Surfing the Border Cape Region Tour

April 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment
I did a book tour of the Cape Region of Baja --Todos Santos, San Jose del Cabo, Vinorama and Los Barriles from April 9-12, 2015. Thanks to Sofia Gomez and Fay Crevoshay for organizing media coverage of the tour.

I did a book tour of the Cape Region of Baja –Todos Santos, San Jose del Cabo, Vinorama and Los Barriles from April 9-12, 2015. Thanks to Sofia Gomez and Fay Crevoshay for organizing media coverage of the tour.

IMG_3202

With a staff member of the municipality who came to my talk in Todos Santos.

IMG_3215

Todos Santos is a Pueblo Magico in Mexico and has done a great job of using the arts to promote economic development and tourism.

IMG_3204

I gave a talk at La Esquina on the west side of Todos Santos and was happy to see my longtime friend Gary there. I’ve known Gary since I started surfing in Imperial Beach.

IMG_3205

With our WILDCOAST Chapter members in Todos Santos and Paula Angelotti (second from right) the manager of La Esquina who hosted the talk. 

IMG_3219

When I lived in Todos Santos more than 20 years ago, the beach at Los Cerritos, south of Todos Santos, was bereft of development. Now the dunes there have been replaced by buildings that are at risk from storm-related erosion there.

IMG_3222

Thanks to Armando Figaredo of Cabo Mil radio for interviewing me on his very popular mid-day radio show. I was on the air after a candidate for governor, so I knew it was a good audience. Thanks Armando!

IMG_3224

Osiris Herrera and of the Papalote Sports Bar kindly hosted my talk in San Jose del Cabo. Thanks Osiris and Anne for he wonderful poster design!!!

IMG_3226

We had a great group in San Jose including Raul Rodriguez Quintana, the Los Cabos Municipality Director of Ecoloby (kneeling) and Martha Moctezuma (in the green blouse to my right).

IMG_3228

The Estero San Jose Wetland Reserve is a natural gem at the edge of Los Cabos. It is also a sister reserve with the TJ Estuary in Imperial Beach.

IMG_3231

The reserve is an important habitat for migrant birds.

IMG_3232

The Estero San Jose Reserve is also a wetland of international importance.

IMG_3234

The reserve is incredibly beautiful.

IMG_3248

With Sofia Gomez of WILDCOAST (left) and the Los Cabos Municipality crew along with Martha Moctezuma of Los Cabos Coastkeeper.

IMG_3256

With Melina Arana of Imperial Beach and her husband Horacio who manages he Los Cabos Organic Market.

With Judy Tolbert of Baja Books who hosted me at the weekly organic market.

With Judy Tolbert of Baja Books who hosted me at the weekly organic market.

vinoramatalk

At the very nice VidaSoul Hotel and Restaurant on the East Cape. Thanks to owner Joan who generously hosted my talk.

IMG_3258

With Cabo Pulmo National Park Director Director Carlos Godinez (blue shirt) and Park Monitoring Coordinator Ronald Zepeta along with East Cape resident and writer Dawn Pier at Vidasoul-which is a great place for talk.

IMG_3270

Thanks to our WILDCOAST Chapter members who organized a talk at the Hotel Palmas de Cortez in the East Cape town of Los Barriles. It was great to see my longtime friend Markos Higginson who I used to lifeguard with at the Silver Strand State Beach more than 20 years ago.


Filed Under: Baja California Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

My New Book: Surfing the Border

March 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Here is the cover of my new forthcoming book, Surfing the Border: Adventures at the Edge of the Ocean. It is a collection of essays and articles I’ve written over the past three years about my adventures and life in California, Mexico and around the world. I’m hoping it will be out this summer if not before. surfbordercover

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Surfing the U.S.-Mexico Border Fence

October 27, 2012 by 1 Comment

My son Israel surfing next to the new ocean border fence-barrier at the U.S.-Mexico border.

I grew up just a couple of miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. As a child, my parents would take me and my brother on bike rides down to Border Field State Park. Later as a teenager I would jump the non-existent fence and ride my bike around Playas de Tijuana.

Over the past few years, the Border Patrol made it tough to access the park. Pollution problems made surfing the area around the international border problematic at best. But with a sand replenishment project impacting surf conditions in my hometown of Imperial Beach and a less restrictive atmosphere at Border Field, my son Israel and I joined my childhood surfing buddy Chris Patterson for a recon of the U.S.-Mexico border fence.

A lot of people and especially journalists like to depict the U.S.-Mexico border as a war zone, but you have to hand it to the Border Patrol, State of California Dept. of Parks and Recreation, conservation groups that fought to keep Border Field open and Mexican authorities who cleaned up Playas de Tijuana–the bottom line is that this part of the border is pretty safe, beautiful and peaceful.

It is a shame we couldn’t surf the Mexican side–since the waves are better on that side.

Playas de Tijuana on the other side of the fence is a very nice beach area–and provides great recreational opportunities for Tijuana Residents. The City of Tijuana has done a great job cleaning it up and making it nicer.

Looking through the border fence at what appears to be an awesome fitness class in Playas de Tijuana.

Looking east away from the beach–you can see the damage carried out by the Dept. of Homeland Security from roads and the new border barrier. The agency could have built a new border barrier that had far less environmental and landscape impacts–but chose not to.

While the East Coast braced for Hurricane Sandy and the Frankenstorm, along the U.S.-Mexico border we enjoyed perfect weather–Santa Ana conditions, temperate ocean water, 2-4′ surf and perfect offshore winds. A perfect fall surfing day. The Coronado Islands are in the background.

Looking north from the border toward the Tijuana Estuary and the Tijuana River Mouth Marine Protected Area and Imperial Beach and Coronado.

After our surf on the border we stopped by the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden and picked some chard, beets, zuchini and flowers from the WiLDCOAST plot.

Related articles
Filed Under: U.S.-Mexico Border Tagged With: , , , , ,
%d bloggers like this: