Surfrider’s first-of-its-kind Love Your Beach Tour is rolling right along! As we made our way up California’s Central Coast, we saw incredible support in San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, and Half Moon Bay.
To recap the tour’s goal: Surfrider is visiting coastal communities in the Golden State to seek support for the Coastal Act, signed into law in 1976. Enforced by California’s Coastal Commission, the longstanding legislation ensures that Californians enjoy unimpeded beach access as well as a shoreline that is protected from harmful development. At each stop, the LYB team distributes postcards to attendees which, when signed, will be submitted by hand to state legislators in Sacramento on California Ocean Day, May 6.
Friday, April 25
We kicked off the weekend at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, for the Make Waves Film Festival, an annual event organized by the school’s Surfrider Student Club. It was golden hour when the LYB crew arrived at the Plant Conservatory, and the film festival’s setting couldn’t have been more picturesque. Not only were student films slated to be shown, but there were also local organizations, vendors, and musical talent present as well.
Undergraduate Hannah MacIntosh was present to enjoy the films as well as display her handmade jewelry, which was well-received by attendees. As a Californian, she feels a deep connection to the ocean, which has shaped her into the woman she is today. After signing a postcard, she said, “I like the Coastal Act because I care about our beaches — I wouldn't be who I am without them.”
Saturday, April 26
We started the day at dawn with the goal of getting to Santa Cruz by 10 am for the annual Big Stick Surfing Association LogJam! contest. Perfect conditions awaited as we pulled up to Pleasure Point — the swell direction, minimal wind, and sunny sky was ideal for competitors, who were following the contest’s only rules of riding vintage boards without a leash.
Despite the beautiful start, as the morning progressed the clouds arrived, bringing with them some light pockets of rain. However, that did not deter attendees from visiting with Surfrider’s Santa Cruz Chapter and LYB crew. Among those were one of Surfrider Foundation's co-founders, Dan Young, and the first female professional surfer, Margo Oberg.
To Oberg, public beaches are “the center of the universe; the most important thing in the world.” As a child, surfing was a tool for her and her friends to calm themselves, which kept them out of trouble. Even back then, she did her part to conserve the natural spaces she enjoyed.
“Sports, surfing being one of them, are the best thing in the entire world,” Oberg said. “Eventually you get your own style of surfing — dancing on the waves — and you meet a lot of good friends. We used to pick up seashells, and trash, and just take care of the beach because it was our playground.”
California Policy Associate Director Jennifer Savage and Sr. Student Club Network Coordinator Carolyn Curtin pose with the world's first professional female surfer, Margo Oberg.
Young remembers well when the Coastal Act was passed in 1976. Since then, he’s seen how important it is to Californians, who are all entitled to free, public beach access. He recalled one of many instances when Surfrider fought for access in Malibu:
“People have always wanted to close off the coast to everybody,” Young said. “Surfrider had a big fight with the film producer David Geffen. There was public access to the beach near his house, and he closed it off. That fight proved that someone might have millions of dollars, but they can still lose when it comes to trying to privatize a beach.”
Sunday, April 27
After an early-morning, blustery surf at Gazos Creek State Beach, we continued up to Half Moon Bay. There, the LYB crew linked with Sufrider’s San Mateo Chapter, who was hosting a beach cleanup at Poplar Beach. Despite the strong, chilly winds, there was an epic turnout. Not only that, but local band Frankie and the Pool Boys filled the air with classic surf rock.
Renowned editor, author, and Half Moon Bay resident Steve Hawk was present to show his support for the Coastal Act, which he feels is “the most important piece of coastal protection legislation ever passed in America.” As a surfer and environmentalist, he is grateful that the Coastal Commission is around to ensure equitable access to California’s beaches.
“I think that the Coastal Commission has, in this age of rampant deregulation and anti-government sentiment, gotten a bad rap,” Hawk said. “The Coastal Act has saved miles and miles of coastline and kept beaches open for the public in ways that never would have happened otherwise.”
After nine official stops, the Love Your Beach Tour has yielded over 950 written signatures in support of the Coastal Act. At time of writing, we still have events planned for Humboldt, Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, Davis, and Sacramento. You can find specific details about those stops here.
If you can’t visit us in person but still want to take action, please sign our petition to Governor Newsom to let him know you care about California’s Coastal Act and the beaches it protects. And to support the tour directly, please donate here.