Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Surfrider's roots

Around 50 people came out last week for our chapter meeting which marked the 25th anniversary of the Surfrider Foundation with a presentation by the organization's founder, Glen Henning:

In the news:

Surfrider Takes Off: The Visionary Surfers of 1984

Twenty-five years ago, Glenn Hening helped light a fire under surfers to get them to fight for the beaches and ocean they loved.

As one of the founders of The Surfrider Foundation the world's largest surfing-based environmental organization, he helped create a generation of activists who were passionate about preserving the places they surfed and the ocean at large.

"I want to give people a sense of where that passion came from and how the organization was put together and what we had to do for the first victory, said Hening, 58, of Oxnard. Those things came from the courage and determination one gains from being a surfer."

Paul Jenkin, environmental director of the Ventura County Surfrider chapter, which is hosting the event, said that kind of enthusiasm is needed.

"It's that kind of passion that gets people going," he said. "It's a very apathetic culture today."

Hening started the group with the idea of creating a way for surfers to respect each other and share their love of the sport.


more: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/oct/05/surfrider-co-founder-to-share-activism/