Jon Foreman promises that Switchfoot fans will get a different perspective on the band from its upcoming film project, “Fading West,” which the band will tease with a trailer at the auction night before the group’s just-announced 9th Annual Bro-Am surfing contest and concert.

The Bro-Am takes place July 12-13 in Encinitas, Calif. A charity auction, a performance by Switchfoot and a sneak peek of “Fading West” will take place on the 12th, while the 13th will feature a full-scale beachfront concert, a charity surf contest with surf jousting exhibitions between heats, and the Rob Machado Bro Junior competition. The Bro-Am has raised more than $715,000 for San Diego-area children’s charities during its history. More information about the event will be posted on the band’s website.

As for the “Fading West” film, Foreman tells Billboard that, “Our goal was always to be professional surfers — and I’m only partially kidding when I say that — and if nobody is gonna make a movie about us, let’s do it ourselves. We love surfing, so this was kind of a chance to introduce that to the rest of the world and maybe connect a few of the dots to the music as well.”

“Fading West” combines scenes of the band surfing at locales around the world — including the U.S., South Africa, Bali, Australia and New Zealand — with behind-the-scenes of Switchfoot on tour and in the studio, as well as on stage. “It’s about rock ‘n’ roll and the journey we’ve been on for the past eight albums,” Foreman says. “There’s a lot of special moments in the film.”

read more @ billboard.com

Short board, long board, no board, International Surfing Day returns, on Thursday, June 20.

Now in its ninth year, International Surfing Day (ISD) continues to unite surfers around the world to celebrate the sport of surfing, while raising awareness and showing appreciation for our coastal environments.

“Part of the beauty of International Surfing Day is that people everywhere can celebrate and give back,” said Surfrider Foundation Director of Marketing & Communications Laura Lee. “Whether that’s paddling out for the very first time, sneaking in a quick session with friends, or picking up trash at your local beach, ISD is as big as you make it.”

Surfing has a history as diverse as the characters that shaped it; it has grown from an almost forgotten sport of kings to a billion-dollar industry. ISD began in 2005 with a small handful of local observances in the United States and has since expanded to more than 200 events in 30 countries worldwide.

As in previous years, the Surfrider Foundation will be organizing various surf sessions, beach cleanups, and coastal restoration events for people to participate in. In 2012, International Surfing Day participants removed more than 3 tons of trash from our coastlines. Additionally, 1,800 people joined or renewed their Surfrider membership and hundreds of thousands of people watched the first-ever ISD Web-A-Thon.

Surfrider Foundation encourages you to start planning now and save the date for June 20 so you don’t miss out on this awesome annual celebration. For additional information on International Surfing Day or to plan your own event, please visit www.intlsurfingday.com.

find out more @ http://isd.surfrider.org

original story @ transworldsurf

Economic correspondent Paul Solman reports on an American-born product hit hard by globalization: the surfboard. In Southern California, U.S.-based manufacturers fear they will soon be wiped out by competing, foreign companies due to discrepancies in labor costs and duty taxes.

Watch Is Globalization Wiping Out the American Surfboard Industry? on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

originally seen @ pbs.com