Or is at least dormant, while the South Pacific lights up. Summer in the Pacific Northwest.
Archive Page 3 of 4
All too often I’m faced with the dilemma that is our plastic consumer world. Where are the choices for responsible consumers? I’m on the road quite a bit, burning away my demand on fossil fuels in the vain of making the world’s oceans, waves and beaches a better place in my capacity as a Oregon Field Coordinator for Surfrider Foundation. I dread my consumer world on the road. Although I travel with Kleen Kantene, fuel efficiency and refill my water on the go, I’m often left with miserable choices at gas stations and convenient stores that threaten my health and the environment. I see this picture every time I stroll into a market on the go. Corn syrup and plastic, as far as the eye can see. There are about two or three main stream beverages that are widely obtainable that do not package in plastic. Remove corn syrup from the equation and you’re left drinking out of a faucet. I no longer purchase single use plastic beverage containers. It was a simple decision that I was able to make as a consumer, but the choices are narrow.
Imagine if everyone made this simple consumer decision. Imagine how many beverage companies would be forced to accommodate the needs of the consumers. Make a simple consumer change in your life, rise above plastics. I challenge everyone to pick one plastic consumable in your life and replace it. Maybe it’s your beverage on the go, maybe its your carton of milk, or maybe you’ll make the bigger decision to try and cut as many single use plastics as possible…I dare you. As you’re choices become fewer, you better understand the magnitude of our plastic predicament. Then the swarming pacific gyre of plastic doesn’t seem so far fetched, it’s as simple as the next soda you (and eventually everyone else) purchases. We are a plastic world and we must demand a change and turn our vision to a bright future. Read this blog, send in a comment and remove a piece of plastic from your world and I’ll send you a free t-shirt cause it means that much to me.
The 2008 Clean Water Classic went off this weekend with overhead waves and plenty of sun. The contest displayed great surfing talent from all regions of the Pacific Northwest but was ultimately dominated by the crew from Canada.
The contest is a benefit for the Surfrider Foundation chapters of the Pacific Northwest and attracted over 1,000 spectators and 150 contestants.
The results of the 2008 Clean Water Classic:
Best Wave - Peter Hamilton
High Score Shortboard - Peter Hamilton
High Score Longboard - Kapono Nahina
Pro/Am -
1st Noah Cohen
Master’s Shortboard -
1st Perry Abedor
Women’s Shortboard -
1st Leah Oke
2nd Annie Atkinson
Men’s Longboard -
1st Kapono Nahina
Master’s Longboard-
1st Kevin Todd
Women’s Longboard -
1st Monica Todd
Juniors -
1st Kye Peladeau
Stand-up Paddle -
1st JP Canlis
Keiki with Parent -
1st Isabella Martinez-Ybor
and the 72ft. Finavera wave energy buoy is still sitting at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Newport, OR - without a recovery plan in sight.
Good news for central Oregon coast surfers, the proposed 300ft x 300ft wave energy project off the coast of Florence, OR was canceled. Pressure from environmental groups, including the Surfrider Foundation raised concerns about the wave energy project. The concerns included the size of the platforms, location, impact on recreation (wave height), and environmental impacts.
Here in the fickle Northwest, when you’re not surfing you’re thinking about surfing, reading about surfing or browsing surfing related goods. Let’s face it, we’re obsessed and what better way to feed and develop our obsession than through the internet. We now have access to an infinite amount of data about forecasts, editorials, destinations, etc. Most of us have our select sites we regularly visit or tools we utilize but as new online tools evolve, what better way to feed our obsession. This series of posts will focus on how to fully maximize our obsession with surfing using the online tools we have at our finger tips.
Surfing Obsessed Tool #1 : RSS
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is a format to used to publish continuously updated web content, such as this blog. If you’re reading this blog I image you probably read others - sissyfish, surfinoregon, phoresia, etc. Great, so you follow 4 blogs, no biggie - but what happens when you start to read pinniped, the greenroom, surfy surfy, raw waters in cedar, ocean waves beaches, wine and woodsmoke, etc. You know want to keep your attention on 10+ blogs and that becomes a lot of content to keep on top of and a big task. This is where the first Surfing Obsessed Tool, RSS, comes in handy. Each of those blogs deliver their content in RSS form, which if you have an RSS Reader you can aggregate all that wonderful content about surfing in one place. Forget 10+ surfing blogs, I want to track 100+ blogs and the top surfing news, no problem with RSS.
Got an idea for a good Surfing Obsessed Tool? Let me know.
The term “sustainability” is quite the buzz word these days - used to describe surfboards, wetsuits, wax, clothing and every other surf product you could possibly sell. But how sustainable is it to market these products as “sustainable”?
I wonder if over saturation of the term simply dilutes its meaning for surf companies and products truly making an impact for our sport as compared to those who use the term to take advantage of a trend. The definition and various meanings of the term is an entirely different thought - saved for a later date. But how long until “sustainability” becomes just another marketing message without any meaning?
I got a warning last week from State Parks about “mysterious silver containers, not to be opened…may contain rat poisoning.” That was all they said and they gave me an 8 ½ x 11 photo of these containers. I started digging on this online this evening…and found this coverage. Haven’t found any good information on the investigation of this, but all they know is: “the containers appear to be from China but officials don’t know what ship—or ships—they are from”.
and it you haven’t signed up, you have less than a month. Registration for the event ends May 1st.
The Clean Water Classic is the Pacific Northwest’s oldest surf competition and all proceeds from the event go to local Surfrider Chapters. The $35 registration fee not only gets you into the event but also gets you a one year membership to the SurfriderFoundation.
If you haven’t seen the photos, they’re shocking. This aerial shot over Newport, Oregon isn’t digitally enhanced or altered. The big black spot off the coast is know as the black plume, which is a result of years of environmental degradation by the paper mill, Georgia Pacific.
Staying true to it’s infamous reputation, Georgia Pacific has been releasing by-products of it’s Toledo, Oregon paper mill into local streams. Local streams lead to a larger watershed and watersheds lead to the coast.
See the black plume for yourself by visiting Newport, Oregon on Google Earth.
