Save The Waves announces the official formation of the World Surfing Reserves Vision Council and Selection Committee for 2009. The Vision Council will provide high-level guidance and oversight for the new program, which aims to proactively designate, enshrine and preserve outstanding surfing waves, surf zones and their surrounding environments. The Selection Committee will be charged with paring down nominated candidates from around the world, and creating the initial list of potential World Surfing Reserves sites.

The WSR Vision Council includes surfing and environmental visionaries such as International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre, former ASP president Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, big wave champion Greg Long, environmental attorney and activist Mark Massara, Mavericks pioneer and contest director Jeff Clark, Surfrider executive director Jim Moriarty, World Championship Tour Top 44 surfer Tiago Pires, and National Surfing Reserves Australia co-founders Prof. Andy Short and Brad Farmer (for a complete list see below).

“Many of surfing’s greatest thinkers are on board with the World Surfing Reserves program, and want to see these internationally recognized and cherished coastal surfing areas enshrined and protected,” said Save The Waves executive director Dean LaTourrette. “It’s an honor to work with such an esteemed group of individuals.”

The World Surfing Reserves program was launched at the Value of Waves Roundtable on December 5th, 2008, in Half Moon Bay, California. The Roundtable brought together an international group of surfers, industry leaders, environmentalists and journalists to approve and set forth a blueprint for the WSR program.

The WSR program will have three working bodies: the Vision Council, the Selection Committee and the Field Team. All three bodies will be working in different functions to select and enshrine the yearly wave nominations submitted by the International Surfing Association recognized National Governing Bodies as well as other nationally recognized environmental entities.

Vision Council: Fernando Aguerre, Will Henry, Jim Moriarty, Tony Butt, Terry Gibson, Len Materman, Miles Walsh, Wallace J. Nichols, Steve Hawk, Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, Tiago Pires, Greg Long, Mark Massara, Chris LaFrankie, Chad Nelsen, Neil Lazarow, Brad Farmer, Jeff Clark, Manolo Lozano, Juca De Barros, Drew Kampion, Professor Andy Short, Professor Ben Finney.

Selection Committee: Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, Tiago Pires, Greg Long, Mark Massara, Jeff Clark, Steve Hawk, Juca De Barros, João De Macedo, Dean LaTourrette, Drew Kampion, Professor Andy Short.

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Join Gavin “The Alien” Beschen and recycle your old boardies! They’ll make someone’s day who may be less fortunate than you…and you can win some cool Volcom gear. A real win/win deal!
Volcom V.Co-Logical Series presents: “Recycle Your Old Boardshorts For a Good Cause”. All you need to do is drop off any old boardshorts into the bin at any participating shop to be donated to a local charity. You will be entered to win the grand prize of being V.Co-Logically outfitted for a year!

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Act Now- SB 832

For the third year in a row, the N.C. General Assembly is considering a bill that would punch a hole in North Carolina’s long-standing ban on hardened structures that keeps our beaches public and natural. These structures can have major impacts on surf spots and healthy beaches. We need your help today if North Carolina’s beaches are to be protected for tomorrow.

The bill, SB 832, which already passed the N.C. Senate, is set to be heard by the House Environment Committee. Please contact your House representative and ask them to oppose this grave threat to our beaches.

The natural beauty and economic value of North Carolina’s public beaches and inlets exists today in large measure because our state leaders long ago adopted a conservative management policy that bans the use of hardened structures-seawalls, jetties and groins of any kind-from our coast. We agree there needs to be a plan for property threatened by coastal erosion –but tell the legislators that S832 is not it.

Take action by clicking here.

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