Lady LUX

It’s almost time to celebrate your love of surfing again! On Wednesday, June 20, grab your surfboard and hang ten for the eighth annual International Surfing Day. International Surfing Day (ISD) is a holiday for surfers around the world to unite and celebrate the sport of surfing.

Founded in 2005 by the Surfrider Foundation and Surfer Magazine, ISD has brought the surfing celebration to over 30 countries with 200 events worldwide. Surfers are also encouraged to use this celebration to give back to our oceans, waves and beaches. Like previous years, the Surfrider Foundation has organized beach cleanups and coastal restoration events. During the 2011 ISD, cleanup participants collected over 5,000 trash bags worldwide.

“International Surfing Day is a wonderful opportunity for California residents and visitors to celebrate the sport of surfing and also to learn about issues affecting our coastal environments and some of the state's most iconic surf spots,” said Jim Moriarty, Surfrider Foundation's CEO.

The foundation has confirmed over 120 official ISD events in over 20 countries taking place tomorrow. The Surfrider Foundation Chapters, along with other organizations and groups will host beach cleanups, dune restorations, surf clinics and other fun surf-themed activities worldwide.

On Monday, June 18, the Surfrider Foundation announced that California State Assembly has passed House Resolution No. 30; a resolution that recognizes International Surfing Day as a way to celebrate California’s surfing heritage while raising awareness on protecting our oceans, waves and beaches. The House Resolution was introduced by Assemblymember Das Williams.

Tomorrow, the Surfrider Foundation is offering a special package for new and renewing members for ISD. Supporters who join tomorrow online at www.intlsurfingday.com or by calling the ISD Web-a-thon toll free hotline at 877-959-7873 can sign up on one of three membership levels: The Standard Level ($30), Deluxe Level ($125) and VIP ($300).

All membership levels include a limited edition International Surf Day t-shirt, On A Mission ECO surf wax and a one-year membership to the Surfrider Foundation. The Deluxe package also includes ECO Logical all-natural SPF 30 sunblock, a DaKine Point backpack and a Creatures of Leisure 6 foot leash. The VIP package includes everything listed in the previous packages including a GoPro Hero2 Surf Edition camera.

In addition to the worldwide events taking place, the Surfrider Foundation, TransWorld SURF and SME are holding an 8-hour web-a-thon to help activate surfing fans that do not live by the beach. The web-a-thon will begin at 9:00 AM PST and end at 4:00 PM PST. It will feature a variety of guests including pro-surfers, celebrities, environmental heroes and musical guests conducting interviews, performing live and answering phone calls to help reach the foundation’s goal of 2,000 new members. The program will be streamed live online and hosted by TransWorld SURF editor-in-chief Chris Cote and supermodel and swimwear mogul Susan Holmes-McKagan.

The Surfrider Foundation has signed on World Champion surfers Kelly Slater and Stephanie Gilmore to be this year’s ISD Ambassadors. Slater has dominated the world of surfing for two decades and Gilmore has already become one of the most accomplished surfers at the young age of twenty-four. Both surfers have been chosen based on their positive influence as surfing and environmental role models for the young and old.

“ISD is a day to take some time to appreciate this wonderful world we have and this incredible relationship we each have with the ocean,” said Slater. “It is a day for environmentalism, family, friendships, travel and, most of all, riding waves. For us, this should be our big holiday right up there with Christmas and Halloween and Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. It is a good time to remember all we’ve done and all the people and places we’ve gotten to know and reflect on where we’re going to be in the future. Every day is a good day for all of these things, but this one just reminds us how good we have it and to not take it for granted.”

Tune in to the International Surfing Day web-a-thon and call in to become a Surfrider Foundation member to support the sport of surfing and our oceanic environments. To learn more about International Surfing Day visit www.IntlSurfingDay.com.

Tagged in: causes, surfrider foundation, membership, isd, international surfing day, oceanic environment, june 20, surfer magazine, kelly slater, stephanie gilmore,