Sunday Shout Out: Squaw Named West’s ‘Greenest’ Resort

Squaw Valley, Calif. (Shred White and Blue)—The 2010 Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition ski resort environmental score card, just released, ranked Squaw Valley USA as the highest scoring Western ski resort for environmental initiatives.

This is the third consecutive year Squaw Valley USA received an ‘A’ grade from the Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition, a third party group that supplies a comprehensive analysis of ski area environmental efforts.  This year the coalition grouped the criteria for which the ski resorts were evaluated into four categories – Habitat Protection, Protection of Watersheds, Addressing Global Climate change, and Environmental Policies and Practices.  Report card data is obtained from an annual survey and public records from government and environmental agencies. Freedom of Information Act and Public Records Act requests are filed with appropriate land managers to identify ski area development projects and management plans each spring. All document sources and detailed information about the grading criteria can be found on-line at www.skiareacitizens.com.

“The environment is our asset,” said Chairman and CEO Nancy Cushing. “A beautiful and pristine mountain experience brings guests and employees to Squaw Valley. It is our duty to make every effort to protect that experience.”

From the geothermal heat pump that heats the entire Squaw Kids Children’s facility, to the multimillion dollar water run off filtration system in the parking lot, the state-of-the-art heat exchange system at High Camp’s Ice Pavilion and Lagoon & Spa, and comprehensive forest re-vegetation projects that help to preserve Squaw Valley’s natural eco system – aspects of the conscious environmental commitment are ingrained in Squaw Valley’s culture.

Squaw Valley USA’s exemplary work in 35 categories in regards to preservation of sensitive areas within ski resort boundaries, water conservation and commitment to recycling and alternative energy rendered the resort the highest score of the 83 resorts evaluated.

Sunday Shout – POW Gets the Nod Again

Truckee, Calif. (Shred White and Blue) — Was up at Graham “the man” Gephart’s wedding to the lovely Lulu Bael (congratulations again, you two!) in Fraser, Colorado, a couple weeks ago when presiding Justice of the Peace and filmmaker Josh “Bones” Murphy told me he had been working on a environmental movie with Protect Our Winters.

Then I home and got this note from Jeremy Jones, Chris Steinkamp and the good folks at POW:

“When The North Face came to us last year with an idea to produce a climate change film with them, we couldn’t wait to get started on such a cool project.

With additional help from Clif Bar and teaming up with Teton Gravity Research, we all wanted to create a visual piece that would bring the idea of “climate change” to life, giving the term some real-life context and inspiring everyone to get involved.

Available in October, “Generations” is a short film that discusses climate change through the perspectives of those for whom snowy winters have a deeper personal significance. Going beyond charts and numbers, Generations humanizes the debate on climate change by exploring the fragility of winter and the intrinsic value of snow to people across generations and cultures. The film poignantly captures cultural and personal responses from those to whom mountains and snow represent an irreplaceable way of life, ending with ways for everyone to take part in the solution.”

Sounds really cool. There’s your shout out. Here’s the trailer:

Surf Foam: The Meyerhoffer, Shark Victims & Nuke the Soup

The Meyerhoffer

Montara, Calif. (Shred White and Blue) — You either love it, or you hate it. But people sure are talking Thomas Meyerhoffer’s new hourglass-shaped surfboard (so much so that Global Surf Industries, the OEM manufacturing the board, report a backlog that stretches to February – and the first run of 1,000 is already sold out!) The New York Times did a very cool quick take on all the hullabaloo – check it out: NY Times

As well this sweet Euro-style Youtube clip (Yeah, for sure!):

Shark Fin Protest From Who?

Seriously, if you’re not absolutely outraged at the whole shark fin soup affront, then I think maybe you just don’t know enough about what’s up. Maybe if I told you that yesterday nine survivors of shark attacks – folks who actually lost limbs to the men in the gray suits – went to Capitol Hill to plead for tougher sanctions on how these magnificently evolved beings are basically murdered every minute (there’s really no other word for it!). Check it out on the L.A. Times homepage: LA Times

Now Dig This

Just heard this mellow new tune from Nuke the Soup off their Ocean Album – the Filled with Dread track off the same set has been getting heavy play here for several months. Check it out in the music section of www.nukethesoup.com. Here are the first four lines of lyrics:

“The ocean is my church
The waves are my religion
I’ll find my way to earth
And not by my precision”

OK, that’s it from Blue. Have an awesome weekend.

Sunday Shout Out: Save the Waves, High Tides & Echo, Echo, Echo Beach

Save the Waves

Jaco, Costa Rica (Shred White and Blue) — Got a couple news blips from Costa Rica at the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games. The one that stuck was about Save The Waves asking for countries around the world to submit their top nominee for the World Surfing Reserves (WSR) program (designed to proactively protect the greatest and most threatened surf breaks around the world, of course).

In Jacó, the federations submitted their surf spot nominations to be considered as World Surfing Reserves, with the first reserves declared in 2009 and 2010. Save The Waves also presented its recently unveiled World Surfing Reserves/Google Earth 3D virtual tour of the nominated surf spots, in which internet users can download an application and tour detailed aerial maps and satellite photos of the nominated surf spots and their surrounding environments. Check it out at: www.savethewaves.org

East Coast Surf: 2 Feet Higher and Rising

Internet — Wired Magazine has a sweet little piece on scientists freaking out because they can’t figure out why peak tides at some East Coast surf spots have “outstripped predictions by two feet.” I bet global warming doesn’t have a single thing to do with it.

Or maybe it’s just the natural vagaries of life and waves and stuff: According to a quote from NOAA in the Wired story: “The ocean is dynamic. It’s not uncommon to have anomalies like this but the breadth and the intensity and duration were unique.” See who said that, along with the rest of the Wired report at: Wired.com

Echo, Echo, Echo Beach

Newport Beach, Calif — It seems like Echo Beach has been in the news for almost a year now, and that the surf-u-mentary has been enjoying ‘premieres’ since May at least. But Thursday night it really is hitting the home break, with a screening of the film showing locally on August 6th, at the Lido Theatre, 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach 92663, at 7:00pm and again at 8:30pm.

Love this blurb about why it’s worth checking out: “Echo Beach tells the story of the Newport Beach surf scene in the eighties. Originally a reference to the steep, fast breaks between 52nd and 54th Streets, the name “Echo Beach” came to signify an entire era of Southern California surf culture. A group of innovative, extra-rebellious local surfers rose to global prominence not only for their new level of athleticism in the sport of surfing, but also for their (then) whacked-out contributions to style, fashion, business, culture and the arts. Neon colors, new styles, and a general loudness pervaded the Echo Beach scene, along with the usual cornucopia of drugs, girls and parties that always abounds in any surf scene worth its salt.”

Read more about Echo Beach.

Waves image: flickr/gerrygiroux