Last Friday night in Santa Cruz, I got to watch my film about Surfing Economics on the big screen at the Save the Waves Film Festival, held at Rio Theatre!
The film was a collaboration with
@savethewavescoalition and frames up a story about the most comprehensive portrait to date of the economic revenue tied to local surf breaks.
The survey took stock of various socioeconomic factors, methods of transportation, distances traveled to breaks, real estate, and much, much more.
The backdrop for this whole economics deep-dive is the fact that our California coastline—and with it, our surf spots—are being altered by climate change; sea level rise will drown certain swell zones, infrastructure like HW1 will see ocean incursion, and government agencies will take actions - managed retreat, coastal defenses, etc.
Having these monetary models calculated around our surf breaks represents a critical tool to inform policymakers and agencies on the importance of preserving surf breaks, not just because people cherish their favorite surf spots, or because they’re flourishing natural ecosystems—which are both obvious reasons, if you surf and love the ocean—but also because these breaks are major economic drivers for the State of California.
There will be much more to share soon on the findings from the survey, including just how much annual revenue can be traced to our surf breaks in Santa Cruz - hint: it’s a lot - and the real work that needs to be done becomes a little more crystallized when we have such a clear picture of what’s happening: socially, financially, scientifically.
All exciting stuff to be part of and to support in the storytelling! Big thanks to Save The Waves for having me produce this important film, and their partners, Integral Consulting Inc.,
@blacksurfsantacruz , and their grantmakers at
@opc_california
Also, a special thank you to footage contributors
@beninthewater ,
@jj.inthewild ,
@1tubulardude production assistant
@parsa_ghaffari_ and my Director of Photography Marcel Scott of
@summit_sessions 🎥
