Creating awareness through surfing

International Surfing Day took place in Long Beach on Sunday, June 20, an annual event that celebrates the sport and promotes clean beaches and oceans. Founded by the Surfrider Foundation and Surfing Magazine, the annual event — sponsored by Vitamin Water and Earthpack — was held at the boardwalk on Lincoln Boulevard.

This year, the event was aimed at creating awareness about a proposed liquified natural gas island to be built 13 miles off the coast of Long Beach. According to the city’s website, in 2006, developers announced plans for a 53-acre, liquified natural gas deepwater terminal, to be created 13.5 miles off of the Long Beach shoreline. City officials and City Manager Charles Theofan are opposed to the project, and said that any benefits would be outweighed by negative environmental and safety issues.

Surfrider is opposed to the proposal, and the event featured an informational session to educate beachgoers about the project, which was followed by a brief paddle-out to illustrate the organization's dedication to clean beaches. Over 100 people signed a petition against the LNG, which will be sent to the governor.

"The event turned out to be more of an educational afternoon," said Katie Lawrence, the foundation’s Long Island Chairperson. “A lot of people are not aware of the proposal and we tried to educate them on the issue.”