International Surfing Day

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

History
A Naupaka plant

International Surfing Day was established in 2005 by Surfing Magazine[6][7] and The Surfrider Foundation.[6][7] International Surfing Day closely follows the spirit and intent of the World Surf Day, established by the Usenet newsgroup alt.surfing in 1993.[8] International Surfing Day is a worldwide[9] celebration of the sport of surfing. The day is observed with surf contests,[7] barbecues,[10] film screenings[1] and other surf-related activities. Surfers also use the day to give back to the environment by organizing beach clean-ups,[6][7][11][12][13][14] dune and other habitat restoration[10] and other activities[3] such as lobbying to maintain the recreation areas in California where surfing occurs, or planting Naupaka (a flowering coastal plant) in Hawaii.[15][16]

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.[17]

Extent of celebrations

International Surf Day events have been held on all populated continents including South America where it is celebrated in Argentina,[9] Brazil,[18] and Peru.[18] Also in the Southern Hemisphere the holiday is observed in the Oceanian nations of Australia[19] and New Zealand.[18] The day is also widely observed in the American state of Hawaii, also in Oceania.[3][14]

In North America the surfing day is most widely observed and celebrations may be found in Canada,[18] Costa Rica,[18] the French Antilles,[18] El Salvador,[20] Mexico,[21] and in the majority of coastal states of the United States: California,[4][15] Connecticut,[18] District of Columbia,[18] Florida,[13][22] Georgia,[23] Maine,[18] Maryland,[18] New Jersey,[6][11] New York,[18] North Carolina,[18] Oregon,[10] South Carolina,[24] Texas,[18] and Virginia.[18] 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,[5][18] Italy,[5] the United Kingdom,[17][18] Portugal,[5] Spain,[5] and Belgium.[18] Further European celebrations are held in Norway,[5] in addition to many of the EU nations overseas possessions.

In Africa, the two French territories of Réunion and Mayotte[5] hold annual festivities alongside Morocco,[5] the Spanish insular area of the Canary Islands[5] and South Africa. The day has also taken hold in some other countries such as Israel and Japan.[5][18]

See also

Notes
  1. International Surfing Day Gets Challenging, Surfline, Press Release, June 16, 2008, access date June 26, 2008
  2. The Third Annual International Surfing Day is back Friday June 20th, by Nicole DeJesus, access date June 27, 2008
  3. International Surfing Day Clean Up Set for June 21, By Jenna Ishii, September 6, 2008, Hawaii Reporter, access date June 27, 2008
  4. International Surfing Day announces challenges & prizes, SurfersVillage, June 16, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  5. (in English and French)Surfing Day celebrated on beaches throughout Europe/UNE VAGUE SANS FRONTIERES !, June 25, 2008, Surfers Village, access date June 30, 2008
  6. O.C., A.C. celebrate surfing 'holiday' today by Jon Coen, For The Press/PressOfAtlanticCity.com, June 20, 2008, access date June 25, 2008
  7. International Surfing Day Gets Challenging, June 16, 2008, access date June 25, 2008
  8. alt.surfing
  9. (in Spanish)Conciencia ecológica en el Día Mundial del Surf Archived July 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, La Capital (newspaper), access date June 27, 2008
  10. On The Sidelines, Newport News Times, June 20, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  11. projects focus of Surf Day petition, by Sarah Webster, APP.com, June 22, 2008, access date June 25, 2008
  12. Surfers have global mission, SeaCoastOnline, access date June 22, 2008
  13. Lake Worth: International Surfing Day to be marked at city beach, June 16, 2008, Lake Worth Sun-Sentinel, access date June 26, 2008
  14. Harbor gets a Surfing Day cleanup, by Rachale Gehrlein, June 25, 2008, access date June 26, 2008
  15. Surf's up by Jen Ingan, New Times, Strokes and Plugs, June 19, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  16. Surfrider Foundation hosts Hookipa cleanup, The Maui News, June 18, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  17. SAS celebrate International Surfing Day at the Gold Coast Festival Archived June 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, June 20, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
  18. International Surfing Day, Surfrider Foundation
  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. (in Spanish)El viernes 20 de Junio se celebra el Día Internacional del Surf 2008, by Carlos Cohen, Surfeando, June 18, 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. 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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