International Surfing Day

International Surfing Day, held annually on or near the date of the summer solstice[1] (held June 20[2]), is an unofficial, environmentally conscious[3] sports-centered holiday that celebrates the sport of surfing and the surfing lifestyle, and the sustainability of ocean resources.[4][5] Contests and prizes[6] are also part of the celebration, with surfing-related industries donating prizes such as surfboards and wetsuits.[3] Another purpose of the celebration is to promote the popularity of surfing and to attract new participants.[7]

History

A Naupaka plant

International Surfing Day was established in 2004[8] by Surfing Magazine[9][10] and The Surfrider Foundation.[9][10] International Surfing Day closely follows the spirit and intent of the World Surf Day, established by the Usenet newsgroup alt.surfing in 1993.[11] International Surfing Day is a worldwide[12] celebration of the sport of surfing. The day is observed with surf contests,[10] barbecues,[13] film screenings[3] and other surf-related activities. Surfers also use the day to give back to the environment by organizing beach clean-ups,[8][9][10][14][15][16] dune and other habitat restoration[13] and other activities[5] such as lobbying to maintain the recreation areas in California where surfing occurs, or planting Naupaka (a flowering coastal plant) in Hawaii.[1][17]

Direct action was used by form of protest on this day in England to express opposition to sewage in the waters of the Gold Coast; a precarious problem for many surfers who become infected by the bacteria from open wounds from sports-related injuries.[18]

Extent of celebrations

International Surf Day events have been held on all populated continents including South America where it is celebrated in Argentina,[12] Brazil,[2] and Peru.[2] Also in the Southern Hemisphere the holiday is observed in the Oceanian nations of Australia[19] and New Zealand.[2] The day is also widely observed in the American state of Hawaii, also in Oceania.[5][16]

In North America the surfing day is most widely observed and celebrations may be found in Canada,[2] Costa Rica,[2] the French Antilles,[2] El Salvador,[20] Mexico,[21] and in the majority of coastal states of the United States: California,[1][6] Connecticut,[2] District of Columbia,[2] Florida,[15][22] Georgia,[23] Maine,[2] Maryland,[2] New Jersey,[8][9][24] New York,[2] North Carolina,[2] Oregon,[13] South Carolina,[25] Texas,[2] and Virginia.[2] After North America the observance has the most popularity in Europe: including in most of the coastal European Union and it is held by surf enthusiasts in France,[2][7] Italy,[7] the United Kingdom,[2][18] Portugal,[7] Spain,[7] and Belgium.[2] Further European celebrations are held in Norway,[7] in addition to many of the EU nations overseas possessions.

In Africa, the two French territories of Réunion and Mayotte[7] hold annual festivities alongside Morocco,[7] Ghana, the Spanish insular area of the Canary Islands[7] and South Africa. The day has also taken hold in some other countries such as Israel,[7] Japan,[2] and South Korea.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Surf's up by Jen Ingan, New Times, Strokes and Plugs, June 19, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
  3. 1 2 3 International Surfing Day Gets Challenging, Surfline, Press Release, June 16, 2008, access date June 26, 2008
  4. ↑ The Third Annual International Surfing Day is back Friday June 20th, by Nicole DeJesus, access date June 27, 2008
  5. 1 2 3 International Surfing Day Clean Up Set for June 21, By Jenna Ishii, 6/9/2008, Hawaii Reporter, access date June 27, 2008
  6. 1 2 International Surfing Day announces challenges & prizes, SurfersVillage, 16 June 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (English) & (French)Surfing Day celebrated on beaches throughout Europe/UNE VAGUE SANS FRONTIERES !, June 25, 2008, Surfers Village, access date June 30, 2008
  8. 1 2 3 projects focus of Surf Day petition, by Sarah Webster, APP.com, June 22, 2008, access date June 25, 2008
  9. 1 2 3 4 O.C., A.C. celebrate surfing 'holiday' today by Jon Coen, For The Press/PressOfAtalnticCity.com, June 20, 2008, access date June 25, 2008
  10. 1 2 3 4 International Surfing Day Gets Challenging, June 16, 2008, access date June 25, 2008
  11. ↑
  12. 1 2 (Spanish)Conciencia ecológica en el Día Mundial del Surf, La Capital (newspaper), access date June 27, 2008
  13. 1 2 3 On The Sidelines, Newport News Times, June 20, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  14. ↑ Surfers have global mission, SeaCoastOnline, access date June 22, 2008
  15. 1 2 Lake Worth: International Surfing Day to be marked at city beach, June 16, 2008, Lake Worth Sun-Sentinel, access date June 26, 2008
  16. 1 2 Harbor gets a Surfing Day cleanup, by Rachale Gehrlein, June 25, 2008, access date June 26, 2008
  17. ↑ Surfrider Foundation hosts Hookipa cleanup, The Maui News, June 18, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  18. 1 2 SAS celebrate International Surfing Day at the Gold Coast Festival, 20 June 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  19. ↑ News International Surfing Day by Richard Hardy, June 19, 2008, Drift Surf Magazine, access date June 26, 2008
  20. ↑ El Salvador Takes International Surfing Day To New Heights, by Emilia Estrada, Surfing Magazine, access date June 27, 2008
  21. ↑ (Spanish)El viernes 20 de Junio se celebra el Día Internacional del Surf 2008, by Carlos Cohen, Surfeando, 18 June 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  22. ↑ Justin Beard: Board Meeting, by Justin Beard, June 19, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  23. ↑ ESA Georgia Surf Contest This Weekend, TransWorldSurf, June 24, 2008, access date June 25, 2008
  24. ↑ Brick Beach III to hold International Surf Day, Brick Township Bulletin, access date June 26, 2008
  25. ↑ International Surfing Day on Friday – Summer of Surf Celebration This Weekend on Folly Beach, Moultrie News, June 18, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
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