Growing the Beaches

On March 30, 2000, the Patagonia/Great Pacific Iron Works store in Ventura was packed with over 200 people for the debut of "Growing the Beaches". At the front of the room sat local political figures and government reps, behind them surfers, local residents, beachgoers, friends and family.

This is now vintage grass-roots...


"Growing the Beaches" was created after I met Robin Chilton, aspiring videographer and surfer, who shared a passion for telling the story. I wanted to convert my "road show," which at the time consisted of an 80-slide tray and projector with my photos and some pieced-together graphics, into a video that could do the work for me... The production was an epic week of sleepless nights and dawn patrols, catching footage of the years best swell but missing a surf, interviews scheduled and scripted, a learning experience... that tells the story.

Sponsored by Patagonia, augmented with lots of volunteer hours, the beginning...