Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Sacred Surf

Since the mid 1950s, Swami's surf break in Encinitas has been at the center of Southern California surfing. The right point break, known for long rides and clean conditions, has carried some of the world's best surfers, from Rusty Miller in the ’60s to many of today's professional surfers such as Joel Tudor and Rob Machado. But last July, when Linda Benson, president of the Women's World Longboard Championship, proposed holding a four-day championship contest at Swami's on October 14 of next year, the world-class surf break turned from a center for Southern California surf culture to a center of controversy.

Debate in the community has swelled in recent months. Those opposed to the contest, which, if allowed, would be the first contest to be held at Swami's in 42 years, say the contest would set precedent and would entice other promoters to hold contests at Swami's. They believe the large crowds, the negative environmental impact to the delicate sandstone bluff, and the fact that local surfers would be banished from the break on those days, are all reasons the contest shouldn't be allowed.

The rising tide of emotions from those in opposition has led residents to draft a petition to prevent the city from granting a permit. So far, 290 residents have signed that petition. Their goal is to reach 10,000.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"What is the upside?" asks the online petition, before answering: "A promoter makes some money, and the City of Encinitas promotes tourism.... Stop surfing contests at Swamis -- for God's sake -- is nothing sacred?"

Linda Benson agrees the break is sacred. In fact, that's the reason why she wants to hold the contest at Swami's. Benson, born and raised in Encinitas, started surfing at Swamis back in 1955, when she was 11 years old. Benson acknowledges the concerns from those in opposition. She says those concerns are what prompted her to think up ways to ease the impact on the popular surf break and organize a contest that is different than most professional competitions.

"I knew that we have to do something totally different than any other contest has done in order to make this okay," says Benson during a November 6 phone interview.

Benson proposes closing the parking lot and routing cars to Moonlight Beach where fans can walk to the contest or catch a shuttle to a small festival at K Street. Other changes include using smaller scaffolds for the judges, placing flat screens on the grass area near the parking lot instead of using loud speakers, and anchoring a boat, equipped with speakers, outside the break so that contestants can hear the announcers.

In addition to those changes, Benson intends to donate some of the proceeds to the Keep A Breast Foundation and some to San Diego Coastkeeper.

"If this happens,” says Benson, “we [intend] to raise the bar to such a high caliber that most promoters won't want to hold a contest there unless they are willing to make the same types of changes."

To read the petition, go to thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-surfing-contests-at-swamis. To read Benson's proposal, visit thepetitionsite.com/86/support-the-womens-world-longboard-championships-at-swamis.

(Representatives from Swami's Surfing Association failed to respond to this correspondent’s request for comment.)

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Didja know I did the first American feature on Jimi Hendrix?

Richard Meltzer goes through the Germs, Blue Oyster Cult, Ray Charles, Elvis, Lavender Hill Mob
Next Article

2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches

Since the mid 1950s, Swami's surf break in Encinitas has been at the center of Southern California surfing. The right point break, known for long rides and clean conditions, has carried some of the world's best surfers, from Rusty Miller in the ’60s to many of today's professional surfers such as Joel Tudor and Rob Machado. But last July, when Linda Benson, president of the Women's World Longboard Championship, proposed holding a four-day championship contest at Swami's on October 14 of next year, the world-class surf break turned from a center for Southern California surf culture to a center of controversy.

Debate in the community has swelled in recent months. Those opposed to the contest, which, if allowed, would be the first contest to be held at Swami's in 42 years, say the contest would set precedent and would entice other promoters to hold contests at Swami's. They believe the large crowds, the negative environmental impact to the delicate sandstone bluff, and the fact that local surfers would be banished from the break on those days, are all reasons the contest shouldn't be allowed.

The rising tide of emotions from those in opposition has led residents to draft a petition to prevent the city from granting a permit. So far, 290 residents have signed that petition. Their goal is to reach 10,000.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"What is the upside?" asks the online petition, before answering: "A promoter makes some money, and the City of Encinitas promotes tourism.... Stop surfing contests at Swamis -- for God's sake -- is nothing sacred?"

Linda Benson agrees the break is sacred. In fact, that's the reason why she wants to hold the contest at Swami's. Benson, born and raised in Encinitas, started surfing at Swamis back in 1955, when she was 11 years old. Benson acknowledges the concerns from those in opposition. She says those concerns are what prompted her to think up ways to ease the impact on the popular surf break and organize a contest that is different than most professional competitions.

"I knew that we have to do something totally different than any other contest has done in order to make this okay," says Benson during a November 6 phone interview.

Benson proposes closing the parking lot and routing cars to Moonlight Beach where fans can walk to the contest or catch a shuttle to a small festival at K Street. Other changes include using smaller scaffolds for the judges, placing flat screens on the grass area near the parking lot instead of using loud speakers, and anchoring a boat, equipped with speakers, outside the break so that contestants can hear the announcers.

In addition to those changes, Benson intends to donate some of the proceeds to the Keep A Breast Foundation and some to San Diego Coastkeeper.

"If this happens,” says Benson, “we [intend] to raise the bar to such a high caliber that most promoters won't want to hold a contest there unless they are willing to make the same types of changes."

To read the petition, go to thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-surfing-contests-at-swamis. To read Benson's proposal, visit thepetitionsite.com/86/support-the-womens-world-longboard-championships-at-swamis.

(Representatives from Swami's Surfing Association failed to respond to this correspondent’s request for comment.)

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego's Uptown Planners challenged by renters from Vibrant Uptown

Two La Jolla planning groups fight for predominance
Next Article

Nation’s sexy soldiers stage protest at Pendleton in wake of change in Marine uniform policy

Semper WHY?
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.