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