Surfrider Foundation Celebrates Forty Years
Malibu. Photo by Dylan Gordon. Archival photos courtesy of Surfrider Foundation.
With the Paris 2024 Olympics now behind us, Surfrider Foundation's founder Glenn Hening reflects on a sunny day at the Los Angeles Coliseum four decades ago.
“A friend and I were watching the 1984 Olympic Games, from the very top row,” Hening explained. “There we were, looking down at one of the most beautiful examples of human behavior, initiative, spirit, and community. Our thought was, How do we do something in surfing that is as bitchin' as all of this?”
That was the spark that would ignite a chain of conversations and events that led to the establishment of the Surfrider Foundation. The nonprofit, whose mission centers on ocean conservation, protection, and advocacy, is celebrating its fortieth anniversary tomorrow, August 22nd. Hening’s original idea was to shake up the status quo by asking the question, “How do you take the selfish out of surfing?”
“From our top-row seats, we had an extraordinary view,” Hening said. “Here are the Olympics, and looking over we could also see South Central LA. The first thing that came to mind was to roll up to Trestles with a busload of inner-city kids and say, ‘We’d like to go surfing. It looks like fun; can we have fun too?’”
Less than a month after that day in the Coliseum, Surfrider’s Articles of Incorporation were filed with the State of California, signed by Hening as President. On October 12th of that same year, the newly-minted nonprofit celebrated its first victory when Hening and crew prevented alterations to the beach at Malibu’s First Point. The group presented solutions to California State Park officials at a public hearing, and won. Since then, the San Clemente-based nonprofit has over two hundred local chapters and clubs and more than nine hundred additional victories to date.
At the beginning, Hening believed that Surfrider could change surfing by sharing it with individuals that were as far, both physically and metaphorically, from the ocean as possible. For example, the Los Angeles chapter’s One Watershed program implements this concept, making his dream a reality. The initiative brings disadvantaged youth from across Los Angeles County to the beach for surf lessons, fun, and awareness about watershed conservation.
one watershed program in action above.
Over the course of forty years, Surfrider has grown and evolved. While many associate the nonprofit with beach cleanups and water quality sampling, the organization also spearheads campaigns on a national level, even going to Congress to meet elected representatives and advocate for clean water and healthy beaches. Known as ‘Hill Day,’ this annual trip brings Surfrider’s vast network of grassroots activists together to elevate the voice of the coastal recreation community and inspire stronger federal leadership on critical issues.
One campaign is the ‘Skip the Stuff’ bill. Presented by the New York City chapter, this recently passed legislation seeks to change the expectations of takeout and delivery food customers.
Nearly all – 98% – of takeout and delivery orders are eaten at home or in an office, where reusable utensils are available and preferred. Every New Yorker has a drawer crammed with plastic forks, knives, spoons, and condiments, which are often included with a meal even when specifically requested not to be.
Under Skip the Stuff, customers are encouraged to request these items if wanted and reject them if not needed. This saves restaurants money – nationally, restaurants spend about $20 billion per year on such items. For that reason alone, the largest foodservice association in the city, the NYC Hospitality Alliance, supported the bill. With identical bills being passed in other parts of the country, including the West Coast, Skip the Stuff helps combat the plastic pollution crisis by reducing the amount of disposable foodware that will end up in our landfills, streets, and ocean.
The man himself, Glenn Hening.
Although he no longer fills his earlier role at Surfrider, Hening remains an avid surfer and activist to this day. Irrespective of the meaningful work that the nonprofit is doing, on a broader scale, he hopes that surfing’s collective consciousness will continue to evolve. As important as it is that Surfrider has addressed issues of water pollution for forty years, now is the time to address polluted behavior by those in the water. In order to do that, surfers need to take it upon themselves to open their minds and grow.
Getting more people in the ocean is a good first step, but because of toxic attitudes in the lineup, Hening also encourages surfers to ask themselves, “What do you think the ocean thinks of you?” Taking that question to heart is the key to creating an environment that fosters more justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in 2024 and beyond.
If you would like to offer Surfrider a gift to celebrate this milestone anniversary, consider donating here. Learn more about Surfrider Australia here.