Registration is now open for the 2008 Clean Water Classic to be held in Westport, WA on May 16-18! The Clean Water Classic is Surfrider's annual surfing contest that raises crucial funds for our chapters in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Weekend will feature great surfing, ocean education, silent auction, live music, raffle, and collection of some of the coolest folks in the Pacific Northwest. Openings remain in all divisions including Pro-Am, Mens, Womens, Masters, Juniors, Keiki, and Stand-Up Paddle. Every surfer that enters receives free Surfrider membership! We are doing online registration this year, so please sign up at event website: http://www.cleanwaterclassic.com/. Also, volunteers are desperately needed to help us staff event. Please contact your chapter's volunteer coordinator to sign up! Thanks to Global Surf Industries, the Islander Hotel and the rest of our sponsors. See ya there! (photo: Pro-Am winners from 2006: Peter Devries (R) and 2007: Noah Cohen (L)

Plages: nettoyage de printemps

The first news stories are coming in from Surfrider Foundation Europe regarding this weekend's global Oceans Initiatives. Check out the French TV news story regarding the participation of the French Environment Minister (Jean Louis Borloo), the Domestic Affairs Minister Michèle Alliot Marie and world famous soccerplayer/surfer/ Surfrider Foundation sponsor Bixente Lizarazuas as they cleaned up a beach in Biarritz, France.

Over 323 clean-ups have taken place already over the weekend (20 more will take place later this month and in April) in 14 countries.

Submitted by Audrey Gaston, Surfrider Foundation Europe

The Tamarindo Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation held a charity
fund-raiser last night at the spectacular new venue Bar One in Playa
Tamarindo...and it was a huge success. Over 200 guest were in
attendance to watch the original Endless Summer with Robert August
providing live commentary, stories and laughs. The place was at
capacity with kids, adults, families having fun and coming together as a
community for a great cause. Thanks to Pasa Tiempo Hotel and Restaurant
for donating over 30 delicious pizzas. The event raised over $3000 and
will be put to good use in the Tamarindo area to help keep our beaches
and waters clean and safe. Big thanks to Robert, Sarah and the entire
Endless Fun team for helping us make this event an evening to remember.
Pura Vida!!

Submitted by Brian Bratton, Co-Chair Surfrider Foundation Tamarindo Chapter Org. Cmte.

Photography by:
Sean Davis Photography
Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica
506.816.0168
seandavisphotographic.com

Dear Surfrider Foundation Chapters, Affiliates and Volunteers:

SAVE THE DATE!!! The Surfrider Foundation International Conference* will be held October 23-26, 2008 in Rio de Janeiro and Buzios, Brasil. Hosted by Surfrider Foundation Brasil, the tentative schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, October 22 – Arrival and check in
Thursday, October 23 – Field trip of Surfrider Foundation Brasil projects, Rio de Janeiro
Friday, October 24 – International Water Quality Seminar, Rio de Janeiro
Saturday, October 25 – Surfrider Conference, Buzios
Sunday, October 26 – Surfrider Conference, Buzios
Monday, October 27 –Beginning of International Program Meetings (International Chapters and Affiliates only)
* Departure of Guests or stay and enjoy Brasil!
Tuesday, October 28 – International Program Meetings (cont.)
Wednesday, October 29 – International Chapter and Affiliates Departure

The International Conference will provide the following opportunities for Surfrider Foundation Chapters, Affiliates and Volunteers:
• Meet face-to-face with global colleagues
• Hear about projects and campaigns
• Learn directly from other Chapters and Affiliates about best practices
• Apply a global pool of knowledge to your own programs and campaigns
• Understand the different issues being addressed by the Surfrider Foundation network
• Strengthen Surfrider Foundation’s global network through the development of direct relationships
• Help grow Surfrider Foundation into a truly global organization

Later this year we will send out a call for submissions for presentations from Surfrider Foundation Chapters and Affiliates to share with their colleagues during the Conference. Start thinking now about sharing your Chapter’s successes with others in the global Surfrider Foundation network.
We are hoping to make arrangements to help defray the costs of attending this important event, however, Chapters wishing to send representatives should be prepared to pay the full costs for travel and lodging if it becomes necessary. Raising these funds to send representatives from your Chapter to the International Conference could be a goal for your Chapter to tackle this summer. If your Chapter is considering sending representatives to the International Conference, please evaluate the benefits of attending and what impacts it might have on your Chapter financially.
As a reminder, in 2008, Surfrider Foundation will still be conducting Chapter Conferences in the Pacific Northwest, California, Florida and the East Coast so budget accordingly.

International Conference details are still being finalized, but we wanted to get the word out so you can consider this opportunity and save the date! Please let us know if you are interested in receiving more information by replying to Lia@surfrider.org or emailing Vickie McMurchie at vmcmurchie@surfrider.org.

Aloha,

Lia Colabello
Global Relations Director
Surfrider Foundation

*The International Conference is a yearly event that has historically only included Surfrider Foundation Affiliate Leaders. This year we are opening up the event to include Chapters from around the world and hope you will be able to join us.

If you can’t make it this year, we will be gathering again in 2009 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Surfrider Foundation. A Global Summit is being planned; date and location still to be determined.

Durante el verano de 2008 niños de bajos recursos de una de las zonas más afectadas y castigadas por la pobreza y la exclusión en Mar del Plata, tuvieron la posibilidad de acercarse al surfing gracias a “LA ESCUELA DE LA NUEVA OLA”. El proyecto estuvo desarrollado por CEAS junto con la Escuela Mar del Plata Day School, Quiksilver y Surfrider Foundation.

El emprendimiento estuvo destinado a la formación de surfistas y enseñanza de contenidos medioambientales a niños y jóvenes con pocas oportunidades sociales. Los destinatarios del proyecto fueron 25 niños y niñas de entre 8 y 13 años del Barrio las Dalias, donde el Grupo de Hábitat de la Universidad de Mar del Plata, el Grupo Sur y el CEAS, realizaron tareas de mejoramiento de viviendas, nivelación educativa, promoción de salud, animación social y recreativa y provisión de alimentos a comedores.

La práctica deportiva de surf estuvo a cargo de profesores especializados con la supervisión de reconocidos profesionales, y se generaron actividades que conllevaron a la prevención del uso de drogas y formación de conciencia como cuidadores del medio ambiente, en especial de las playas de la ciudad y por sobre todo, se les dio la oportunidad de pasar un verano inolvidable.

La actividad de los niños se realizó todos los días de verano desde las 9:00 hasta las 14:00 y comprendió el traslado de los chicos desde su casa hasta la playa Sun Rider (zona Camet), donde participaron de las actividades de aprendizaje de surf, con el posterior baño y almuerzo en el CEAS para luego retornar a sus casas.

Una vez por semana y cuando las condiciones del clima impidieron la práctica de surf, se desarrolló una actividad didáctica llamada playalogía, que constó de 4 módulos de formación ecológica relacionada con el conocimiento y el cuidado de las playas. El mismo fue desarrollado por la Fundación Surfrider de EE.UU. y se utilizó en más de 500 escuelas de surf a lo largo y a lo ancho del planeta.

En el largo plazo el objetivo es formar escuelas de surf y playalogía en los diferentes sectores de la ciudad.
En nuestro próximo Quik News te presentaremos a uno de los chicos de la “ESCUELA DE LA NUEVA OLA” que tiene un gran futuro por delante como surfista.

El surfing conoce de causas justas, y Quiksilver Argentina apoya estas iniciativas que apuntan a una infancia mejor para aquellos niños que no tienen tantas oportunidades.

Fuente: Quik News
En Olas Magazine
Submitted by Surfrider Foundation Argentina

On March 13, 2008, the Surfrider Foundation, the Snook Foundation and three individuals filed a Petition for Formal Administrative Hearing against the issuance of the FL DEP permit authorizing a 1.3 mile beach dredge and fill. The intent of the Surfrider challenge is to block the project which threatens to destroy valuable and irreplaceable near-shore ecosystem that provide unique recreational and economic resources. This habitat is essential to the survival of threatened and endangered species of sea turtles and coral and provides essential habitat as a fisheries nursery.
In spite of the FL DEP stable beach determination, the Town of Palm Beach is trying to move forward and bury 7 acres of hardbottom/coral habitat. In exchange the Town has agreed to build 8 acres of “mitigation reef” to compensate for the burial, at a cost of approximately 8 million dollars.

The Lake Worth City Council had voted unanimously the year before not to participate in this unnecessary and environmentally destructive project. While the Lake Worth public beach is excluded from the project area, the amount of fill proprosed would still kill the public's ability to surf, dive and fish.

Recent news media:

Project Delay

Fighting Beach-widening

Protest by Surfrider Foundation

Reef Challenge

Additional Media Clip

Unfortunately the beach doesn't clean itself.

OCEANS INITIATIVES CLEANUPS TO BE HELD MARCH 22
South Orange and San Diego County Chapters join forces with Surfrider Foundation's global network to increase public awareness about ocean pollution.

For the 13th year in a row, volunteers will be gathering at beaches throughout North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Japan and North Africa during the weekend of March 21-23, 2008 to demonstrate their appreciation and respect for the ocean by cleaning up their local beaches. Last year over 10,000 people showed up to clean 218 different locations. This year over 290 sites have been registered already.

The Surfrider Foundation South Orange County Chapter will hold their beach clean up on March 22, starting at 9am at Doheny Beach. The Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter will hold theirs on the same date and time at Coronado Beach (at the end of Isabella Avenue). Check out the Oceans Initiatives website for a complete list of global locations.

"Our members and supporters are passionate about their beaches," said Rick Erkeneff, Chair of Surfrider Foundation South Orange County Chapter. "By joining other Surfrider members around the world in cleaning up our beaches, we are sending a clear message about the need to protect and preserve our coast and ocean."

About the Oceans Initiatives
Created and managed by Surfrider Foundation Europe, the Oceans Initiatives is an opportunity for activists and volunteers to organize locally to help make a global impact. For additional information, please visit: www.initiativesoceanes.org.

About the Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide. For more information on the Surfrider Foundation go to www.surfrider.org.

New York State's bottle deposit law has only covered beer and soda bottles for the last 25 years. Bottles of water, juices, teas, etc. are not worth 5 cents upon their return so they are the majority of bottles that litter.

The NYC Chapter collected bags and bags of non-deposit bottles on NY beaches in one short afternoon. They brought these non-deposit bottles; mostly plastic, to the state capitol in Albany for a press event with the Central Long Island Chapter, the Eastern Long Island Chapter, the New Rochelle High School Environmental Club, and the American Littoral Society, State Senators, Assembly Members, and a representative from the Governor's office.

They presented their "Message in A Bottle" to pass the Bigger Better Bottle Bill in a fantastic press event. Photos here News articles here and here.

Special thanks to Chris Wade the driving force behind this, to Laura Haight of NY PIRG for help with logistics and press, Adam Wiener for driving people and bottles to Albany, AJ Abrams, and P. Claire Pertalion too.

Super cool 3 minute You Tube Video by J Scott Klossner as well.

Take Action if you live in NY.