"Keeping your daughter off the poll!" Grizzley attends the 2009 Surfer Poll

If you are a fan of surfing like I am then the 2009 Surfer Poll and Video Awards is one of the highlights of the year. I was fortunate enough to attend the event and it did not disappoint. Red carpet entry bright lights, video cameras, and pros as far as the eye could see. There were video pros, top 44 pros, a mean looking group of Hawaiian pros, Aussies and South African getting crazy. The event was hosted by a rotating cast consisting of Benji Weatherly, Fred Patacchia, and Sal Masekela of E! and X Games fame. None of the action was off limits, pros and regular fellas were shoulder to shoulder to catch all of the awards and to check out the ladies.

The ladies were definitely one of the standouts of the evening. It became a theme throughout the night that the ladies were ripping harder than ever and there was plenty of film to support it. Stephanie Gilmore took home top honors for the ladies with a solid field of ladies such as Coco Ho, Carissa Moore, and Alana Blanchard not far behind the rankings. All of them dressed to impress and ripping harder than most of us guys that were in attendance, seriously.
When it came to the men’s category Slater took home the number one spot, of course, but there were other highlights that were great to see like Ken Collins getting annihilated on a 50 foot wave that was projected onto 3 15’X15’ screens with an earth shattering sound system. Taj Burrows best trick which really got the crowd going and Standout Surfer of the Year Bret Simpson who had hometown backing and a great video clip to back the award.

The event went off without a hitch and it was a great honor to get to be in a room that small with that many of the industries elite from the behind the scenes guys, to the corporate suits, to the many different slathering of pros. I can’t wait to see what surfing will bring for the remainder of ’09 through 2010. If it continues on then the Surfer Poll and Video Awards for 2010 will not disappoint.

Foam E-Z hits the Surfline US Open Party.

Wow!! You got to love summer in Huntington Beach, especially when the U.S. Open is in full swing. On Thursday July 23rd Surfline hosted their VIP party at their Huntington Beach offices overlooking the sprawling contest spread on the south side. Monster Energy drink and Corona were also their providing the beverages and the Monster Girls provided the hospitality and added to the scenery. The night started off with a good mellow vibe and escalated to a full on dance party courtesy of some rowdy pros in town and some awesome R&B from the early 90’s. Everyone had a great time mingling, checking out the luxurious Surfline office, and drinking…..a lot. All and all it was a great night out and a super fun crowd of surfers and surf fans from all over the world just letting loose.

Giant Squid in the House!

Reader Irena Guilmette sends us this picture of her husband John in the water today at Bolsa Chica State Beach Tower 18 with a Humboldt Squid found in the surf line. This squid was estimated to be about three feet in length and weighed about 15 to 20 pounds.

“My husband was surfing … when he noticed all the kids on the beach gathered around the squid. The squid was washing to shore, but still alive, my husband grabbed it to take to back to sea,” Irena writes.

These powerful and sometimes aggressive “jumbo” squid usually dwell in deep water (600-2,300 feet), but they’ve been making an appearance recently along the OC and San Diego County coasts. In a story on the phenomenon this week, the Orange County Register’s Pat Brennan noted that scientists who study the Humboldt squid say they appear periodically in large numbers off Southern California for reasons that still aren’t clear.

Beach Blogger Laylan Connelly reminds us that in 2005, about 1500 of these squid washed ashore on OC beaches in January of 2005.

Some attribute the Humboldts’ current near-shore activity to a recent earthquake, others say the squids’ appetite for grunion causes the creatures to be so close to shore. Whatever the cause, the big squid — with their barbed suckers, sharp beaks and aggressive ways — are back in the neighborhood.

SURFRIDER MOSAIC PROJECT!

Surfrider Foundation Teams With LEGOLAND California Resort for Celebrity Mosaic Project

LEGOLAND® CALIFORNIA Resort and Surfrider foundation team up for celebrity mosaic project
Celebs Create Ocean-Themed LEGO® Mosaics to Raise Funds for Surfrider Foundation

CARLSBAD, Calif. (July 15, 2009) – SEA LIFE™ Aquarium turns one August 11th and LEGOLAND® California Resort is celebrating with the launch of the Celebrity Mosaic Project to benefit the Surfrider Foundation. Celebrities including Al Pacino, Brooke Shields, Heidi Klum, Jamie Lee Curtis, Peter Facinielli, Thomas Gibson, Tom DeLonge and Tony Hawk have built their own unique ocean-themed LEGO® mosaics that will be on display at LEGOLAND California Resort from August 11 to September 8, 2009 and as a listed auction on Charitybuzz.com with proceeds donated to the Surfrider Foundation.

“We are excited to be celebrating SEA LIFE Aquarium’s first birthday and partnering with them for the Celebrity Mosaic Project,” says Matt McClain, Surfrider Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “Their idea to use unique celebrity mosaics as a creative way to educate the public about our fragile ocean and marine environments is fantastic and aligns perfectly with our mission.”

“It is exciting to see so many of today’s most popular celebrities come together to support Surfrider Foundation,” said Peter Ronchetti, General Manager of LEGOLAND California Resort. “What a fun tribute to the Aquarium’s first birthday! I may even be tempted to bid on a few of the mosaics myself.”

The Surfrider Foundation is one of the world’s largest non-profit organizations dedicated to the protection and preservation of our oceans, waves and beaches. Now in its 25th year, the Foundation continues to carry out initiatives for clean water, free and open access, and the preservation of coastlines through its global grassroots networks made up of all types of ocean lovers.

Mosaics vary in theme from a mermaid created by Heidi Klum to a fish on a skateboard by Tony Hawk, a smiling sting ray by Thomas Gibson and a kissy-faced blowfish by Jamie Lee Curtis. Most of the celebrities recruited their children to help in the design and creation of their mosaics.

The online auction begins August 11 when the Mosaics are unveiled during a ceremony in SEA LIFE Aquarium’s Southern California Touch Pool. In addition, SEA LIFE is hosting a special Surfrider Foundation Weekend August 14 to 16 featuring a Surfrider Foundation-inspired craft for kids; a Surfrider Foundation education booth and a ticket offer for Surfrider Foundation Members. For more information, visit www.sealifeus.com , www.surfrider.org or www.charitybuzz.com .

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About LEGOLAND California Resort
LEGOLAND® California Resort is the premiere California destination for families with young children and is home to both LEGOLAND® California, a 128-acre family theme park and SEA LIFE™, a two-story 36,000 square-foot interactive Aquarium. Both attractions are owned by Merlin Entertainments Group, the second largest attractions operator in the world. For more information visit www.LEGOLAND.com .

About Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Now in its 25th year, the Surfrider Foundation has grown from a small group of dedicated surfers in Malibu, California to a global movement made up of over 50,000 members and 90 chapters worldwide. For more information visit us at www.surfrider.org .

About CharityBuzz
Dedicated to helping charities prosper.
There is nothing more important than the work non-profits undertake. At charitybuzz, we believe that cause marketing can be both effective and trend setting. Our innovative auctions reach millions on a global basis. Our growing community of bidders are driven to do well, affluent, well educated, well informed and brand loyal.

International Surfing Day!

Ever needed a legitimate excuse to go surfing? Well, on June 20, 2009 you finally have it, International Surfing Day. Created by Surfing Magazine five years ago, this unofficial, official surfers' holiday gives us a chance to promote and celebrate the sport while bringing awareness to the state of our oceans and beaches. The goal is simple, take the day off or at least part of the day to go out and catch a wave or three and... while you're at it...help cleanup your favorite beach. In conjunction with the Surfrider Foundation, Surfing Magazine will be organizing a a handful of official beach cleanups. If there isn't an official beach cleanup in your neighborhood don't let it stop you from beautifying your own stretch of sand!

What are you doing tomorrow for International Surfing Day Saturday 2009? We'll be down in Huntington State Beach (North Side of River Jetties) from 8am to 1pm, along with a number of other surfing enthusiasts! Come down and join us there will be plenty of swag given away, refreshments, surf music, sun, and fun.

Some of the participants setting up tomorrow are: Foam E-Z, Future Fins, Harbour Surfboards, Van's Shoes, Katin Surf Shop, Greek Surfboards, Surfline, Monster Energy Drinks, Surfing Magazine, The Sierra Club, and many more. So as you can see it will be a great day to kick off the summer.

Hope to see you there!

Brad

THE E-Z SHAPING BOX “Shape in the Box to think out of the box!”

We’re happy to announce that Foam E-Z is now offering a shaping facility to rent.

About two months ago, we purchased a 20ft high cube container with a shaping bay built inside of it. We completely refurbished the shape room with new electrical, paint, and added a Clark Foam Vacuum System that sits outside the bay. The room is equipped with 8ft fluorescent lights, shelves, vacuum system, fan ventilation, and professional style E-Z Shaping Racks (fixed to the floor). The room dimensions are 15'-5" long x 7’ wide x 8’ high. The Foam E-Z Shaping Box is a fully functional and professional shaping bay located directly behind Foam E-Z. It is completely insulated and ventilated helping it remain comfortable during your shaping experience.

We wanted to give the E-Z Shaping Box a good once over, so we invited Tim Stamps of www.SurfboardsbyStamps.com to give it a test drive. His goal was to hand shape RadRob, Foam E-Z star employee, a new 5-8 Quantum Quad Fish. “It’s the classic Twin Keel revved up a bit. I added more nose rocker, pulled the nose in, thinned out the rails, and of course added a Quad fin set up. Slight concave through the center with subtle double concaves running through the fins. This all adds up to a super fast, very positive board.”

Tim brought a few of his “special” tools and used some of ours in his attempt to make the room feel like home. He plugged his Skil 100 into our vacuum system and started mowing into a 6-2A US Blank (new red foam). After 2 hours of shaping and a 20 minute pizza break (thanks to Kiri at Perry’s Pizza) RadRob’s board was finished. Check out the video for the full experience.

Stamps says: “It was the next best thing to home! I give it a 5 out of 5 shakas.”

The shaping box is now available for anyone to rent. So if you’re sick of shaping in your garage, using your trash cans as racks, or if you’ve wanted to start shaping but don’t have a place to do it, we now have the answer for you. The “Box” is for rent by the board or by the day (Monday thru Friday 11-5pm) and comes complete with all the tools necessary to Shape Your Own Board (S.Y.O.B.). ***Additional tools available for rent. This is your chance to test out the tools before you buy them. Call 714.896.8233 or email Support@FoamEZ.com for more information. “Shape in the Box to think out of the box!”

Here's the rates for renting "The BOX":

$30.00/board up to 3 hours *

$6.00 each additional 30 minutes *

$55.00 for entire day 11am-5pm (6 hours) *

*Starter Tool Kit included (David Top Plane, Spokeshave, 10.5" Surform, 5.5" Surform, Fred Tool, Hand Saw, HD Foam Shaping Block, C-Caliper, Tape Measure, Goggles)

Bring Your Own Tools or rent our Tool Kits! Rent the tools before you buy!

Available hours: Monday thru Friday 11am-5pm

Buy or Bring:
Dust Mask
Sand Screen
Sand Paper

A view from above San Onofre

Can you believe this? A model airplane shooting an aerial assault on the famous surf spot San-O. The video footage was shot by the aerial genius known as Warz earlier this week. The surf was pretty small, the conditions were nice, and the crowd was at a minimum. This gives a great view of the lay of the land and the water that makes up San Onofre. Check out Church's and Lowers in the distance to the north. If you look close you can see the nuke plant south of Dogpatch. Stay tuned for more views in the near future.

Seal Beach Surfing Championships 09

The 2009 Seal Beach Surfing Championships was held this past weekend. The two day affair was hosted by the Seal Beach Lifeguards, and headline sponsored by Katin Surf Shop and Vintage Cotton. The contest brought together surfers from all walks of life; Seal Beach locals, to contest pro's, and groms surfing in there first contest. There were plenty of cool booths to check out as well. Harbour Surfboards was there showing off their FIFTY Year Anniversary Surfboard, Matt Bettis (Bettis surfboards) and Aloha Glassing had a large selection of boards to check out. Jeremy Labreau, who got started at Foam E-Z a few years ago, also had a variety of boards on display and he surfed in the men's open longboard and open shortboard competition. Of course we (Foam E-Z) were there with a booth filled with blanks and products for people to peruse. Some lucky people also won stuff from our free raffle. It was a great time filled with cool people and great surfing!

Trestles Saved! 241 South Toll Road Extentsion Killed

Department of Commerce Rules on Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency Consistency Appeal


The Department of Commerce today upheld the California Coastal Commission’s objection to a proposal to construct a 16-mile toll road connecting California state Route 241 to Interstate 5 in southern Orange and northern San Diego counties.

The commission objected to the proposed project under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act on the grounds that the toll road was not consistent with the state’s coastal zone management program. Under the CZMA, federal agencies may not issue any permits required for a project if a state has objected, unless the Department of Commerce, on appeal, overrides the objection.

The Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency appealed the commission’s objection to the Department of Commerce in February, triggering an administrative review process that involved written briefs and arguments by the parties, input from interested federal agencies, tens of thousands of written comments from the public, and a 10-hour public hearing in San Diego County.

Under the CZMA, the department may override an objection only if no reasonable alternative to the project exists and the proposal is consistent with the objectives of the CZMA, or if the project is necessary in the interest of national security. The department determined that there is at least one reasonable alternative to the project. The department also found that the project is not necessary in the interest of national security.

TCA may pursue another route for its proposed toll road that the commission determines is consistent with California’s coastal zone management program, and TCA is not limited to the alternative proposal described in the department’s decision.

Since the enactment of the CZMA in 1972, the department has acted on 43 appeals, upholding 29 objections by state agencies and overriding 14.

From NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

WOULD YOU SPEND 15 MINUTES, IF IT MEANT SURFING THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

Despite being a 1000-year-old sport with a $7 billion industry, surfing has failed to produce the demographic and economic studies to show who we are, where we live, and what we spend. So while other interest groups bolster their arguments with impressive numbers to prove their positions, all-too often, surfers get blindsided and bowled over, unable to offer a single hard number to support their cases or save their breaks.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY!