Artwork by Todd Fischer

May 18th and 19th, 2013 at Westport Washington

PRESS RELEASE:
The 12th annual Clean Water Classic surfing competition sponsored by Subaru of Puyallup and benefiting local Surfrider Foundation Chapters in the Pacific Northwest is scheduled for May 18th and 19th, 2013. The longest running Pro/Am competition in the Northwest, the event takes place in Westport, Washington. Registration, sponsorship and volunteer information can be found at www.cleanwaterclassic.com

The Clean Water Classic weekend raises awareness of regional Surfrider Foundation campaigns and programs and includes not only great surfing, but also live music, a vendor village, silent auction and a raffle. The event is a fundraiser for the Pacific Northwest Chapters of the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the worlds oceans, waves and beaches. This fun, family friendly event attracts hundreds of spectators and competitors from all over the world.

Surfers will be able to compete in 8 separate categories, with all divisions receiving trophies and selected prizes; there will be prize money for the Men’s and Women’s Shortboard Pro/Am division. “We’re always impressed by the talent the classic attracts each year,” says Charlie Plybon, the Oregon Field Manager for the Surfrider Foundation. “Well beyond just a surf competition, this event celebrates the Pacific Northwest spirit of surfing traditions and ocean stewardship.”

The title sponsor this year is again Subaru of Puyallup. Westport’s Islander Hotel and the Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill are the location sponsors, providing accommodations, an RV park and hosting live entertainment in the evenings. Aliza Esty, Islander manager, is excited about the event saying, “We are looking forward to welcoming surfers to Westport once again. The Clean Water Classic is pure fun for the surfers, their families, the spectators and everyone else. We are very happy to be a part of it and can’t wait for the event!” Guitarist Elias Kauhane and Big Blue Van are the scheduled acts both Friday and Saturday nights.

The 2013 Clean Water Classic will include a Kid’s Surf Camp for area youth run by Warm Current, a non-profit organization whose mission is to teach, inspire and support underserved communities and youth through surfing. To assist Warm Current in providing access to ocean recreation for kids in WA, OR and around the world, contest attendees are asked to bring new or used wetsuits for donation to the event.

Other events will include Hands Across the Sand, scheduled for Saturday at noon. This activity is promoted by Surfrider to raise awareness about global climate change and society’s dependence on fossil fuels, giving participants the opportunity to come together to voice their support for clean energy options. Surfrider chapters and concerned citizens will be joining hands to advocate for the protection of our coast from risky offshore oil drilling and the threats posed by proposed coal export operations.

Surf Art

As a side note, artist Todd Fischer will be opening a surf art gallery in Westport the week of the clean Water Classic, with plans to be open for weekends until mid-September.

Kohl Christensen at Peahi

Interview with Kohl Christensen, 2010 Nelscott Reef Big Wave Classic Champion:

The 2010 contest claims the biggest conditions ever surfed at Nelscott Reef (Buoy readings peaked at 24.6’ @ 16 seconds). What was it like out there?

Kohl: The waves were amazing out there. It was a beautiful sunny day with light off shore winds. I didn’t expect it to be as big as I was. I thought it was going to be different then it was. It was a legitimate 20ft Hawaiian scale and had some power! It was a bit shifty which made it challenging but exciting.

I know you’ve paddled into some world class big waves. How did the 2010 Nelscott Reef competition compare?

Kohl: So far this has been my favorite BWWT event that I have surfed in – having won probably affects that decision but the waves were insane. Mavericks last year was bigger, this was the second biggest. I also like how there was both lefts and rights!

So you’re living in on the North Shore of Oahu now. I hear you split time between Washington State and Hawaii when you were growing up?

Kohl: Yeah my family is from Seattle. They were all fisherman from Norway and lived in Ballard. My dad bought a place up in the San Juan and we spent some time up there. Amazing place but no surf! I heard about the west coast having epic waves but haven’t had a chance to get up there yet. That was my first surf in Oregon.

I’m guessing that riding big waves was more of a progression of your surfing than a real decision. How did you get to be into this niche of surfing?

(Delay of a couple weeks)

Kohl: Sorry been a while. Pipeline has been pumping!
I just always liked surfing bigger waves. As long as I can remember. I loved the excitement of getting myself into heavier situations and that rush it gives you.

You really found your calling in Hawaii. Big wave riders follow the global surf conditions more actively than most surfers – are you always on the hunt?

Kohl: Yeah it seems like my life right now pretty much revolves around the global storms. I am stoked it is winter time though because all that southern hemi swell chasing is a lot of work. It is nice to be home in Hawaii and do the quick trip to the west coast occassionally.

Thanks for talking with us Kohl – your success is well deserved!

Follow the new series produced by Patagonia; Deep Water, Ocean Adventures with Kohl Christensen.

And of course this ride at Cloudbreak that will go down in history.

La Push 22ft @ 12sec. waves closing out the bay.

It’s possibly the most exciting time of the year, if you’re a fan of weather and the power of Mother Nature (or Poseidon). There’s some serious energy getting stirred up out in the North East Pacific – and rolling into the Northwest coast. These systems send the biggest waves of the year, and pound the mountains as the storm systems roll inland.

Yesterday (12/17/12) a massive swell landed on the coast. At noon, 18-23 foot swell heights were recorded on the Washington and Oregon buoys. Winds were also relentless, the whole Northwest coastline had west winds sustained at 20-30 kts, with Destruction Island recording 38 kts and a gust of 42 kts at noon. The ocean was roaring and whipping it’s tail.

There’s a lot more on the way – check the surf report. Here’s some highlights from yesterdays buoys and webcams.

La Push backlit and churning.

How big does that look? Is 23ft big?

Oceanside Oregon swells breaking way, way outside.

Westport getting hammered from every angle.

Groins showing the swell, lighting it up.

Take a look for yourself, it’s the best time of the year to see and feel the power.
La Push Washington surfcam
Oceanside Oregon surfcam
Westport Washington surfcam – The Groins

The Cape Elizabeth buoy, 46041. It floats 20 miles off the coast of Washington.

Any surf forecast should be held up to the light, and we like to verify any conditions by referring to the ocean buoys. Surf Reports are concerned with actual verifiable data. While forecasts are interpretations based on weather models.

So you check the buoys before you head out – and see the swell height and period. The question is, when will I see those conditions land onshore?

We want to know the speed of the swell, and sources tell us a swell travels at 1.5 times the swell period (in nautical miles per hour, KNOTS). Nautical miles per hour? For rough estimations its about the same, but for detailed conversions: 1 knot = 1.15 mph. So to get MPH, multiply the swell period by 1.725.

Take a swell with a 10 second period, (multiply by 1.725) and its moving at 17.25 MPH. Compared this to a swell with a 15 second period, which is moving at 25.9 MPH (15 x 1.725). Quite a bit faster.

Surfing in the Pacific Northwest, we’re lucky if the swells stay within that window. For comparables, let’s go with the more common 10 second period.

Cape Elizabeth buoy is about 20 miles west offshore (36 miles NW of Ocean Shores). So when that buoy issues a report of a 6 ft west swell with a period of 10 seconds, you can assume the swell is traveling at 17.25 MPH, and will arrive at Westport 1 hour 15 minutes later.

Map showing buoy distance of 46041 off the coast.

The film’s title is, Sine Qua Non (Without which, [there is] nothing). It’s a 24-minute documentary produced by The Inertia. It provides an intimate look at the mental and physical elements behind Greg Long’s quest to surf the biggest waves on the planet.

Today’s big wave surfer is entirely a modern creation – dependent upon online forecasting models to track monster swells, but also the window when the biggest sets should show. As the technology behind big wave tracking gets more refined, we can expect to see bigger waves ridden more often – with room for inspiring athletes like Greg Long. Go chase that swell.

This film (North of the sun) documents nine months of cold, Norwegian winter in the isolated and uninhabited bay of a remote, arctic island by the coast of Northern-Norway, facing nothing but the vast Atlantic Ocean. There they built a cabin out of driftwood and other cast-off materials that washed up on shore, and ate expired food the stores would otherwise have thrown away. But the boys brought with them two items of utmost importance: Their surfboards – perhaps their biggest motivation for the arctic adventure. Because the remote bay holds a well kept secret; Some of the worlds finest surfing waves..

Sign the online petition to “Stop the expansion of crude oil tanker traffic through B.C.’s coastal waters.”

There are organizations working to get the word out and build opposition to this proposal. Ben Yenter of Equilibrium Engine says, “Pipeline? What’s the big deal? Well… Enbridge has had hundreds of spills over the last decade. Hundreds. And the tanker route is nuts. Absolutely nuts. And the Canadian government is having a hard time saying no to the huge tax dollars this project will generate. Democracy is breaking down.”

Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Patagonia and Woodshed Films have made an exploratory surf trip along British Columbia’s unspoiled west coast. While searching for waves, the crew documents what would be threatened if the Northern Gateway tar sands oil pipeline is built. Find more articles and information about this cause at RainCoast.org.