 Logo of World Surfing Reserves program | |
| Formation | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Founder |
|
| Purpose | Protect exceptional surf spots |
Parent organization | Save the Waves Coalition |
World Surfing Reserves (WSR) is a program launched in 2009 by the non-governmental organization Save the Waves Coalition aimed at protecting global surf habitats. The program proactively identifies, designates and enshrines international waves, surf zones and surrounding environments, protecting them from the threat of development. [1] [2]
The idea to protect surf spots originally came from to one of the cofounders of the program, the National Surfing Reserves (NSR) in Australia. After four years of naming surf spots in Australia, NSR partnered with the NGO Save the Waves Coalition and launched the World Surfing Reserves to go international with their protection program. Professional big-wave surfer Joao de Macedo is also a co-founder of the program. It was officially launched at the Value of Waves Roundtable held in Half Moon Bay, California. [3]
There are currently twelve surfing reserves across the world. [4] World Surfing Reserves are nominated through a selection process and there are currently dozens of proposed WSRs covering nearly every continent on the planet. The dates indicated the commencement of the commitment by the local and international communities to protect and preserve Malibu as an iconic surf site.
| Nb | Country | Location | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | Malibu Surfrider Beach | 9 October 2010 | 1st World Surfing Reserve site. [5] |
| 2 | Portugal | Ericeira | 14 October 2011 [6] | 4 km stretch, 7 surf spots (including Ribeira d’Ilhas and Coxos), recognized for its high density of surf breaks, wave quality, and unique environment. [7] |
| 3 | Australia | Freshwater Beach | 10 March 2012 | 4 km stretch, declared the "Manly-Freshwater World Surfing Reserve", inaugurated by Kelly Slater and Marie Bashir (governor of New South Wales). [8] |
| 4 | USA | Santa Cruz, California | 27–28 April 2012 | Inaugurated by Pat O'Neil (O'Neill wetsuits). [9] |
| 5 | Peru | Huanchaco beach, Trujillo | 26 October 2013 [10] [11] | The surf spot is famous for the caballitos de totora. [12] |
| 6 | Mexico | Todos Santos Islands | 20 June 2014 | stretch from Salsipuedes to El Sauzal. [13] |
| 8 | Australia | Gold Coast | 8 March 2016 | 16 km stretch from Burleigh to Snapper Rocks. [14] |
| 9 | Brazil | Guarda do Embaú | 28 October 2019 | World-class wave that breaks consistently year-round. [4] [15] |
| 10 | Chile | Punta de Lobos | 20 November 2017 | WSR purchased the Mirador Property at the tip of the Punta de Lobos to protect this area. [16] |
| 11 | Australia | Noosa Beach | 20 November 2017 | 4 km stretch [17] |
| 12 | United Kingdom | North Devon | January 2022 | Encompasses 30 km of coastline and includes some outstanding surfing locations like Croyde, Saunton, and Woolacombe. [18] |
| 13 | El Salvador | Oriente Salvaje | 16 November 2024 | Hosts some of the last truly wild tropical dry forests (northern Central America). 19 km stretch of coastline with over a dozen named surf spots like Las Flores and Punta Mango. |
The mission of the World Surfing Reserves (WSR) program is to gain international recognition and support for wave and coastal protection around the world by creating a global network of designated surfing reserves. WSR also recognizes environmental, social, cultural and economic benefits of waves. [19] WSR was created in conjunction with National Surfing Reserves Australia, [20] and has established partnerships with the International Surfing Association (ISA), and Stanford University's Center for Responsible Travel (CREST). [21] WSR is also affiliated with the Surf Conservation Partnership led by Conservation International. [22]
In August 2009, WSR called for nominations from all national surfing federations. [23] More than 150 sites were nominated from 34 countries. WSR eventually plans to induct 30-40 surf breaks around the world. The program has gained a substantial amount of positive feedback and support from the sport's leaders, including Kelly Slater. [24]
World Surfing Reserves is led by an international executive committee and vision council. It is the responsibility of these groups to govern the program and make the final wave selections. For a specific surf site to enter WSR, the region must have exceptional and consistent surf, along with a rich history and culture of surfing, as well as strong community support.
Vision Council
Fernando Aguerre, Will Henry, Jim Moriarty, Tony Butt, Terry Gibson, Len Materman, Miles Walsh, Wallace J. Nichols, Steve Hawk, Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, Tiago Pires, Greg Long, Mark Massara, Chris LaFrankie, Chad Nelsen, Neil Lazarow, Brad Farmer, Manolo Lozano, Juca De Barros, Drew Kampion, Professor Andy Short, Professor Ben Finney.
Executive Committee
Professor Andy Short, Brad Farmer, Drew Kampion, Will Henry, Dean LaTourrette. [25]
Save the Waves Coalition also created a Google Earth WSR plug-in [26] that allows organizations and individuals to view nominated sites around the world. The plug-in allows users to learn about a nominated wave's history, location, environmental characteristics and surf culture. [27]
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer, uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores, but can also be found as standing waves in the open ocean, in lakes, in rivers in the form of a tidal bore, or wave pools.
A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as papa heʻe nalu in the Hawaiian language, and were usually made of wood from local trees, such as koa. They were often over 460 cm (15 ft) in length and extremely heavy. Major advances over the years include the addition of one or more fins (skegs) on the bottom rear of the board to improve directional stability, and numerous improvements in materials and shape.
Bells Beach is a coastal locality of Victoria, Australia in Surf Coast Shire and a renowned surf beach, located 100 km south-west of Melbourne, on the Great Ocean Road near the towns of Torquay and Jan Juc.
Laird John Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model and actor. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a former professional volleyball player, television personality, and model.
Greg Noll was an American pioneer of big wave surfing and a prominent longboard shaper. Nicknamed "Da Bull" by Phil Edwards in reference to his physique and way of charging down the face of a wave, he was on the U.S. lifeguard team that introduced Malibu boards to Australia around the time of the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He produced a "legendary" series of five Search for Surf films.
Surf culture includes the people, language, fashion, and lifestyle surrounding the sport of surfing. The history of surfing began with the ancient Polynesians. That initial culture directly influenced modern surfing, which began to flourish and evolve in the early 20th century, with its popularity peaking during the 1950s and 1960s. It has affected music, fashion, literature, film, art, and youth jargon in popular culture. The number of surfers throughout the world continues to increase as the culture spreads.
The Surfrider Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and preserve the world's oceans, waves and beaches. It focuses on plastic reduction, water quality, beach access, beach and surf spot preservation, and sustaining marine and coastal ecosystems.
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Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) is a marine conservation charity working with communities to protect oceans, waves, beaches and marine life. It was created in 1990 by a group of Cornish surfers from the villages of St Agnes and Porthtowan on the north coast of Cornwall.
Keala Kennelly is a professional surfer, DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. After spending a decade ranked in the top 10 on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), Kennelly took a break from the tour in 2007 to explore her passions for acting and music, including a recurring role as a surfer in the 2007 series John from Cincinnati. She continues to DJ and compete as a big wave surfer.
The riding of waves has likely existed since humans began swimming in the ocean. In this sense, bodysurfing is the oldest type of wave-catching. Undoubtedly ancient sailors learned how to ride wave energy on many styles of early boats. Archaeological evidence even suggests that ancient cultures of Peru surfed on reed watercraft for fishing and recreation up to five thousand years ago. However, standing up on what is now called a surfboard is a relatively recent innovation developed by the Polynesians. The influences for modern surfing can be directly traced to the surfers of pre-contact Hawaii.
Mark Massara is an American surfer, attorney, and environmental conservationist. He first gained a reputation in the surfing and environmental communities when he won a $5.6 million Clean Water Act violation, the second largest ever collected. Since that case, he has assisted nonprofit organizations, including Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club, government agencies, and private sector enterprises in several high-profile coastal and ocean protection, restoration, education and development campaigns that highlight and achieve coastal conservation and amenities for wildlife and future generations.
The Noosa Festival of Surfing was established in 1992 at Noosa, Queensland by members of the Noosa Malibu Club, as an amateur surfing competition called the Noosa Malibu Classic. It allowed club members to invite friends to surf Noosa's right-hand point breaks and the event's popularity among competitive longboarders gave the club a chance to take the event to a higher level. In 1996 a professional division was introduced and prompted the name change to The Noosa Festival of Surfing (NFoS) in 1998. The World Tandem Surfing Championships were brought to Noosa in 1999 and Stand up paddle surfing was incorporated into the festival in 2007 with live entertainment and fundraising auctions also being held. In 2008, the festival, sponsored by Global Surf Industries and maintained and managed by USM Events, commenced with the traditional Mixing of the Waters ceremony led by Hawaiian waterman Brian Keaulana. The Noosa Festival of Surfing is an official Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Longboard rated event.
Australia's National Reserve System (NRS) is a network of more than 10,000 Commonwealth plus state and territory protected areas which, in combination, on a national scale, protect more than 137 million hectares, greater than 17% of the continent, of unique biodiversity and most significant ecological landscapes for future generations. The aim of the NRS is protect the diversity of all native landscapes, flora and fauna across Australia through strategic habitat protection. It consists of public, indigenous and privately protected areas of land and inland freshwaters.
Mark Robert Visser is an Australian professional big wave surfer, author, keynote speaker and ocean adventurer. Visser is best known for being the first person to surf Hawaii's most dangerous wave Jaws, Maui, at night in 2011. It was documented in a film called 'Night Rider'.
Surfing in the United States is a popular hobby in coastal areas, and more recently due to the invention of wave pools, inland regions of the country. It contributes to a lifestyle and culture in which millions participate and which millions more have an interest. USA surfing is the governing body for the sport of surfing in the United States, with surf leagues such as the World Surf League available in the country. Surfing can be traced back to 17th Century Hawaii and has evolved over time into the professional sport it is today, with surfing being included for the first time in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
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