Save San Onofre State Beach!

DATE: 1/19/2007

We are working with a coalition - led by the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and other key statewide environmental groups - that is trying to stop the building of a 6-lane toll road right through the middle of one of San Onofre State Beach and park... virtually destroying this popular southern CA park.

If the road goes through, it would:

-Permanently close 60% of the park;
-Destroy endangered wildlife habitat;
-Degrade world-renowned Trestles surf-beach;
-Force abandonment of the most popular campground;
-Irreparably damage Native American burial sites; and
-Disrupt San Mateo Creek Creek and send polluted runoff into one of the last unspoiled watersheds in the region.

This proposal, by Orange County’s Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), would have such a devastating impact on the park that the State Attorney General is suing to stop the project, on behalf of the State Dept. of Parks, and has also signed onto a suit filed by the Native American Heritage Commission.

On top of this, transportation experts are questioning how much real traffic relief will be provided by this project, and it sets a dangerous statewide precedent for intrusion on other state parks by projects that "must go somewhere."

The Coalition to Save the Park at San Onofre State Beach includes the SEIU State Council, SEIU Local 1000, Sierra Club, CA State Parks Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, and over 50 Democratic legislators.

To help Click Here!.

Primitive skills clinics at a skateboard camp?

Set on Sequoia Lake which borders Kings Canyon National Park, lives a skateboarding camp for kids, in the woods! Element YMCA Skateboard camp is a unique place because its not everyday that you see a bunch of city kids getting dirty in the woods, chasing squirrels, or even looking at a bear. In the past few years, a new program has arisen out of the skateboard camp that may sound like it has nothing to do with skateboarding at all. Founded by two lifelong skaters, Mike Kershner and Todd Larsen created a non profit organization that teaches primitive survival skills to skaters. Their clinic which is taught at skate camp every session is called Elemental Awareness.

Here Todd is teaching an Elemental Awareness group about good firestructure. He is transferring a flaming tinder bundle that he ignited from a coal made from a bow drill. Bow drill is one of the most popular things for kids to learn in Elemental Awareness. I guess it is embedded in us all to want to play with fire.

Mike watches this camper blow up a smoking tinderbundle which was made from all the surrounding dry vegetation. Whats cool is that this same kid can bust tricks on a skateboard.








A kickflip with a nature filled background.





There is also an intern program where advanced elemental awareness students help teach the survival clinics to new campers. E.A interns go on a camping trip with Mike and Todd previous to camp where they live for the most part, primitively. This intern, Matt Luciani is helping to demonstrate the set up of a figure four trap used to catch small game.


















Element YMCA Skate camp is a cool way to introduce nature to city minded kids.



For more info on skate camp: click here.

Go Snowboarding!

When your a surfer living in Santa Cruz during the winter, it can almost be a drag to leave such good waves. But since I really cant surf all that well, I have no problem heading to the mountains for a few days to shred the snow. Right before christmas, my friends family was nice enough to invite me to their cabin located directly on the property of Dodge Ridge Ski resort, which is near Yosemite. I wouldn't usually recommend going there over tahoe, but we were lucky enough to have had it dumped snow the previous two days before we arrived. The cool thing about having a place to stay near the snow is that you can make it your own playground even after the lifts close.

We made something of a jump in the backyard of the cabin.
Im not sure if this photo was just taken at the beginning of the jump, or that I have the style of a nasa projectile launch unit...

This was kyle's second time ever snowboarding. He looks to be leaning forward a bit much...




He got to know the snow quite well.









Snowboarding is an active way to experience nature as well as a great way to have fun with friends. Shred on!