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There are not many opportunities to turn a couple hours of effort into life-saving support for isolated regions of the world. SurfAid International announces today that registration has begun for the Swim 4 Life, a swimming fundraiser to be held October 20th and 21st in New York and New Jersey. This is a chance for surfers, businesses and humanitarians to get together, have a good swim, and help save lives.

The event will take place October 20 at Pace University (Pleasantville, NY) and October 21 in Ocean City, NJ.  As of today, teams and individuals are free to register and begin their efforts at getting sponsored by friends and family for their 30 minute swim at one of the two venues.

Besides playing a part in addressing widespread & deadly global issues like malaria, malnutrition, and access to clean water, participants & teams will also be rewarded thanks to the event’s generous sponsors.

The top fundraiser will receive a custom-shaped surfboard from local hero, Brian Wynn of Wynn Surfboards!  Plus, every participant will have the opportunity to receive incentive prizes granted by sponsors at various fundraising milestones.  A quick cross section of prizes includes shoes, sandals, & bags from Simple, skateboards from GFH Boards, SurfAid t-shirts and natural sun care products from Beyond Coastal.

The money raised goes towards SurfAid International in its efforts to improve the health of people living in isolated regions connected to us through surfing.  It will also be a small step in furthering the United Nations 15-year Millennium Development Goals aimed at reducing extreme poverty and preventable deaths worldwide.

Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to get involved in this opportunity to help saves lives. Participating companies can choose from many different sponsorship levels, form teams, and help SurfAid to get the word out about this event.

Each contribution provides a portion of the solution to eradicate death and suffering from preventable diseases. 
To sign up to swim or form a team in Swim 4 Life go to: (link)

Swim 4 Life is being brought to you by SurfAid International, Cytomax Performance Drink, GFH Boards, Simple Shoes, Beyond Coastal Sun Care, Wynn Surfboards, Refined Applications, Angel Printing and Pace University's U.N.I.C.E.F. Chapter.

“It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.” –Chinese proverb.

About SurfAid International

The mission of SurfAid International, a non-profit humanitarian aid organization, is to improve the health of people living in isolated regions connected to us through surfing. Using proven, cost-effective, scalable programs, SurfAid seeks the alleviation of suffering through health programs that enhance local capacities and promote community-based, self-help solutions, guided by the aspirations of its beneficiaries. SurfAid works with 53 villages in Indonesia and over 37,000 beneficiaries through its Community Based Health Programs.  In addition, 65,000 residents of the Mentawai Islands will benefit from SurfAid’s new Malaria Free Mentawai program; a 5-year effort to significantly & sustainably reduce the burden of malaria.

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BEACH CLEANUP IN LONG BEACH

The Long Beach High School Surf Club presents their
ANNUAL COMMUNITY BEACH CLEAN UP

We urge you to join us in our efforts to help keep our oceans and beaches clean!

SATURDAY OCT. 27th, 2007

@ Noon on National Blvd Beach

Rain Date 10/28 – Bags and gloves provided

Link to LBHS: (link)

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PHOTO: Morgan McGivern

East Hampton - Ticket for surfing is dismissed
The courtroom at the East Hampton Town Justice Court last Wednesday, August 15, was filled almost to capacity with the usual people: members of prospective jury pools, East Hampton residents appearing to resolve or contest alleged violations and misdemeanors, to work out the specifics of a court-mandated period of community service or to be redirected by one of the two court officers to the appropriate authority.

The last two rows of the gallery, though, were filled by 10 a.m. with perhaps two dozen very tan men and women, members of the Eastern Long Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, many of whom were clad in the chapter’s blue-on-white T-shirts.

All were sitting straight up in their seats with the effortless good posture born of years of maintaining an upright position while cascading down the face of a wave. They were there to show their support for Nancy Opitz, a surfer who was issued a ticket by a New York State Parks patrolman on June 16 for violating the “no surfing” rule at Montauk Point State Park in an area known as the North Bar.

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Good for the Planet is a website dedicated to looking after and sharing the benefits of surfing. Our focus is on wave quality, wave frequency and surfer safety (rage, crowding, water quality etc). Surfing is a major recreational and economic activity involving intimate human interaction with diverse coastal environments, and is expanding both in intensity in traditional locations, as well as in reach into new environments often in the developing world. This expansion involves environmental and social/cultural impacts, as well as engagement with mitigating these impacts and the impacts of other human activities.

Surfing is a multi-billion dollar activity with global participation estimated to be somewhere in the vicinity of 20 million people and growing every day. Kids in country towns hundreds of kilometres from the ocean dress and talk like surfers. Surfing as a lifestyle and activity is an investment in one’s physical and spiritual future and has the potential to deliver an economic future to many people.

Yet we are surrounded by decisions that negatively affect surfers and our surfing lifestyle. Surfbreaks are being damaged or destroyed though inappropriate development in coastal areas, the ocean continues to be polluted – the natural environment, the very thing that sustains surfers, the surfing lifestlye and the economy of surfing is being destroyed. That is our legacy. Unlike football fields, surf breaks can’t simply be reconstructed down the road.

Good for the Planet uses a range of socio-economic techniques to collect information about the value of recreational surfing to particular locales. This information is then combined with data collected through other sources and techniques by researchers at the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at the Australian National University and the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management at Griffith University. The broader studies examine the impacts of surfing on local environments (both natural and built), and the role of individual and especially organised surfers in shaping environmental perceptions, policy and management in specific locales i.e. protecting surfing amenity.

Importantly, the economic information provides valuable evidence of the net worth of surfers and surfing to particular areas and will be used to suggest to Government and Industry that not only should they embrace surfers and surfing but that its in their economic interests to do so.

Recreational Surfing Survey online: (link)

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August 12, 2007

Cabo & Coral Go Surfing!, a fun and beautifully illustrated book that is perfect for groms, but will appeal to adults as well.

The story encourages kids to appreciate nature and to take care of the oceans and beaches.

Partial proceeds go to Surfrider Foundation

"A fun summer read for any young beach lover."
- Surfrider Foundation “Making Waves” July 2007 Book Review

“Conceived to inspire youth to surf and introduce them to proper etiquette and safety habits… Illustrations are bright, enticing and child friendly.” - The Surfer’s Journal

“Delightful! Cabo & Coral Go Surfing! is a fun, educational and soulful way to pass the stoke along to your children. Like, as early as possible.” - Surfing Magazine

An inspirational and educational children's book about surfing and the " Aloha Spirit" for ages 2-10

Visit Cabo & Coral online: (link)

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Slap On That Sunscreen

According to a recent NY Times article, it is not how high the SPF of a sunscreen, but rather the amount of sunscreen you apply to your body that makes a difference. Once you hit 30 SPF anything higher provides a minimal increase in protection. For broad protection, look for sunscreens with avobenzene, zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, all of which block UVA. And don't forget to lather up when you sun your buns!
IMAGE: Leif Parsons/Copyright The New York Times Company 2007

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New York Scores New Surfing Territory

July 27, 2007
The New York City Chapter scored a huge victory with the help of Rockaway Beach locals when the NY City Parks Department dedicated a second legal surfing beach in Rockaway on Friday.

NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer were on hand to officially designate the new beach for surfing. Chapter activists Erik Johnson, Chris Wade, Kui Nakamura, and Alexi Remnek and others organized a beach clean up before the press conference, and then they taught the Parks Commissioner how to surf!

Yes, this is the NYC Parks Commissioner getting instruction and getting up on his first wave!

Special thanks to Boarders Surf Shop, NYNJSurf.com, and everyone in the community who helped work with the decision makers to establish this second surfing beach. The first designated surfing beach in New York City was established over two years ago.

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New Study Provides Important Data To Support The Protection Of Surf Breaks And Coastal Environments

Queensland, Australia, July 16, 2007 -
A new website, www.goodfortheplanet.com is rapidly growing in importance in the surfing world. The site supports the collection of data aimed at determining the social and economic value of surfing to coastal communities. This innovative study is designed to increase awareness about the value to local areas of the multi-billion dollar surfing industry. With global participation estimated to be over 20 million people, data from the study demonstrates how inappropriate development and environmental negligence may put surf breaks at risk.

The surfing community represents a very profitable and expanding market with over 2½ million surfers in the USA and more than 2 million in Australia. Europe, Japan and South America also have significant levels of involvement. Participation is strongest amongst males 16-40 but there is a growing level of interest and activity among females and also males over 40. The industry is estimated to be worth over $10 billion globally. The popularity of longboards, which make learning to surf easier, the growth of surf schools and the 'coolness' and 'style' of surf culture make surfing more popular than ever before. Surfing is also a driving force behind the desire for many people to relocate to coastal areas, and plays an essential role in recreation and tourism strategies for business and government.

In recent years, however, many coastal communities have been confronted by planning and development decisions, which negatively affect surfing and the surfing lifestyle. According to Project Director, Neil Lazarow, the Good for the Planet project is dedicated to maintaining and sharing the benefits of surfing.

"The project uses a range of socio-economic techniques to collect benchmark data on the market and non-market value of recreational surfing to particular locales," explained Lazarow. "It has already been used to advocate for the protection of surfing amenity in a number of locations."

Lazarow continued, "Surf breaks are being damaged or destroyed though inappropriate development in coastal areas and the ocean continues to be polluted with the result that the natural environment - the very thing that sustains the surfing lifestyle and economy of surfing - is being degraded. That is our legacy. Unlike football fields, surf breaks can't simply be reconstructed down the road."

The study has been welcomed by the Surfrider Foundation and Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) President, Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew.

"For many years surfers have been powerless to stop our beaches and waves from being polluted, tampered with or destroyed. I believe this study will demonstrate the significant economic and social benefit that surfing has to communities and will help surfers advocate for better management of the coastal environment. I encourage every surfer and ocean lover to take a few minutes out of their day and complete a survey," said Bartholomew.

Lazarow says that information collected through the surveys together with data collected through other sources and techniques provides substantial evidence of the value of surfing to many coastal areas. The data will be used to lobby government and business for their support of surfing and protection of the environment that sustains this burgeoning economic and lifestyle interest.

Global Survey closes October 31

Jump online and have your say to help protect surf breaks worldwide.

All participants who complete a survey before August 15 will go into
the draw to win a new custom shaped board.

Vist Good For the Planet online: (link)

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ACTION NEEDED!

We urge everyone to check out the Liability bill #A07843 and to write to your local officials to help get this bill passed.
As surfers and water enthusiasts, we should support the bill governing that each waterman cannot hold the state liable for our actions. Remember - often times our fight for access issues are reciprocated by goverment officials and laws regarding liability!
THIS COULD HELP GAIN BEACH ACCESS DOWN THE ROAD!

SHORTCUT TO CLI LETTER WRITING SECTION (LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BILL): (link)

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SURF'S UP
Reigning and eight-time Foster’s ASP World Champ Kelly Slater and former World Runner-Up Rob Machado made a splash of a different kind this weekend with the premiere of their computer-animated penguin flick, Surf’s Up. The movie sees the aviary versions of Kelly and Rob team up with infamous mic-jockey Sal Masakela to cover the Big Zeke Memorial Classic in which Antarctic up-and-comer Cody Maverick (voiced by Shia LeBeouf) partners with Wisconsin-bred Chicken Joe (Napoleon Dynamite’s Jonathan Heder) against reigning champ and lineup heavy Tank (Diedrich Bader). A slew of other stars come to play including Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel and James Woods. Of course, the movie isn’t Hollywood’s first attempt to capture the culture of surfing, but rave reviews from both inside and outside the industry are touting Surf’s Up as one of the most accurate depictions to date (interesting when considered that the characters are CGI penguins). The film finished a respectable fourth in
the opening weekend box office, taking in an impressive $18 million.
Check out the trailer: (link)

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It's ALMOST WINTER 2007 - Have you renewed your membership?

All new members must sign up through the National Surfrider Foundation website. *Please specify Central Long Island as your chapter affiliate!

SHORTCUT TO SF NATIONAL GIFT MEMBERSHIP: (link)

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