeach/docs/DEIR%202007/DEIR%20pdfs/DEIR%20Notice%20of%20Availability.pdf

For the DEIR Executive Summary:
http://www.sbparks.org/GoletaBeach/docs/DEIR%202007/DEIR%20pdfs/Executive%20Summary%2021Mar.pdf

For the entire DEIR:
http://www.sbparks.org/GoletaBeach/docs/DEIR%202007/DEIR%20TOC.htm

Additional information can be found at:
www.sbparks.org

The public hearing, where testimony can be offered by members of the public, is on Tuesday, May 1st, at 6:00 p.m. in the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission hearing room at 123 E. Anapamu Street. Written comments are due by Monday, May 14th. Get out and make yourself heard. Stand up for what matters to you.

The ocean has always inspired Peggy Oki. Whether it gave her the skill and grace to lay down on concrete moves informed by surf sessions as Dogtown’s only Z-girl, or beckoned her to reproduce the beauty of seascapes in her later life as an artist, her eyes and ears seem to always be tuned to the sea, its beauty and mystery.

It’s no surprise, then, that the call of the ocean led her into environmental activism, a passion she pursues as avidly as she chases the perfect wave. It seems the call has become a plea for help, and Oki is ready to respond.

“I was surfing Blacks Beach when two Grays came within 25 yards of me,” she said. It was the last Christmas of the last millennium and the Christmas present she got from the sea made up her mind.

“This experience led to my commitment as an activist to help the whales,” she said.

Since then, she’s launched several efforts to bring awareness to the plight of these magnificent mammals.

A sunny, numb, mid-week afternoon. Nothing but birdsong and the breeze. I doze at home, dreaming of solace in an island paradise. Good waves exist there, the natives are happy and friendly. It is a peaceful, divine place. The sun is endless, like Southern California of late, and no one has surfed there. These are virginal isles in the middle of infinitude, ripe for discovery and—yes, I am dreaming—a surf excursion is slated for next month.

Neither shipwreck nor human sacrifice enters the psyche of a surfer wreathed in the barrel of a utopian tropical aquarium. After all, alighting to the Laccadive Sea for a clandestine junket of waves and color veiled the promise of conjecture and sultanic dynasties, not travesty and sin.

Growing up a quick, run-for-your-life freeway dash from the ocean in La Conchita, Aubrey Falk enjoyed a childhood full of all the benefits of a small-town beach community. Like the old adage “it takes a village to raise a child,” Aubrey’s interest in surfing may be greatly attributed to her seaside village. She credits a babysitter with introducing her to surfing by taking her out tandem for the first time at age 7, and a neighbor for her actual initiation into the sport through the gift of a used neon Kennedy quad, at age 12.

The Revolution Will Be Televised
What women’s pro surfing is today.
Cusp of twilight ushers the day’s biggest wave into a pastel Indonesian lineup. Positioned are three age-thirtysomething Basque men and Australia’s Chelsea Georgeson, 2005 female world champ. Quickly she out-paddles the men and snags the backless beast, air-dropping sideways into the front-lit pit — backside, no less — instantly vanishing from view for the entire wave, eventually gliding into the channel, greeted by hoots and laughter and arms held high from everyone in sight.
“I’ve never seen a girl get barreled like that!” yells a red-faced, grinning Aussie, watching from the bow of an anchored yacht.

Two waves later, Hawai’i’s Melanie Bartels thrusts herself into a feathering lip and boosts several feet above it, accented by a stylish double-grab.
The Aussie cocks his head toward his two friends: “F---, mate, how was that bloody air?” Doubly impressed, they clap and smile agreeably, shaking their heads, raising cold Bintangs in deference to what they had just witnessed: the state of the art in professional women’s surfing, live and direct, fast and fresh, all captured on film for you to see, because, yes, the revolution will be televised.
I must confess that, before alighting seaward last year with six of the world’s best young female surfers (Georgeson, 23; Bartels, 25; Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich, 23; Australia’s Rebecca Woods, 22; Brazil’s Silvana Lima, 22; and Kauai’s Alana Blanchard, 17), I was just as naïve as the next guy: Pro women’s surfing? You mean those dull contests we see in two-foot slop? Gidget? Cute, bikinied longboarders at Malibu? Brawling lesbians? Roxy-clad teens? The countless surf camps and silly Blue Crush wannabes?
Stereotypes can be horrific mistruths, especially when applied to today’s female pros, who have raised the bar in a big way. They charge Cloudbreak, lacerate Lance’s, get shacked at the Superbank and towed at Teahupo’o. Aerials are landed, fins are popping out, rails are set deeply and rigidly, poising the perfectly positioned arc of spray.
We’ve all heard the sexist expression, “She surfs well, for a girl.” Some would argue that it holds true. Others say it will never change. But applied today, it’s simple: these women surf extremely well. Period.
Better than most? Believe it. On the recent all-girl boat trip, Surfing magazine photographer Dustin Humphrey said he’d done several projects on the same boat with men who didn’t surf half as well.
“I’m baffled,” he said after bagging more than a week’s worth of benchmark women’s surf imagery.
From afar — on this anchored boat, say — an average viewer would perhaps not realize he or she was watching a woman surf, because, as popular opinion tells us, females surf nowhere near as well as men — never have, never will. Of course, this is untrue. Today it is hardly a matter of gender comparison, which has been usurped in recent times by the simplicity of natural progress, embraced by the surfers and the industry itself. Relative equality is only a matter of time.
Rochelle Ballard knows this to be true, too. A standout from the previous generation who competes against the aforementioned young stars, Ballard has witnessed and participated in the transition first-hand, since launching her WCT career in 1997, when the professional female surf world was a different place.
“My generation broke down a lot of barriers,” she said. “This new generation has amazing resources: insane boards, coaching, great endorsements and support. They’ve learned from our mistakes and were inspired by our success to take it to the next level even sooner than we did.”
Fifteen years ago, Ballard wanted to become world champion early, then attend college, get a job, and build a family. She never dreamt she where she would be today, owning a nice house on the North Shore, living well off of surfing into her mid-30s.
“The generation before mine didn’t really have that opportunity,” Ballard said. “But now, Sofia and Chelsea have both each their first home, their first world title, and a very healthy income at the age of 22. Stephanie Gilmore won her fist WCT event as a senior in high school, instantly becoming an icon in Australia. It will be amazing to see what girls like Carissa Moore and Coco Ho do in the next few years.”
Indeed it will. Today’s generation is a portal to the future, and with the proverbial snowball gaining girth with each new face, the fundamental shift of paradigm within professional women’s surfing can only perpetuate the brightness which abounds today.

To All Surfers
Mass produced bio surfboards – buy one now…There is no excuse!
On Sunday the 28th of January 2007 I went for a very special and historic surf. Porthtowan beach in Cornwall was about 3 foot and glassy. The air temp was a pleasant 8 degrees.(thats degrees C)

Sitting waiting for a set I looked down into clear blue water. Years ago this would have been off-brown and full of shit, panty liners and condoms. For 10 years I ran Surfers Against Sewage and the 5 million gallons of raw sewage that was discharged daily into this break has gone. It’s a good feeling.

The whole time we campaigned we had a dirty little secret of our own – the surfboard, petro-chemical plastic with as little thought to the environment as a shipwrecked oil tanker.

On the 28th of January I was on a very special board, one I could be proud to surf. A Homeblown 48% Biofoam blank laminated in fibreglass cloth and 98% plant resin laminate developed by Sustainable Composites. I had great waves, in fact the waves seemed to roll my way, I was always in the right slot. It felt great.

Not only is the board over 50% plant-based and therefore renewable. Importantly the foam is blown here in the UK and will be blown in California (We have been in production in CA since Feb. 1 and for us here in the US, Chuck Menzel of Wetsand was instumental in moving the project forward), South Africa, Hawaii and Australia. This is many times more environmentally sound than blowing foam in one country and then transporting large blocks of air half way round the world as was the case in the Clark Foam days and continues to be the case for many manufacturers.

For 3 years we have worked as a small team at the Eden Project with Homeblown and Sustainable Composites towards an eco surfboard. We have been clear that ultimately a sustainable board must be equal to or better than conventional boards both in terms of quality and performance. We have cracked it. The only question being voiced is that it isn’t pure white.(To date in CA, the color, a light creme color, hasn't been an issue after all natural coffee filters are not white either) Well hey if that’s your problem and you think the colour of your board affects your surfing then you’re on the wrong planet.

Both Biofoam blanks and plant based resin laminating systems are available. Demand them from your board manufacturer or surf shop and demand them in the water and on the beach. Environmentally we’re all in deep shit ad now as surfers we can do something positive about our impact.

I stated on CNN in September 2006 that: “In ten years time the phrase eco surfboards won’t be used because all surfboards will be eco boards.” I stand by that phrase and urge you all to get on board.

This board is the future and it is now.

Chris Hines
Founder and Director of Surfers Against Sewage – 1990-2000
Sustainability Director, Eden Project.
Joint winner of the Surfers Path Emerald Wave Award

http://www.edenproject.com/
www.cnn.com/specials/2007/skewed.view/hines
http://www.homeblown.co.uk/
http://www.sustainablecomposites.co.uk/