Santa Cruz surf culture is so loved by locals that many became teary in yesterday’s ceremony, which honored and pledged to protect it—on a global level.

Coastal organizations, local surf lovers and legends, and politicians met above the famous break at Steamers Lane yesterday, for Santa Cruz’s WSR dedication, along with dozens of locals, old surf memorabilia and a fleet of “Woodies” glistening in the sun.

The World Surfing Reserve was founded in 2009, by a group of international surfers, environmentalists and scientists, led by Save the Wave and NSR Aurstralia. Its mission is one of extreme foresight, aiming to protect the world’s best breaks at all costs. Afterall, incubating and embracing surf culture aids the coastal regions environmentally as well as economically, a point that Santa Cruz city council member John Leopold made in a speech at Pleasure Point earlier in the day.

Santa Cruz is the fourth World Surfing Reserve on the globe, alongside: Malibu, U.S. Ericeira, Portugal; and Manly Beach, Australia.

Peter Douglas, who fought for decades to preserve the California coast — treasured for its vast stretches of pristine beaches, jagged cliffs and delicate wetlands — died on April 1 at his sister’s home in La Quinta, Calif. He was 69.

The cause was lung cancer, his son Vanja said.

For 26 years, Mr. Douglas was the executive director of the California Coastal Commission, the powerful state agency that he helped create with a mandate to keep the coast open to the public — and one that set a high standard for its counterparts in other states.

He brought a profound passion for the sea to the task.

Mr. Douglas was a boy when he, his mother and sister boarded a ship to cross the English Channel while emigrating from Germany after World War II, eventually coming to the United States. The roiling currents and tides entranced him, he once said, creating “an intangible, unbreakable, lifelong bond.”

It became his mission to ensure that all Californians could swim, surf, fish or just see the sea along the 1.5 million acres of the state’s 1,100 miles of coastline — to the consternation of many commercial interests and property owners.

Mr. Douglas was the executive director of the commission from 1985 until November, when he stepped down because of his declining health.

Surfing icon Michael Peterson has passed away after reportedly suffering a heart attack March 29 at his home in Australia. He was 59 years old.

“We are saddened to announce that Michael passed away this morning,” told Peterson’s mother Joan Watt on his Facebook fan page. “He will be greatly missed. We thank you for your support and prayers.”

The outpouring of love for the enigmatic 1970s surf star was immediate, and in a testament to how profound the man’s impact truly was on the sport of surfing, the news reverberated around the surf world nearly instantaneously across social media channels. Over the years, Peterson’s surfing has inspired everybody from Tom Curren to Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson.

“I’m so glad Rabbit [Bartholomew] and I went out to see MP at his home only four weeks ago to talk some story,” told 1976 world champion Peter Townend, who grew up under the shadow of Peterson on Australia’s Gold Coast. “Save some waves in Heaven for us MP.”