Take a peak at the following excerpts below:

For as in touch with human nature as surfers claim to be, our social track record is pretty sad. And as the global surfing population grows exponentially each year, our footprint only grows greater. These being modern times, you would think that this increased burden we inevitably placed upon the people and places we visit would spark near unanimous concern for our legacy. Unfortunately, you would be thinking wrong…

Lewis goes on to point out…

Surf films haven’t been much better. Always the self-absorbed bunch, surfers created an entirely new film genre held together by an Elmer’s Glue strength stratagem of “clips” and “color.” The clips, of course, were reserved for the construction of the surfers’ character. The color became an agonizingly homogeneous montage of sunrise/sunset time-lapses, mangy dogs and toothless and wrinkled old men and women. One of the godfathers of this now-abused technique, Taylor Steele, woke up and created Sipping Jetstreams and Castles in the Sky. But the result was largely just a fancier version of the same old stuff, where the surfers were the stars and the people and places they came across were depicted only to the extent of audio-less color montages. Steele really did try to give us a glance at the jungle looking back, but in the end he hardly taught us anything new about it or infected within us a desire to learn more.

With the exception of just a handful of surf journalists and filmmakers over the decades, surfing has had a reputation of letting talents outside the industry bubble sort out its social issues. Journalists like Bruce Jenkins and William Finnegan did a fine job in the ’80s and ’90s of training their pens on the cultures behind the waves, rather than the pro surfers riding them. And most recently, we have academics like Jess Ponting, who created San Diego State University’s Center for Surf Research—a department dedicated to educating a new generation of surfers on sustainable surf tourism practices—and filmmaker Adam Pesce, whose documentary Splinters chronicles the conflicts of surfing and modernity with a Papua New Guinea village’s deeply engrained tribal traditions.

To read the full article by Andrew Lewis on theinertia.com click HERE.

Makepeace Island

Makepeace Island was developed in 2009 as private getaway for owners Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, and Brett Godfrey. The island located on the Noosa River in Queensland, Australia became available for exclusive booking last July. It can accommodate up to 22 people and includes a swimming pool, spa, outdoor cinema and tennis court.

Galesnjak Island

Galesnjak Island, located in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia, became famous when its unusual shape was highlighted on Google Earth in 2009. The privately owned island is available for engagements, weddings and tourism. For more information, visit http://www.ilovegalesnjak.com.

And of course our personal favorite…

Tavarua Island

This 29-acre island resort known for its surfing is located west of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island. It features 16 bures, a spa, restaurant and tennis court. Guests also have access to aquatic sports equipment and amazing surf. photo: Winer

For the full feature and a glimpse at even more heart shaped islands of the world have a look at the full article from the LA Times HERE.

Join us tomorrow at San Diego State University for a day filled with surf icons and industry leaders to discuss how the times are a changin’…

The Groundswell Society & The SDSU Center for Surf Research

Present The 10th Annual Surfing Arts
Science and Issues Conference
Surfing’s New Aloha:
The Growing Trend of Giving Back

WHEN & WHERE

Friday, February 10, 2012 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Hardy Tower 140 San Diego State University

Saturday, February 11, 2012 8.30 am – 5:00 pm at Parma, Payne, Goodall Alumni Center 5210 55th St.

REGISTRATION: $35 ($15 students & Seniors) includes both film screenings, parking, and lunch.

PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE IN ADVANCE HERE

PROGRAM

Friday Feb 10 7 pm - Screening of “Manufacturing Stoke” at Hardy Tower 140

A film that takes an introspective look into the surfing culture’s struggle to be beneficial unto itself.

Saturday Feb 11 9.00am – 5.00pm Surfing Arts Science Issues Conference at Parma, Payne, Goodall Alumni Center

8.15am Doors open tea & coffee is served

9:00-9:15am Introduction – Jess Ponting (SDSU Center for Surf Research)

9:15-9:45am Modern Surfing: From Selfish to Selfless – Glenn Hening (Groundswell Society)

9:45-10:30am Surfers as Corporate Citizens – presentations by Jeff Wilson (Quiksilver), Derek Sabori (Volcom), and PJ Connell (Reef)

10:30-11:00am Coffee Break

11:00-11:30am A Case Study in Corporate Philanthropy: Global Surf Industries and Waves for Development – by Dave Aabo (Waves for Development)

11:30-12:00pm Panel Discussion with morning speakers – moderator: Pierce Kavanaugh (Manufacturing Stoke)

12:00-1:00pm Lunch

1:00-1:30pm The New Pro Surfer with Taylor Paul, Editor-in-Chief of Surfing Magazine and an exclusive interview with Rob Machado

1.30-2:15pm Surfer Driven Non-Profits – Presentations by Kevin Whilden (Sustainable Surf), Tom Bauer (Surfing the Nations), Zach Plopper (Wildcoast), Dr. Andrea Yoder Clarke (SurfAid International)

2.15–2.45pm Surfers for Cetaceans & the Transparentsea Project – Presentation by Justin Krumb, Dave Rastovich, Chris del Moro & Jonny Vasic

2.45-3.00pm Break

3:00- 4:30pm Special Screening of Minds in the Water Introduced by Director Justin Krumb and Screen Writer Steve Barilotti

4:30 -4:50pm Q&A with Justin Krumb, Jonny Vasic, Chris del Moro & Steve Barilotti

4:50 -5:00pm Closing Remarks

For more information, contact Jess at jess.ponting@sdsu.edu or Glenn at g.hening@rain.org.

Thanks to everyone that came out for A Rising Tide…Surf Causes Event last night at the Brooklyn Brewery! It was a really wonderful night and we are SO glad you could join NYC Urchin and Waves for Development in supporting some amazing surf non-profits. The intention of the night was to set the base for building a good and salty community here in NY and to facilitate future collaboration – stay tuned for updates on ways to stay involved with the non-profits.

Photography by: Ryan Struck
For more New York surf news check out NYC URCHIN.com

“I am fundraising for a few of my favorite organizations. I’m compelled to do something, and this gives my art purpose. 50% of the $20 sale of this 11×14″ matted print “Pelicans” will go to Surf Resource Network to support their projects in the community of Robertsport, Liberia.”
- Shannon McIntyre

To order this 11×14″ print make a $20 payment to shannon@shannonsurf.com with paypal with a note of “your address, designed to shine, Pelicans” and you can always make a donation directly to www.surfresource.org.

-Keith Chapman, Founder of Trinity Dental Clinic

WHAT: On January 28 I, Keith Chapman, plan on surfing for 12 hours straight: sun up to sun down. 12 hours in the water, no breaks, no touching land (unless you count the sand bar). I’m already accruing a team to bring me food, water, more sunscreen, take pictures, keep me from drowning, etc. We’ll keep a tally of the waves to keep things interesting and keep me motivated.

WHY: I hope it’s so pointless and silly that people spread the word and help us to raise some funds and awareness for Hope Smiles and Trinity Dental Clinic. Specifically, we need some new equipment and a chair in our NEW denture lab and we’d like to renovate an old house for our recently trained dental therapist, Edward, so that he can live near the clinic.

HOPE SMILES?: Hope Smiles is the new organization I will be working with when I return to Nashville this May. Hope Smiles will start a charity clinic, very similar to Trinity, for the lower income and uninsured population of Middle Tennessee to be a model for filling the gaps in dental care across the U.S. But the focus of Hope Smiles will not stop there and will be key in continuing to support TDC and start new projects and clinics like TDC around the world, most likely beginning in Haiti. Keep your eyes peeled for more news about what Hope Smiles will be up to.

THE RESULT: A few fun waves, a few horrible waves, one big pink prune, new equipment and a new staff house, and the start of filling the gaps that exist in dental care in the U.S. and around the world.

AFFORDABLE DENTAL CARE, ESPECIALLY RELIEF FROM PAIN, SHOULD NOT BE A LUXURY.

YOUR PART?: You can make a pledge per hour, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, we will
keep a wave count, so you could pledge by wave. In twelve hours, I could
have 20 waves, or I could have 50 or more. Give me some motivation!

E-mail admin@trinitydental.org to pledge or CLICK HERE TO DONATE right away.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!