180° South Inspires

I watched the documentary 180° South (trailer below) today and I highly recommend it to any appreciator of nature. It's not a surfing documentary, but there is some surfing in it and it carries with it a lot of elements that would attract people in the surfing culture. Equal parts adventure, an affinity for the natural world, environmental responsibility and simple living, this film is an inspiring story of a sixth-month journey that enriches the life of one man in ways he never bargained for. I don't want to get too much into what actually happens in this movie, because it should be seen instead of read about, but I will say that perspective is a tricky thing, and I have a great deal of love for things that alter and help fine-tune my perspective.

I will share one quote from the film that especially resonated with me (there were several):

"Each of us have got to do something to save our soul, whatever that is."
-Yvon Chouinard

For me, that something is surfing.

Save Trestles

The fight to Save Trestles wages on, and the next battleground will be a Regional Water Quality Control Borad meeting on June 19th.  Supporters of Save Trestles are asked to show up as an act of solidarity, as there will be no public comment at the meeting.

For those of you not familiar with the situation going on with Trestles, here is a quick video sum up:

Hands Across the Sand May 18th

Photo: Wikimedia (Mike DelGaudio)

Simply joining hands with like-minded people can make a difference, at least that's what those that take part in Hands Across the Sand think. This global event will take place in 50 countries on Saturday May 18th when folks across the globe join hands on the beach as a symbolic statement of support of the health of our planet. The event is sponsored by both the Surfrider Foundation and the Sierra Club, among other organizations.

"Join Hands to end our dependence on dangerous, dirty fuels. Join Hands to end global warming and climate change. Join Hands to embrace Clean Energy," it says on the event's web site. "This will again be a gathering in solidarity of people all over the world who care about preserving our precious oceans, oxygen, drinking water and food from dangerous, dirty fuels. The acquisition and burning of dirty fuels are destroying the earth. Ending our dependence of dirty fuels is essential to the survival of our planet. We will join hands to say NO to dirty fuels and YES to clean energy."

For those in the San Diego area, the closest Hands Across the Sand location is the Oceanside Pier; the event takes place at noon, will last 15 minutes and specifically target offshore oil drilling. Show up early if you can.