We just celebrated the 10 YEAR anniversary of the @santacruzworldsurfingreserve ! Being designated as a World Surfing Reserve helps safeguard the surf spots we love from damaging coastal development and pollution while adding a layer of protection for the ecosystem underneath the waves. That’s what @savethewavescoalition is all about! . Also a belated 70th birthday shoutout to my Pop (photographed with steeze by @zorro_del_mar ) who transferred to Santa Cruz High in the 60’s and fell in love with the place. He talks about how dirty the water was back then- how Sewer Peak lived up to its name with raw sewage bubbling out in the lineup... which to me is a strong reminder that positive change is possible if different stakeholders come together and find solutions for the longterm stewardship of our coast. . My dad gifted me the love of surfing as a kid and it helped me find my path in life. Growing up being scared out of the water by large white sharks made me want to become a marine biologist, and becoming a marine biologist opened my eyes to the damage we’re doing to the ocean environment and how few scientists were focusing on communicating about these issues. That led me to choose art as a way to tell stories and get people to care. Add to that the countless memories of waves and adventures with friends and family, and yeah, I can say with confidence that surfing gave me everything! . Last, the photograph of @cliff_kapono @noikukui and @hempsurfboards standing at the San Lorenzo river mouth with redwood olo’s shaped by @pearsonarrow followed one of the most epic surfs I’ve ever witnessed. The guys were charging on the 200lb plus boards to reenact the moment in 1885 when 3 Hawaiian princes inadvertently gifted surfing to the mainland in what became the first documented surf session outside of the islands. Check the link in my Bio for a beautiful vid on this by @kyle_buthman and @perrygershkow Full respect and gratitude for sharing the Sport of Kings with the world!