A Swell Start to Summer

Last week was amazing with a healthy balance of surf and work. Had waves Sunday thru Thursday with a couple of coveted city sessions in there. There was the summer solstice that brought our first heatwave and more surf! In honor of International Surfing Day we also had an epic beach cleanup at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA on Saturday. That is my kind of week.

City to Sea to City

Noreaster in June, waves for days, Venus transit and a high-octane Surfrider party.
You could say this week was pretty action-packed.

Have you signed the petition to Update the Bottle Bill in Massachusetts?

If not, there is still a little time! Please visit the MA Bottle Bill petition here and help get it to a VOTE! Spread the word. Thank-you!

Bright Siding It

Sometimes life gets in the way of surf. Unfortunately, this week I was only able to catch the tail end of Alberto. But this whole month has been pretty rad if you ask me. Here are a couple of the more lovely shots from last weekend. There was even time for a beach cleanup in between sessions. That's my kind of special.

Cleaning Up in Coastal NH

What a sweet way to enjoy a day at the beach and to give thanks throughout the year. Get in touch with your local Surfrider Chapter to see how you can get involved with beach cleanups or create even more impact with other volunteer opportunities.

Sharing the S.T.O.K.E.E.

"Surfing is the best thing ever!"

This website is a place where I regularly attempt to share my over abundance of surf love. This past weekend, however, I had a chance to share it for real with some awesome kids at the annual S.T.O.K.E.E event (Surfing to Offer Kids Environmental Education) put on by Surfrider, MA and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Held on the shores of Nahant, MA, just beyond the hazy fuzz and buzz of the Boston skyline, this is an event where kids–who do not get to the beach too often–get to have a turn at surfing. It doesn't matter if the wind is a little onshore, or if the waves are less than perfect. Today, all that matters is finding the energy in that one wave that has traveled all the way across the sea for you to ride. All you need is someone to guide you to that sweet spot and give you that little push.

At one point I heard one of the kids exclaim, "Surfing is the best thing ever!". In a sport that so often takes itself waaaaaay too seriously, it's nice to get back to where we all started once upon a time. In the months leading up to this event, I repeatedly heard some of the more seasoned Surfrider members saying that this is the best event of the year. They were right.

Photo Credit: Christian Kozowyk - www.Kozowyk.com

Big thanks to Surfrider, MA, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Brickhouse, Christian Kozowyk and all of the volunteers, big brothers and little brothers that made this happen. I'm already looking forward to S.T.O.K.E.E. 2012!