Every five years, Surfrider activists from around the country convene in one giant conference dubbed the Super Summit, to learn, connect, and build stoke. While Oregon and Washington chapter leaders meet annually at the Cascadia Conference, the chance to bring folks together from across the network’s 200+ chapters and student clubs, plus from Surfrider affiliates around the globe, really showcases the people power behind our grassroots model, and gives us a chance to swap ideas with those hailing from faraway beaches. Last weekend, seven Surfrider activists from three Oregon chapters, plus Oregon field staff and a board member, headed to Long Beach, CA to rep the PNW and celebrate Surfrider’s 40th anniversary at this year’s Super Summit.
The weekend kicked off on Friday with a special visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific, where the Portland crew got to go behind the scenes and learn about their sea otter surrogacy program, which has already released four stranded sea otter pups back into the wild, and is currently preparing to release a fifth. After a group cruise in the Long Beach Harbor, where we learned about the “beautification” of the oil derrick islands (read: they hid them behind palm trees and high rise facades), we headed to a Friday night mixer to mingle with the other 400 Surfrider volunteers and staff in attendance. And of course the late night crew got down with a little karaoke after, packing a local dive bar.
On Saturday we were treated to two inspiring keynotes, delivered by Patagonia CEO, Ryan Gellert, and renowned big wave surfer and environmental activist, Greg Long. Those were broken up by a long lunch and breakout sessions on Plastic Pollution, Climate Resilience, and Volunteer Cultivation led by Surfrider staff along with fabulous contractors Beth Kantor leading Happy Healthy Volunteering and Right to Be’s Ari Kent leading Generative Conflict + Accountability and JEDI. Saturday concluded with an optional walking tour of local Ocean Friendly Gardens in Long Beach, or the option to spend a couple of hours recharging or kicking back at the pool or beach.
That evening, we celebrated 40 years of Surfrider at Ovation Square with music, bites, drinks, dancing, and chapter awards. Chevy Metal, dirt rock cover band, performed with their incredible 16 year old drummer Shane Hawkins, son of the late Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins. The next set featured DJ Mei Kwok, serving up danceable oldies.
At this year’s Summit, Surfrider unveiled our newly-created Coastal Champion Awards. These awards were given to chapters and clubs that are doing extraordinary work to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches across the country. I’m proud to recognize the three Oregon chapters that received awards for the incredible work they are doing in their communities:
Most Impactful Campaign: Coos Bay, OR - Save Lighthouse Beach
In early 2021, a trail used to access Lighthouse Beach for over 80 years, and time immemorial by local tribal members, was blocked by a private landowner, cutting off access to the public beach. Surfrider’s Coos Bay Chapter members have used the path not only to enjoy Lighthouse Beach for its recreational opportunities, but for stewardship activities including over 20 years of water quality monitoring for Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force program, as well as beach cleanups, including an extensive months-long cleanup in 2014 after a large dock and millions of pieces of foam from it washed up on Lighthouse Beach. Surfrider filed a lawsuit but, before going to trial, was able to reach an agreement with the landowner to transfer the trail to State ownership, thus avoiding the creation of Oregon’s first private beach.
Beach Cleanup Program: Newport, OR
The Newport Chapter’s beach cleanup program and unique model has been extremely impactful on Oregon’s central coast. Beach Cleanup Coordinator Megan Hoff organizes a team of Beach Cleanup Captains who lead cleanups at sites across Lincoln County, engaging a wider network of volunteers. Using this model, the Newport Chapter is able to scale their capacity, and host up to 14 beach cleanups in a single day. The chapter reuses spent grain bags from local breweries to collect trash at cleanups, and partners on cleanups with local community groups, NGOs, businesses, state agencies, and schools, becoming a staple in the community. They have also jointly adopted a stretch of coastal-fronting Highway 101 with the Oregon Hang Gliders Association.
Best Event: Newport, OR - Otter Rock and Roll
Each year on International Surfing Day, the Newport Chapter hosts Otter Rock and Roll, a youth surfing competition and beach cleanup challenge designed to encourage stoke and stewardship in the next generation. Kids come from across the state to compete and win prizes sponsored by local surf shops. Otter Rock and Roll is the only surf competition exclusively for kids, and is complete with a best beginner division, which outfits learners with a surfboard, wetsuit, and lesson. Fourteen years running and hosted within the Otter Rock Marine Reserve, this signature event has also become a successful fundraiser to help fund chapter programs, incorporating an auction of local art, excursions, and more.
Innovation Award: Portland, OR - Green Streets Program
The inland Portland Chapter has found a way to keep it clean upstream with their innovative Green Streets Program. The chapter partners with the City of Portland to clean up various bioswales, streets, and sidewalks to help keep the city of roses clean. The chapter will often partner with a local earth-conscious business such as refill shops, who provide a discount to volunteers. Last year, the Portland chapter collected nearly 6,000 butts at these cleanups alone. Each year, the chapter hosts a signature Green Streets cleanup in honor of MLK Jr Day.
Read more about the other chapters that received Coastal Champion Awards.
The 2024 Recipients of Surfrider’s Wavemaker Awards were also announced at the Summit, including two from the Oregon team:
Michael Harrington - Chapter Leadership, West Region
Mike has been an exemplary leader for the Newport OR Chapter since 2016, holding various Executive positions during his tenure. He single-handedly took a failing chapter and assembled a strong leadership team, and has built the Newport Chapter up to be one of the most successful chapters in Oregon. While he works extremely hard to carry out Surfrider's mission, he also models healthy boundary setting, and supports his fellow volunteers in doing the same. This is such an important reminder in an organization where the possibility of volunteer burnout can be so high. This has contributed to a chapter culture of respect and has led to high retention. He works hard and plays hard, and is a constant reminder that we should all be having more fun! Mike puts his all into coordinating the Chapter's signature event each summer- the Otter Rock and Roll, a youth surf competition complete with beginner's division. His efforts have cemented it as a beloved mainstay in the community, fostering love and stewardship of our ocean, waves, and beaches in the next generation. He has worked countless campaigns, beach cleanups, events, and BWTF tests with a smile on his face, and creates connections everywhere he goes. Former OR Field Manager, Bri Goodwin, said "I've always appreciated Mike's humor, clear communication, and ability to quickly build relationships". I fully second that, as Mike was the first to welcome me with open arms into the chapter and his home, and I have now watched him do the same with several new chapter leaders. Mike is truly a one-of-a-kind person, always showing up for his community, and lending a helping hand. We are lucky to have him on the Surfrider Oregon team.
Steve Shipsey - Outstanding Contribution
Steve has been an incredible and outstanding volunteer for Surfrider Foundation since 1992 serving in nearly every unpaid position for the organization. Steve began his tenure with the organization helping to found the very first chapter of Surfrider in the state of Oregon. As a young and rising lawyer in public service, during his early tenure Steve helped Surfrider successfully defend a landmark beach access case in Florence, Oregon. Recognizing the role of legal professionals in Surfrider's work, Steve later helped initiate and serve on the organization's Legal Issues Committee, a critical strategy in guiding Surfrider's legal engagement across the nation. He has served two terms on Surfrider Foundation's national board of directors and held nearly every leadership role during those terms. Throughout all of this, Steve has remained a local, grassroots volunteer in his hometown of Portland - attending Portland Chapter meetings, fundraisers, bringing his family to cleanup events and supporting staff in the state in an informal mentorship capacity. Steve's continued contributions have supported dozens of local and national campaign victories, his service on the board has helped significantly shape the organization's growth and critical legal administration. Recently completing his second term on the Board of Directors, Steve continues to serve the Portland Chapter and Legal Issues Committee.
Bravo to the incredible contributions made by these extremely deserving activists!
The fun continued Sunday, kicking off with a fireside chat with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist, policy expert, and co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab. Next, we went into more breakout sessions, this time with the addition of a legal panel, campaign planning session, insights from Surfrider Canada, two sessions on Water Quality, social media strategy, and Student Club Network 101. After closing remarks from Surfrider CEO Chad Nelsen, it was time to say goodbye. This was such an incredible opportunity to learn, connect, and collaborate. I for one left the weekend feeling energized and eternally grateful to all of the individuals that make up this movement for good- there’s nothing that can match the dedication, energy, and knowledge of our activist network. Reflecting upon just how powerful Surfrider is as a collective, it all comes down to the people who are fighting the good fight in communities around the nation and around the world, supported by our amazing team of staff who I am lucky to call my friends. Thank you to the volunteers who attended, and those working in communities coast to coast to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches!
Want to be a part of our powerful force for good? Visit your chapter’s website (find a list of the Oregon chapters here) and click “donate” in the top right corner. Your membership will be good for a year and will go directly to support your chapter’s on-the-ground advocacy and stewardship efforts!