Surfing's 1st World Champ, Peter "PT" Townend,
on Rip Curl's Surfboards in the Sand Event
The inaugural Rip Curl Surfboards in the Sand event in Huntington Beach is coming up September 19. What is the purpose of the event?
The main mission behind Surfboards in the Sand is to raise awareness for the coastal environment. Everyone should care about that, because if we don’t raise awareness, our kids won’t be able to enjoy the surf lifestyle we've enjoyed growing up.
Do surfers build a special bond with the coastal environment as a result of spending so much time on the waves?
Oh, yeah. Surfing is man against nature. When you catch that first wave, you don’t want to let that feeling go. After that, you are hooked. I call it “the thrill of the ride;” it’s just addictive. It's just like when Jack London wrote about it 100 years ago in a piece called “The Royal Sport” about his experiences surfing in Waikiki with the Hawaiian beach boys. Nothing has changed.
I think that experience definitely plays a part in wanting to conserve it.
How important is it that the Rip Curl Surfboards in the Sand be held in the city known as “Surf City USA”?
If you look at surfing over the last 50 years, the events and competitions at the Huntington Beach Pier have helped put surfing on the map in the USA and, of course, have been a major factor in why Huntington Beach is known as “Surf City USA.”
And then, you have legendary spots like the intersection of downtown with the Pier and Pacific Coast Highway, with Duke’s, Jack’s and HSS (Huntington Surf & Sport) all right there together; it’s really surf culture's version of Times Square.
Surfboards in the Sand fits in perfectly with 2009 being the City of HB’s Centennial. Also this year we’re celebrating “50 Years at the HB Pier” as recognized by the Surfing Walk of Fame, which is commemorating the first surfing competition in HB starting in 1959 and its five decades of men's and women's champions ever since.
Logistically, HB makes sense too. The surfing industry at-large on a global scale is run from Orange County, we call it “Velcro Valley.” And in HB, it's one of the few places where you have very wide beaches and an abundance of parking. Where else are you going to be able to fit this many people for something like Surfboards in the Sand?
More about Rip Curl’s Surfboards in the Sand
What: Rip Curl’s Surfboards in the Sand, an epic photo event benefiting Surfrider Foundation and Orange County Coastkeeper. Thousands of surfers will “stand with their surfboards” in the sands of Huntington Beach to demonstrate their love for surfing and the ocean environment. The historic Surfboards in the Sand photograph will be shot by and published in Transworld SURF Magazine and other select international publications.
Who: Pro surfing's first world champion “PT” Townend along with thousands of surf fans of all ages
When: Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. (check-in and stake your claim beginning 6:30 a.m.)
Where: On the sands next to the Huntington Beach Pier
Why: Stand with your surfboard alongside surfing legends like “PT” Townend and Linda Benson in support of surf culture and preserving our ocean environment. Be a part of history for this epic photo event to be shot and published in Transworld SURF Magazine!
How: Register online at http://www.surfboardsinthesand.com/ by September 10th to be a part of Rip Curl’s Surfboards in the Sand and “SOS-4-10” (Save Our Surf for only $10). After September 10th the registration fee goes up to $20.
Registration includes
· A donation to the Surfrider Foundation and Orange County Coastkeeper;
· A free limited edition “Surfboards In The Sand” T-shirt by Rip Curl (valued at $25 and delivered onsite on event day);
· A one-year subscription to Transworld SURF (valued at $30), and
· A bracelet entitling the wearer to restaurant and retail discounts throughout downtown Huntington Beach on the day of the event.
