PACIFICA/ HALF MOON BAY BUZZ
Pacifica has announced the new schedule for the Pacifica Summer Surf Series, which are listed below in the Surf Contest Calendar area...By the way, the Pacifica skatepark did re-open a week after the motor oil vandalism...On the rumor mill front, we recently heard about a local Bay Area thirty-something shortboard shaper getting into a physical fight with a local high school male longboarder at Linda Mar (names unmentioned) and the cops were called...On the Half Moon Bay front, Darryl from HMB Surf Shop said that "while business is slow, the breaks here are pretty empty...it's like the 70s again...come out and surf!."  HMB Surf Shop also confirmed that its annual HMB Classic surf contest will NOT take place this year, but resume next year.

UPCOMING SUMMER SURF GEAR SWAP MEETS
The used surfboard market seems to be busy again, according to shop owners...perhaps because it's surfable again and weather's more pleasant.  Keep these dates in mind...Saturday July 15 in San Francisco is the Aqua Surf Shop swap meet in their lot.  We at Zuna Surf (with Stef Phillips) are co-hosting one with Paradise Surf Shop on Saturday July 22 in Santa Cruz, and one with the Log Shop tentatively on Sunday August 27 in Pacifica.  Vendor booths will be available for the latter two.  Check back on our site for more details soon.

LOCALS IN THE MEDIA
Longtime Ano Nuevo local surfer /Waddell kiteboarder Gary Strachan, aka "the Warden," was recently profiled by Christian Beamish in the latest issue of Surfer's Journal. It's a good glimpse of the California State Park Ranger's life as a waterman,   his efforts to open up a marine education center at Ano Nuevo State Reserve, and his work on preserving the open coastal lands between Santa Cruz and San Francisco that managed by the Peninsula Open Space Trust.

Good Strachan article quotes for thought: "We as a community have an opportunity to affect the way a place will be...Surfing [as community & more] is an important one for its political potential to keep public lands open and sufficiently funded."

Well, Santa Cruz longboard pros, Julie Cox and Ashley Lloyd, are jetting off to Biarritz, France shortly for the Roxy Pro Women's Longboard Championships, July 3-9, and both continue to make headlines.  Julie, the women's winner of recent SCLU Memorial Day invitational at Steamers, is this month's JettyGirl, where she's interviewed in depth. The two are also in this month's  Longboard Magazine, documenting their surfari to New Zealand, and Ashley's Taiwan surf escapade. 

LOCAL TALK
Congratulations go out to Argentine surfer Moreno Moreno and Mavericks/NY surfer Tom McGivern, who tied the knot earlier this month in Sutro Heights. We spotted Ocean Beach locals Grant Washburn, John Raymond, Jack Kennedy and others who were attendance...Congrats to several surfers with the births of their second groms, including venture capitalist Brian Ascher and the duo Eric & Holly Bohren. 

See you in the Southern hemis,

Monica Lee, Kelly Vander Kaay + the Zuna Crew
 

monterey coast | victory

Last week, when the Pebble Beach Company withdrew its Clint Eastwood-backed development proposal on the day before the California Coastal Commission was to vote on the plan, surfing's most active environmentalist, Mark Massara, declared a tremendous VICTORY for coastal protection. Mark extends a huge thanks all of you who participated in the Sierra Club's Great Coastal Places Campaign by writing letters and more to help stop the Pebble Beach Company's from cutting 17,000 trees in the largest remaining coastal Monterey pine forest to make way for yet another golf course, more hotels and large homes.

If you are interested in learning more about Mark's efforts to protect clean surf, public access and coastal views that make California such a special place to live, visit his Coast Places site or join his email list.
 

film fundraiser |  report

WWe last wrote that Laird Hamilton was doing a 426km London-to-Paris crossing by bike and standup paddling -- all to raise funds for the final production of the autism film Beautiful Son,  shot by San Francisco filmmaker Charlotte Lagarde, (of Rell Sunn documentary fame), and Don King, the Hawaiian cinematographer (Riding Giants, Lost TV). According to LaGarde, Laird completed the crossing in two days.  Interestingly, he uses a custom Surftech paddle board for the journey. 

The filmmakers are almost done with production, but are looking to raise a final $100K.  For tax-deductible donations or to purchase rashguards autographed by Laird Hamilton, visit at www.beautifulson.com.  View the latest trailer here with music by Coldplay and check out photos of Laird.