The foodie world exploded when the New Yorker published a seminal piece on Tijuana‘s master chef Javier Plascencia and his new temple of gastronomy Mision 19. Additional rave reviews followed an another important article in the New York Times. Javier grew up on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, is a surfer and has done a lot to help revolutionize the image of Tijuana and Baja. Along with Diego Hernandez of Corazon de Tierra in the Guadalupe Valley, Benito Molina and Solange Muris of Manzanilla in Ensenada and Javier and David Martinez of Boules and Muelle 3 in Ensenada have really helped to bring about a food revolution in Baja and Mexico.

Javier Plascencia, who told the New York Times, “I am proud of being from Tijuana.”

Since Javier has kindly agreed to be one of the featured chef’s at the WiLDCOAST BAJA BASH on June 2nd (along with Molina, Muris and Hernandez and music by Nortec Collective-Hiperboreal), I paid him a long overdue visit at his temple of food in Tijuana’s Zona Rio district. Buy your tickets now and get them here.

Let’s just say it was on of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. Javier is super gracious and obviously a genius at taking the authentic food of Baja and Mexico and creating a new, unique and brilliant cuisine that is nothing like I’ve eaten before.

I started off the meal with a nopal salad. Delicioso!!

Octopus with pistachio and garbanzo. I love pulpo and this was grilled and incredible.

After an amazing vegetable soup, I dug into my main course, fresh tuna.

Coyotas with cafe granizado and dulce de leche ice-cream.

Mision 19 is located in the Via Corporativo bulding on Mision de San Javier 10643, Zona Rio, Tijuana. Don’t wait to go there.

Related articles

• Surf and Boules in Ensenada: A Super Day in the Biarritz of Mexico (sergededina.com)
• Seafood Suite at Ensenada’s Muelle 3 (sergededina.com)

Pat Gauduskas at the recent Nike Lowers Pro

With an estimated six million people around the world watching the recent webcast of the Nike Lowers Pro ASP Prime surf contest daily at Lower Trestles last week, the eyes of the surfing world were literally on Trestles.

That is why the proposal by the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) to build a toll road through San Onofre State Beach in northern San Diego County has received so much attention. Because Trestles, in the words of Surfline’s Mike Cianciulli, “Is the apex of everything surf in Southern California.”

Mark Rauscher, Preservation Manager for the Surfrider Foundation has been on the frontlines of the effort to “Save Trestles” for more than seven years. I caught up with him while the Nike Lowers Pro was underway.

Mark Rauscher

Patch: Last year you and and I shared an epic session at Uppers on the first swell of the season and it was pretty obvious that you just love the place. What makes Trestles and the entire San Onofre State Beach complex so special?

Mark Rauscher: That was a great swell! What’s so amazing about the Trestles area is that there are so many high-quality surf spots in such a small area.  Whether you want to rip it up at Lowers, get long lined-up waves at Uppers, Cottons or Church, or even cruise on your longboard at Old Man’s, there’s a wave inside the state beach for everyone. The natural beach and clean water only add value to this treasure we have in the middle of crowded, urbanized Southern California.

Patch: I know that Trestles is famed for its surf, but for me and others, walking the trail along San Mateo Creek is an integral part of the Trestles experience. What is so unique about the San Mateo Creek watershed?

Rauscher: It’s really great that you can take the trail down to the beach, leaving the parking lot and freeway behind and listening to the birds chirping. The natural creek and surrounding wetlands and woods really top off the experience of the place, letting you unwind and decompress as you make your way to the beach.

Patch: What is it exactly that the TCA is proposing and how would that proposal impact the San Onofre State Beach and San Mateo Creek watershed?

Rauscher: The TCA originally proposed extending a major toll highway from where it currently ends 16 miles inland to connect with I-5 at Trestles. This road would bisect the inland three-mile portion of San Onofre State Beach, paving over critical habitat for endangered species and running nearly on top of the San Mateo Campground. Right now most of the land around the San Mateo Creek is still undeveloped, helping to keep the water in the creek (and the surf) super clean. All of the pollution from the road would go into the creek, fouling the lineup. This project has been called one of the worst threats to the California coast in decades.

Patch: Back in 2008, you and the Surfrider Foundation worked with the Save San Onofre Coalition to defeat the proposal by the TCA to build a toll road through San Mateo Creek watershed and San Onofre State Beach. That effort included a public meeting at the Del Mar Fairgounds, the largest in the history of the California Coastal Commission. Why did more than 6,000 people attend public meetings on the TCA toll road proposal?

President Richard Nixon celebrating the establishment of San Onofre State Beach.

Rauscher: Clearly Trestles and San Onofre are hugely popular and treasured by many people throughout the state. We put in a huge effort to get the word out so that everyone in the region knew what was at risk and asked them to come speak out. I think that when decisions are being made that are so obviously out of sync with the public’s desires, they get angry and want to have their voices heard. We’ve seen that a lot in the last few years with the Occupy movement and the Arab Spring. In this case the massive turnout and outcry was critically important to getting the decision we wanted.

Patch: Trestles is arguably ground zero for modern professional surfing and surf culture. On any given day there are surfers from all over Southern California, the United State and often from abroad surfing Trestles. What was the role of the surf industry and pro surfers in helping to defeat the toll road proposal?

Rauscher: The industry did a great job helping us get the word out to rally the troops. Between the magazines writing articles and promoting on their website, to a few companies closing their offices to bus in their employees, we had tons of support.

Patch: Was it just surfers who opposed the toll road project or were there other groups involved too?

Rauscher: We had a bunch of great partners, each of whom brought their own strengths to bear. Attorneys, policy experts, wildlife scientists, water quality specialists, outdoor advocates, Native Americans and of course lots of surfers all came together to fight this horrible project. It was truly inspiring to get to work with such a great group of people.

Patch: Surfrider has carried out research on the economic impact of Trestles on businesses in San Clemente—how much do surfers who use Trestles put into the local economy of San Clemente?

Rauscher: The waves at Trestles attract surfers from throughout Southern California who contribute to San Clemente’s local economy by spending money in town when they visit. They buy gas, eat at local restaurants, and shop in local stores. The state park keeps careful counts of visitation at Trestles and estimates that over 300,000 surfers visit Trestles each year. Based on a study by Dr. Chad Nelsen, we know that 83 percent of the surfers visit Trestles come from outside the city of San Clemente and contribute between 8 and 13 million dollars a year to the local economy. These surfers have a lot of choices about where to surf but they are drawn to Trestles for the natural setting and the high quality waves.

Patch: Like me, most of the general public assumed that the TCA’s toll road proposal was dead. So what is the status of the project now?

Rauscher: The TCA has been back at the drawing board for the last couple years. Their latest plan is to get started and build the first five miles of the road, the section that is furthest from the beach. Unfortunately they still say this is just the beginning and they plan to connect it the rest of the way to I-5 in the future. We’ll know more about the specifics of this plan in the fall when they release more details.

Patch: How can the TCA expect to reverse such an overwhelming defeat in the court of public opinion and by the Coastal Commission and a rejection by the Department of Commerce during the final days of the Bush administration? Is the TCA trying to exempt itself from Coastal Commission oversight?

Rauscher: In order to build the road all the way to Trestles they would definitely have to overcome a lot of resistance the Coastal Commission and U.S. Department of Commerce. Both of those agencies made it very clear that their road would violate multiple laws, not to mention destroy a large portion of the state park. Of course the TCA has a lot of resources and highly paid attorneys so we’re definitely watching them closely.

Patch: What motivates you to continue your efforts to “Save Trestles” and other surf breaks around the country?

Rauscher: Surf spots are limited resources and they all need to be treasured and protected. A perfect wave is a very special thing and when you find one you want to hang on to it. Each of us has our own favorite break and it’s up to us to watch out for it. When threats arise we must speak out.

Related articles

• Remembering Peter Douglas, California’s Coastal Hero (sergededina.com)
• Swell greets surfers, just in time for Trestles (ocregister.com)
• Perfect 6-foot waves kick off Lowers Pro (beach.orangecounty.com)
• Nike Lowers Pro 2012 (sergededina.com)
• Big crowd shows at Lowers Pro; Brazilian wins (beach.orangecounty.com)

I spent the morning of Saturday May 5th at Lower Trestles for the final day of the Nike Lowers Pro 2012 professional surf contest. Amazing to see some of the world’s best surfers in action including Dane Reynolds, Gabriel Medina, Pat and Tanner Gudauskas, Julian Wilson, Ace Buchan, John John Florence, Kolohe Andino, Evan Geissalmen.

Ace Buchan.

I had watched the event via the webcast and while impressed with Gabriel Medina’s surfing, I wasn’t sold on him as a complete surfer (lack of style). But after watching his dominate his heats with his effortless and amazing aerial and vertical surfing, I can easily predict he will be World Champ and dominate professional surfing.

Gabriel Medina.

Additionally John John Florence also demonstrated why he will also be a World Champ and dominate Professional Surfing. He surfs with the savant of Andy Irons combined with the strategic brilliance of Kelly. Medina to me is more of a Kelly Slater and just an intuitively brilliant surfer. No one can really even touch him. He doesn’t even look like he is trying.

John John Florence in his quarter final heat against Tanner Gudauskas.

After the final between Glen Hall and Gabriel Median, the ebulliant Brazilian fans carried Medina on his shoulder.

Gabriel Medina in a pensive moment right before the awards ceremony.

The Brazilians  clearly love their country, surf with passion, are determined competitors and are hungry for victory. There is no Dane Reynolds embarrassing lack of clarity on being a professional surfer.

Gabriel Medina and his sister Sophia.

When is the last time you saw an American professional surfer celebrate a victory with an American flag? Brazilians are not ambivilent about victory. Americans almost seem embarrassed by it (not so the Australians who are equally committed to winning and being professional athletes).

Nike Lowers Pro champion Gabriel Medina and runner up Glen Hall with Gabriel’s sister Sophia.

Related articles

• Nike Lowers Pro 2012 (thesurfboardman.com)
• O.C. surfers shine at Nike Lowers Pro (beach.orangecounty.com)
• Perfect 6-foot waves kick off Lowers Pro (beach.orangecounty.com)
• Tanner Gudauskas and the Nike Lowers Pro (californiapixie.com)
• Swell greets surfers, just in time for Trestles (ocregister.com)
• Surfing’s New Aloha: The 2012 Groundswell Conference (sergededina.com)

Israel starts the paddle portion.

Yesterday, my son Israel and I participated in the first ever Waterman’s Endurance Challenge: URT Swim-Paddle-Fin race at Center Beach in Coronado.

City of Huntington Beach Lifeguard Nick Sullivan rounds the final buoy on the paddle portion of the event.

“The Waterman’s Endurance Challenge: The URT Swim, Paddle, Fin competition featured three consecutive open-water events, conducted in the standard triathlon fashion, with the start, transition area, and finish all occurring at Center Beach,” said James Kehaya of North American Athletics who organized the event in partnership with URT.

Men’s finalists from left to right: Serge Dedina (me)-4th, Ryan Pingree-3rd, Israel Dedina-2nd, Nick Sullivan 1st.

“The competition was designed to test traditional waterman skills, through a competitive endurance event.Event gifts and prizes were provided by URT, Emerald City, James&Joseph, Suunto, Ocean Minded and T3.The event began with a 500 meter swim, followed by a 3000 meter open water paddle (SUP or Prone), and finished with a 1000 meter open water swim with fins.”

Women’s finalists: Carrie Lingo (3rd), Carter Graves-2nd; and Gracie Van der Byl 1st. Gracie put on a great performance and passed me in the final leg of the swim, but I caught a set wave on the way in and passed her. She is fast!!

“Challenging conditions and great athletes were the hallmarks of the first ever Swim, Paddle, Fin,” said Kehaya. “The building surf, wind, and chop challenged even the most seasoned watermen and women.  Congrats to everyone who came out to challenge the course, and battle it out in tough weather.”

It was a tough but fun race and another great event hosted by Ian Urtnowski and Dougie Mann of the URT clothing company.

The URT Team won the relay. They killed it!!!

“The contest was split into 2 divisions; open and relay, ” said Ian Urtnowski of URT. ” The Open division was defined by one contestant completing all the legs, while the Relay division assigned one person to each leg of the race.”

It was good to see longtime friends in the race including the Mann brothers, the legendary Kiwi and Adam Wraight. My son Israel came in second behind City of Huntington Ocean Lifeguard Nick Sullivan who proved that you had to be a fast paddler and swimmer to place in the event. Ryan Pingree came in third.

Coronado Beach LIfeguard team came in second.

Gracie Van der Byl put in impressive performance placing first in the women’s division, followed by Carter Graves and Carrie Lingo.

Team URT came in first in the relay division followed by the Coronado Lifeguards. The Imperial Beach Lifeguard team placed third.

Imperial Beach Lifeguard team placed third.

“The URT SPF was a pilot contest of more Watermen Endurance Triathlon Events to come,” said Ian Urtnowski of URT. “So to keep your ear to the ground go to www.urturt.com or www.northamericanatletics.com for more details and pictures. “

Mens Results:

Womens Results:

Team Relay

• 1st:  0:37:06- Team URT
• 2nd 0:40:38 – Coronado Beach Lifeguards
• 3rd 0:46:11  – Imperial Beach Lifeguards

Israel Dedina heading out for the last leg, a 1K swim with fins.

Related articles

• What it Takes to be a U.S. Navy SEAL (sergededina.com)

On Thursday I spent the day at the WiLDCOAST/COSTASALVAjE office in Ensenada. Our team went out to a simple but delicious meal at Muelle 3, David Martinez’s stunning simple new restaurant in Ensenada.

Our first course was sashimi and seafood ceviche. Both were fresh and sumptious.

We then had a sort of new twist on a fish taco, with smoked marlin. It was amazing.

Gigliola the chef at work.

That was followed by a bowl of steamed mussels and almejas blancas.

Muelle 3 is at the north end of the malecon in Ensenada. This is where the pangas leave to head out to Todos and where fishermen bring in their daily catch. While we were there a parade of pescadores walked by with sharks slung over their shoulders.

Related articles

• Baja’s Booming New Food Scene in Ensenada (sergededina.com)
• Surf and Boules in Ensenada: A Super Day in the Biarritz of Mexico (sergededina.com)
• Muelle Tres Restaurant – Malecon Ensenada Harbor (ensenadashout.wordpress.com)
• Historic Surf Weekend in San Miguel (sergededina.com)

Steve Pendarvis. Photo: Steve Pendarvis.

Anyone who surfs the reefs and beaches of Central San Diego has come across the original shapes of Steve Pendarvis and his Pendoflex line of  surfboards. The irreverant and innovative Sunset Cliffs surfer is part of the long line of unique San Diego shapers and designers that includes Skip Frye and especially Steve Lis.

Steve has worked with Canyon Surfboards, Classic Glass, Superior Glass, and Diamond Glassing. Some of the surfers who have ridden Steve’s boards include Buttons, Dave Rastovish, Dan Malloy and Gavin Beschen.

Photo: Steve Pendarvis.

Serge Dedina: When did you first start shaping surfboards?

Steve Pendarvis: In the 1960s when I was in my early teens, I started shaping and building surfboards. I was always tinkering with projects: boards, model airplanes, boats, bikes, all finely tuned.

Dedina: How did your interest in shaping begin? Did you wake up one day and say, “I want to be a shaper.”

Pendarvis: Having projects naturally led to building surfboards. Not to mention 2 dollars for resin, 40 cents per yard for cloth, skateboard marine plywood for fins, blanks from Ridout plastics or G&S for about 8 bucks. Yeah baby! $20 dollars or less to make a new toy, now we’re talk’n!

Steve field testing his Pendoflex design in Baja. Photo: Steve Pendarvis.

Dedina: With all the pop-out surfboards made in China and computer-shaped boards, is the role of the underground shaper still even relevant?

Pendarvis: Yeah, I still have my planers and sanding blocks humming, hands on is key for me. A lot of the innovation comes from underground shapers. If a design becomes trendy, it is often picked up by corporations and mass-produced and may eventually be popped-out overseas.

Photo: Steve Pendarvis.

Dedina: Given the market forces that are forcing the consolidation of the surfboard industry into a more corporate structure, why are you still handcrafting surfboards?

Pendarvis: To each their own. I prefer the work ethic of making a carefully hand-crafted surfboard.

Dedina: What is the value of a handcrafted surfboard?

Pendarvis: Absolutely custom for the client is what it’s all about!! Hand-crafted surfboards are built for the customer, thus the word custom!!

Dedina: Your shaping and surfboards have been associated with Central San Diego and especially the Sunset Cliffs. Why have the Cliffs been such a hotbed of surfboard innovation and design?

Pendarvis: Can’t really say, except for beaches and reefs a plenty!

Photo: Steve Pendarvis.

Dedina: Many of your Pendoxflex designs have used alternative surfboard technology and building techniques. Can you describe some of the alternative ways you are designing and building boards and what materials you are using?

Pendarvis: The Pendoflex has a high torque, high speed, tail design built into the tails; it’s a stand-up derivative of a Greenough shell, which I then back-fill with foam to bring the deck flush with the rest of the board. A Pendoflex taps more of the available energy, sort of like a Fiberflex skateboard, weighting and unweighting,building speed on speed. It’s really cool.Subtle flex characteristics fuel powerful rail turns, while the board conforms to the wave face.

Generally my boards have a foam core, for instance US Blanks (PU), and WNC or Marko foam (EPS), and here and there, balsa, agave, cork and veneers.

Photo: Steve Pendarvis.

Dedina: Who are the surfers and shapers who are inspiring you to think differently and continue to progress in your shaping?

Pendarvis: Some are Skipper (Skip Frye), Stevie (Steve Lis), Greenough, Paul Gross, Dan Hess, the Campbells, the Thompsons, Brian Conley and the Murpheys, legless.tv, and others. And everyone and thing that comes across your senses helps define your relativity.

Dedina: You and your wife Cher are known as super positive and a stoked couple who continually look on the bright side of life.  Since the members of Sunset Cliffs surfing crew have not always been known for their laughter and good cheers (at least with outsiders) why do you think it is important for surfers to be positive and create connections outside their local surf spots?

Pendarvis: As you know every dog’s gotta leave his mark on the fire hydrant. Hey, that’s my hydrant! And you can use it too mate! I dunno, share and share alike. I still get my poker face going from time to time when the bait ball shows up, loading up the zone, Yikes!

We look for the positives, and appreciate friendship and kindness among people.

Steve and his wife Cher.

*****

You can find out more information on Steve Pendarvis and his Pendoflex surfboards here.

Related articles

• The Legacy of Bob Simmons (sergededina.com)

One of the most innovative tools for the conservation of surf spots has been the development of Surfing Reserves. Pioneered by Brad Farmer in Australia, the Davenport-based Save the Waves Coalition has taken the lead on organizing the development of a global network of World Surfing Reserves.

Serge Dedina: Why do surfing areas need to be designated as Surfing Reserves?

Katie Westfall: Natural surf breaks are important public recreational resources. Unspoiled surf spots are unique and rare and important for their ecosystem services, recreational, aesthetic, educational, and economic values. On a global scale, surf breaks have been destroyed by coastal development and threatened by water quality issues or closure of beach access. In California alone, several surf spots have been destroyed along the coastline, including Killer Dana and Corona del Mar in Orange County and Stanely’s in Ventura County. Through World Surfing Reserves (WSR), we are proactively working to prevent this from happening to the most amazing surfing areas on the globe.

Dedina: What does a World Surfing Reserve status mean?

Westfall: Designation as a World Surfing Reserve means that an area has been formally recognized by a worldwide group of experts, the World Surfing Reserve Vision Council, as a globally significant surfing ecosystem. Once approved, the local community makes a long-term commitment to protect the area’s coastal and marine resources and creates a Local Stewardship Plan that outlines exactly how this commitment will be carried out. World Surfing Reserves staff in turn helps to build the capacity of the local community in threat response, stewardship, and community outreach and education, which are the three elements that form the fabric of managing a World Surfing Reserve.

Ericeira World Surfing Reserve, Portugal. Source: World Surfing Reserves.

Dedina: Where did the concept of surfing reserves come from?

Westfall: Surfing reserves can be traced back to the 1973 when the Victorian government in Australia officially established the first reserve at Bells Beach. National Surfing Reserves Australia (NSR) was formed in 2005, which was a pioneering program that created a blueprint for surfing reserves in Australia.

In 2009, Save The Waves Coalition partnered with NSR Australia and the International Surfing Association (ISA) to launch World Surfing Reserves, with the goal of adding layers of protection to world’s most iconic surf breaks and educating people about the tremendous value of these special places.”

Bell's Beach, the world's first Surfing Reserve. The area is now threatened.

Dedina: Are there more than one type of surfing reserve?

Westfall: Reserves can either designate an individual “wave break,” which includes just one surf spot, or can designate a “surf zone,” which includes multiple waves along the coast. The two types of Reserves are essentially managed in the same way.
Dedina: What surf spots globally and in California are now World Surfing Reserves?

Westfall: Currently, three World Surfing Reserves have been officially dedicated including Malibu in California, Ericeira in Portugal, and Manly Beach in Australia. Santa Cruz has been approved and will be dedicated as a World Surfing Reserve on April 28^th. The official dedication ceremony for Santa Cruz will include an evening fundraiser on Friday, April 27^th as well as the official dedication on April 28^th, with a paddle out at the Pleasure Point at 10am and a ceremony at Steamer Lane at 1pm. The general public is invited to attend all the events of the dedication ceremony. For more information about the event, people can visit the WSR website.

Dedina: What is the process for evaluating and then designating a World Surfing Reserve?

Westfall: Communities interested in designating their local break or breaks as a World Surfing Reserve will first submit a brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) to World Surfing Reserves. If the LOI meets the minimum criteria, then communities are invited to submit a full application to World Surfing Reserves. The WSR Vision Council, which is a global group of leaders from the surfing, environmental, scientific, media and business communities, then votes on whether or not the application is approved. The application is evaluated by four criteria: 1) quality and consistency of the wave or surf zone; 2) unique environmental characteristics of the area; 3) surf and ocean culture and history of the area; and 4) local community support.

Manly Beach World Surfing Reserve.

Dedina: Is the key criteria having a local stakeholder/stewardship group?

Westfall: Local community support for establishing a World Surfing Reserve is one of the main criteria for approval. Applicants must show broad support from local businesses, community groups, nonprofits, governmental agencies, etc. Once a World Surfing Reserve has been approved, a Local Stewardship Council, a group of seven members from the local community, is created and oversees the management of the Reserve. It is very much a grassroots effort dependent on support at the local level.

Killer Dana, before the Dana Point Marina killed it. This was a complex and important coastal and marine ecosystem. Now it is one of the most polluted areas on the Southern California coastline.

Dedina: Some have criticized World Surfing Reserves as having little teeth to prevent threats. Are there concrete examples of WSR status helping to reduce a threat or enhancing a surf spot’s conservation status?

Westfall: We see the WSR designation as a starting point rather than the finish line. We are planting the seeds of surf spot protection in the four WSR sites, and Local Stewardship Councils have been established for each site. These members serve as the guardians of the Reserve. These councils are identifying the needs for increased protection, which may include more stewardship, policymaking, better coastal planning, etc. The program is still in its infancy, and in the next couple of years we will be able to assess if these efforts are leading to more effective threat responses and increased stewardship of the coast and ocean.

WSR is essentially creating community around the protection of valuable surfing resources and increasing the number of tools available. Even locations that have significant legal protection can come under threat, but the more tools, resources, and people you have, the better chance you will have of defeating that threat. As the late Peter Douglas said, “The coast is never saved. It’s always being saved.” The same goes for waves.

Serge Dedina is the Executive Director of WiLDCOAST, an international conservation team that conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and widlife and is the author of Wild Sea: Eco-Wars and Surf Stories from the Coast of the Californias.

Related articles

• Surfers Establish New Reserve in Santa Cruz (sierraclub.typepad.com)

The Hormiguita Community Center. This building was made from recycled tires.

I spent the afternoon with Paloma Aguirre of WiLDCOAST and the executive team of San Diego Coastkeeper. We took a tour of the border to get a sense of what some of the issues we are dealing with and ended the day in Los Laureles Canyon in Tijuana, just south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Community members were buys fixing up the Center.

There Steven Wright and his team from 4-Walls International are working with WiLDCOAST, Tijuana Calidad de Vida and the community to develop a demonstration project on how to use waste tires for construction. They also have a native plant garden and are working on cleaning up their community.

They are using recycled tires and have a rain water catchment system.

The community project is an oasis of hope in the border region and is an inspiring place to be.

Ingenious.

They have a native plant nursery supported by Mexico's Environment Agency.

San Diego Coastkeeper Board member Jo Brooks, SDCK Executive Director Gale Filter and Steven Wright of 4-Walls.

No matter where you are in Mexico there is always a dog that needs to be petted. This scruffy mutt found a hole in the fence and was begging for some love!

Related articles

• Surf and Boules in Ensenada: A Super Day in the Biarritz of Mexico (sergededina.com)

On the day last week that I heard that Peter Douglas, the 26-year executive director of the California Coastal Commission, had passed away, I spent the morning surfing Upper Trestles.

On my dawn patrol down the trail that meanders along San Mateo Creek, I scanned for wildlife, and smiled when I came upon the sandy beach that delivers surfers into the cobblestone reef and waves at Upper Trestles, a masterpiece of natural engineering.

The surf was firing and the small crowd was friendly.

California bliss.

Greg Long and groms at the Del Mar Feb. 6, 2008, Coastal Commission on the fate of Trestles.

It was fortuitous that I happened to be at Trestles that morning.

Because if Peter had not lived and dreamed of a coastline in California that belonged to us all, there just might not be a San Mateo Creek or surf at Trestles.

“Peter Douglas is to the California Coast what John Muir was to the Sierra Nevadas,” said Surfrider Foundation CEO Jim Moriarty.

The watershed and wetlands of lower San Mateo Creek, part of a California State Park, would have been destroyed by a toll road.

Trestles as we know it would be gone.

The architect of Proposition 20, the citizen’s referendum that established the Coastal Commission, Peter was also one of the principal authors of the Coastal Act, arguably the greatest single piece of legislation worldwide that provides a blueprint for conserving and safeguarding our greatest public trust.

More groms at the Save Trestles hearings.

“Peter was one of the most humble, effective ocean heroes of all time,” said Wallace “J.” Nichols, the marine biologist who I co-founded WiLDCOAST with.

Without Peter, not only would we not have many of our most treasured public beaches, in many cases, we would not have access to much of our coastline.

“In the summer of 2003 our family trekked the entire coast of California,” said Nichols.  “The enduring beauty of that mega-transect, owes so much to the battles fought and won by Peter Douglas. His legacy provides unmeasurable emotional and cognitive benefits to the world each day through the beauty of our protected coast and ocean.”

Besides the fact that Peter was a force of nature, he was a dedicated public servant who took his mission to safeguard our coast for all very seriously despite the political fallout it caused him.

One of his many strengths was his capacity to treat people with respect and to make the commission meetings, known for their length and ability to test the patience of anyone, more humane.

“Peter Douglas always made it a priority for he and the Coastal Commission staff to listen to and respond to Surfrider members and local stakeholders,” said Pierce Flynn, former executive director of the Surfrider Foundation. “This ‘local listening’ was a key to Douglas’ and the Coastal Commission’s successes.”

As a first generation American raised on the public beaches of California, who proudly worked as a California Ocean Lifeguard, I thank Peter and the Coastal Commission every time I surf and enjoy the beach with my family.

What really motivated Peter was his absolute joy in the coast and ocean and his belief that everyone has a right to share in the richness of our coastal heritage.

“We had a late afternoon tour that extended into the early evening at South San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge with Peter,” said Andy Yuen, project leader
 for the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

“We were standing on the Refuge levees with the soft sunset glow reflecting off the ponds and San Diego Bay, birds wheeling overhead, and you could tell that Peter was completely jazzed that this special piece of San Diego Bay was conserved for wildlife.”

The California coastline is where we get to experience the joy of nature and the roar of the surf.

Where we share in the laughter of our children as they build their first sandcastle and play in the waves.

Where we spend hours around campfires telling stories and singing songs with our friends and family.

In California, the coast is our life. And our life is the coast.

We can thank Peter Douglas for that.

Related articles

• Coastal defender Peter Douglas dies (gogreennation.org)
• Celebrating 40 Years of California Coastal Protection this Oceans Day (switchboard.nrdc.org)

Sean Fowler nails it during the final heat.

“My brother Travis and I were competing in the Vans Pier Classic and lost out on Friday, March 30th,” said Mexican-American ripper Dylan Southworth, who lives in Sayulita, north of Puerto Vallarta. “We saw the swell was on the rise and figured we would head down to Ensenada.”

Dylan and Travis were part of an international crew who found themselves surfing a historic swell at San Miguel in Ensenada on Saturday and Sunday as part of the 2012 2nd Annual Walter Coloca Memorial Open Surf Contest organized by United Athletes of the Pacific Ocean (UAPO) and WiLDCOAST.

Luis from Venezuela during the opening heat.

That wasn’t all that was going on.

“On Friday March 30^th, the day before the surf contest we held the first ever forum, La Nueva Ola, on the state of surfing in Baja at CETYS University in Ensenada,” said Alfredo Ramirez of UAPO.

“Scientists, surfers, coastal conservationists, politicians and business owners discussed issues related to coastal access, water quality, the economic value of surf spots and efforts to improve the current situation of the region’s coastline.”

Speakers from Pronatura, Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), WiLDCOAST, Surf Ens, CETYS University, Locales Surf School and UAPO presented their collective efforts to engage youth in the sport of surfing and reestablish a clean and accessible surfing environment.

“Although limited coastal access and poor water quality is currently limiting economic and recreational opportunities for surfing, there is a new wave in Baja California to improve the situation,” said Zach Plopper of WiLDCOAST.

Alfredo Ramirez of UAPO.

The forum was a good way to launch the Walter Coloca Open over the weekend. More than 60 surfers from Mexico, Venezuela and the U.S. came together to surf in the second year of an event organized by Ramirez.

“The contest is about one ocean, one passion and one family,” he said. “We share the same ocean so it is important to come together and surf together. Waves bring us together across the border. We are all part of a surfing family.”

Saturday was for the junior, school and body board divisions. Venezuelan Derek Gomez ripped his way to both finals in both the age 12-15 and 16-18 divisions. Judges and spectators were amazed by his solid style and explosive surfing.

Travis Southworth.

Equally impressive was Imperial Beach’s Josh Johnson who scored a perfect 10 (the only 10 of the event) in the 12-15 semi-finals with a double barrel ride across the entire cove section of San Miguel. Josh placed second in his division.

Zach Randall, 13, from East Lake Middle School came in third. Second place in the 16-18 division went to Andres Aguirre from Ensenada.

Also making the final were Michael Roccoforte from El Cajon, and Jorge Olvera from Ensenada. Paloma Aguirre of San Diego won the Open Body Board division with Ensenada’s Jose Peralta coming in a close second.

The Open Division of the contest took place on Sunday with an increasing combination of swells. I joined Imperial Beach surfer Sean Fowler and South Mission Beach’s Craig Macias in the rising swell Sunday.

Dylan Southworth

“The swell was the product of a compact, but intense, storm that was located just a few hundred miles off the California coast,” said Kevin Wallis, surf forecaster for Surfline. He said it brought 30-50 knot-plus winds and seas of over 30 feet.

“Because of the storm’s proximity to California, the swell it created rapidly filled in and it was kind of like someone flipped on a light switch, going from small to moderate size surf from a previous swell to very large surf in a matter of 30-60 minutes as the new west swell filled in. Definitely a cool thing to witness.”

Mysto waves north of San Miguel.

When I arrived at San Miguel on Sunday, the surf was in the 3-4’ range. By the time the contest was over the sets were 6-10’.

“This was definitely the latest I can remember seeing a swell of that size and westerly direction, which allowed it to get into many SoCal breaks,” said Wallis.

“Thirty surfers put on an exceptional show of surfing for the spectators and judges,” said Plopper, who helped to sponsor and organize the contest.

Women's finalists.

Dylan Southworth surfed consistently to the final and took home first place. In a close second was Imperial Beach’s Sean Fowler.

Placing third and fourth were Cheyne Willis from Hawaii and Travis Southworth. In the women’s division big-wave surfer Narra Nunez took the win and Everardo Montoya won the longboard division. Both surfers are from Ensenada.

Zach Plopper and Men's Open Finalists.

“The 2012 Walter Caloca contest at San Miguel in Ensenada was one of the best contests. The vibes were great; surf was pumping all weekend, especially with only three other people out,” said Fowler. “Thank you to the locals and all the sponsors for throwing such a great contest.”

“Travis and I we found ourselves in the final with great waves,” said Dylan. “Super stoked to get the title,” said Dylan. “A lot of good competitors entered and everyone was ripping.”

Travis Southworth.

Zach Plopper after the contest was over when the swell started pumping.

That's me in my first or second heat. I stared the semi right after finishing my second heat, competing against the Southworth brothers and Luis from Venezuela. I was super tired and they all ripped! it was an honor to surf with them--all great guys and great surfers!

Related articles

• Surf and Boules in Ensenada: A Super Day in the Biarritz of Mexico (sergededina.com)
• Baja’s Booming New Food Scene in Ensenada (sergededina.com)