Surfing Soapbox: Many thanks for event success

In my time, I have surfed in a lot of events, some for money and fame, not to mention ratings points. However, the one that stands out the most to me happened just this past weekend at the Huntington Beach Pier.

What makes a great event?

Normally, the prize money, the venue and the waves. However, this time, it was the greatest for an entirely different reason — for the cause. The Project Save Our Surf 24-hour surfing marathon was about help for the right cause — one dear enough to have people participating in 24 hours straight of surfing, raising money for the Surfrider Foundation and Heal the Bay.

This event was co-hosted by past surfing champions PT Townend and Shaun Tomson, along with actress Tanna Frederick, and saw a host of professional athletes, actors, actresses, musicians and the general public, who had a chance to participate along with some of their greatest heroes.

One such hero was my own, Tom Curren, when I had the opportunity to surf against him in the pro celebrity heat along with the likes of Tomson, Mary Osborne, Fuel TV’s Matt Beacham and Hawaiian legend Buttons, to name a few.

There has always been one constant path in my life, and it has always gone straight through the beach and to the ocean. It was a great honor to participate in such a groundbreaking event.

I would personally like to thank the city of Huntington Beach for allowing this to happen, along with the entire crew at Project Save Our Surf and, of course, all of the supporters who came out and showed the world just how much we all care about our oceans and beaches.

We can all make a difference in preserving our oceans and beaches. However, together we can make an even bigger difference, and this event was a great way to demonstrate how powerful we can be in coming together in a positive way, at a time when the Gulf of Mexico is in such crisis. The time is now for the voice of those who care most to be heard, and last weekend was loud and clear.

Peace.