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Surfrider Foundation |
 The Largest Surfing EncyclopediaA-Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Advertisement
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Back in 1985, history teacher and Ventura local Glen Hening, was inspired by the unity of the 1984 Olympics and cofounded the Surfrider Foundation, as he wrote "...to make a statement about the extraordinary character of riding waves and to provide a way for waveriders everywhere to take an active role in shaping the future of something we love with a passion. We are committed to conservation, research and education." Sixteen years and countless battles later, Hening’s saltwatery arrow has wavered, but never truly lost its course.
Hening, along with cofounder Tom Pratte, started Surfrider with the idea that the surf industry would embrace the vision of safeguarding and enhancing our aquatic playground and offer financial support. But Hening quickly realized that the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) was not as philanthropic as he'd hoped and Surfrider had to look elsewhere for support. Enter Gordon Labedz, a longtime Sierra Club member, who suggested the idea of chapters in 1991. As Labedz says, "Staff-funded groups are not very successful and they tend to have to go around begging for money." Chapters are grassroots and volunteer run, relying more on passion than PR, which is perfect for the decentralized surfing community. The formation of chapters and the decentralization of power in 1991 made Surfrider unquestionably more visible on both local and national levels. And in environmentalist terms, visible equals powerful. It didn’t hurt that, at the same time this internal shift was happening, Surfrider was in the process of suing two Humboldt County pulp mills to the tune of $5.8 million, winning the second largest settlement under the federal Clean Water Act. Talk about visible. Ten years later, most folks believe that the chapter-based structure is Surfrider’s most valuable asset. Mark Babski, SF’s web site keeper, says, "I think the biggest victories are the unseen victories -- in these beach communities, you now have a nonprofit, grassroots organization that is civically involved for the protection of the coast." Most coastal communities had no such group until a Surfrider chapter sprouted up. From 1991 to 1995, the number of chapters went from five to 45, and Surfrider's increased visibility allowed it to expand on its original mission and get to work on creating programs that could be shared or given out rather than attempting to do everything at its tiny national office. From the early '80s ragged Baja Relief runs (where surfers from California would bring down gifts for the lesser-fortunate Baja locals) to the late '90s technical Beachscape Program (a hyper-detailed data-set mapping of the California coast, including storm-drain outfalls), Surfrider’s power has always been at the grassroots, chapter level. Programs fit the bill perfectly, ‘cause folks could get involved locally. The Blue Water Task Force, set up in the early '90s to test water quality (local governments weren’t), now tests the water more than 6,000 times a year, all over the world. Respect the Beach, Surfrider’s educational program started in 1991, is in 500 schools nationwide. Local chapters clean more than 250 beaches. Surfrider members testified more than 1,250 times before judicial legislative groups last year. What began as a bunch of passionate and disorganized surfers has become the world's largest grassroots environmental group that focuses on keeping our playground clean. --Marcus Sanders, October 2000
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