Surfing generates nearly $200 million a year for Santa Cruz - and coastal changes could put it at risk

"Riding waves at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River, they introduced surfing to the mainland United States, an event that would help shape Santa Cruz's coastal identity for generations. The cultural phenomenon they helped launch now generates nearly $200 million a year in Santa Cruz, according to a landmark report released in September by the nonprofit Save the Waves Coalition."

"The report argues that decisions made along the coast in the coming years could determine whether Santa Cruz's remaining surf breaks endure. It urges city and county leaders to factor surfing's economic and cultural value into long-term coastal planning, and calls for surf breaks to be made more welcoming to historically marginalized groups, ensuring broader access to the sport's benefits."

""Surfing is not just a hobby," said Shaun Burns, reserves network coordinator for Save the Waves, during a presentation to Santa Cruz City Council on Oct. 28. "It has value economically and culturally here in Santa Cruz and it needs to be prioritized in planning.""

Three Hawaiian princes introduced surfing to the U.S. mainland at Santa Cruz in 1885, helping shape the city’s coastal identity. Surfing now generates nearly $200 million annually in Santa Cruz, but that economic engine faces risks from climate change, sea level rise, and policy responses. Coastal decisions have already altered historic breaks, including sand dredging in the 1960s for harbor construction that changed wave formation at the San Lorenzo River mouth. Future coastal planning could determine whether remaining surf breaks endure. City and county leaders are urged to integrate surfing’s economic and cultural value into long-term planning and expand access for historically marginalized groups.

Read at The Mercury News