International Surfing Day, held annually on the third Saturday of June, is an unofficial, environmentally conscious sports-centered holiday that celebrates the sport of

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

, surfing lifestyle, and the sustainability of ocean resources.The Third Annual International Surfing Day is back Friday June 20th
by Nicole DeJesus, access date June 27, 2008International Surfing Day Clean Up Set for June 21
By Jenna Ishii, September 6, 2008, Hawaii Reporter, access date June 27, 2008 Contests and prizes
, SurfersVillage, June 16, 2008, access date June 27, 2008 are also part of the celebration, with surfing-related industries donating prizes such as surfboards and wetsuits.International Surfing Day Gets Challenging
Surfline, Press Release, June 16, 2008, access date June 26, 2008 Another purpose of the

celebration Celebration or Celebrations may refer to: Film, television and theatre * ''Celebration'' (musical), by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, 1969 * ''Celebration'' (play), by Harold Pinter, 2000 * ''Celebration'' (TV series), a Canadian music TV serie ...

is to promote the popularity of surfing and to attract new participants.Surfing Day celebrated on beaches throughout Europe/UNE VAGUE SANS FRONTIERES !
June 25, 2008, Surfers Village, access date June 30, 2008

History

International Surfing Day was established in 2005 by ''

Surfing Magazine ''Surfing Magazine'', originally titled ''International Surfing Magazine'', was a magazine that was founded in 1964 by Orange County local Dick Graham and surf photographer Leroy Grannis. Later the magazine was acquired by Adrian B. Lopez, a New Yo ...

''O.C., A.C. celebrate surfing 'holiday' today
by Jon Coen, For The Press/PressOfAtlanticCity.com, June 20, 2008, access date June 25, 2008International Surfing Day Gets Challenging
June 16, 2008, access date June 25, 2008 and

The Surfrider Foundation The Surfrider Foundation USA is a U.S. 501(c)(3) grassroots non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and preserve the world's oceans, waves and beaches. It focuses on water quality, beach access, beach and surf spot preservati ...

. International Surfing Day closely follows the spirit and intent of the World Surf Day, established by the Usenet newsgroup alt.surfing in 1993.alt.surfing
/ref> International Surfing Day is a worldwide
, La Capital (newspaper), access date June 27, 2008 celebration of the sport of surfing. The day is observed with surf contests, barbecues,On The Sidelines
''

Newport News Times The ''News-Times'' is a semiweekly newspaper published in Newport, Oregon, United States. It was established in the 1880s and is owned by the News Media Corporation. The ''News-Times'' is published on Wednesdays and Fridays has a circulation of 6, ...

'', June 20, 2008, access date June 27, 2008 film screenings and other surf-related activities. Surfers also use the day to give back to the environment by organizing beach clean-ups,projects focus of Surf Day petition
by Sarah Webster, APP.com, June 22, 2008, access date June 25, 2008Surfers have global mission
, SeaCoastOnline, access date June 22, 2008Lake Worth: International Surfing Day to be marked at city beach
June 16, 2008, Lake Worth Sun-Sentinel, access date June 26, 2008Harbor gets a Surfing Day cleanup
by Rachale Gehrlein, June 25, 2008, access date June 26, 2008 dune and other habitat restoration and other activities such as lobbying to maintain the recreation areas in California where surfing occurs, or planting

Naupaka ''Scaevola'' is a genus of flowering plants in the '' Goodenia'' family, Goodeniaceae. It consists of more than 130 species, with the center of diversity being Australia and Polynesia. There are around 80 species in Australia, occurring througho ...

(a flowering coastal plant) in Hawaii.Surf's up
by Jen Ingan, New Times, Strokes and Plugs, June 19, 2008, access date June 27, 2008
''The Maui News'', June 18, 2008, access date June 27, 2008 Direct action was used by form of protest on this day in England to express opposition to sewage in the waters of the Gold Coast; a precarious problem for many surfers who become infected by the bacteria from open wounds from sports-related injuries.SAS celebrate International Surfing Day at the Gold Coast Festival
, June 20, 2008, access date June 27, 2008

Extent of celebrations

International Surf Day events have been held on all populated continents including South America where it is celebrated in

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

,International Surfing Day
Surfrider Foundation and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. Also in the Southern Hemisphere the holiday is observed in the Oceanian nations of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

News International Surfing Day
by Richard Hardy, June 19, 2008, Drift Surf Magazine, access date June 26, 2008 and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. The day is also widely observed in the American state of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, also in Oceania. In North America the surfing day is most widely observed and celebrations may be found in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

, the French Antilles,

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

,El Salvador Takes International Surfing Day To New Heights
, by Emilia Estrada, Surfing Magazine, access date June 27, 2008 Mexico,El viernes 20 de Junio se celebra el Día Internacional del Surf 2008
by Carlos Cohen, Surfeando, June 18, 2008, access date June 27, 2008 and in the majority of coastal states of the United States: California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida,Justin Beard: Board Meeting
by Justin Beard, June 19, 2008, access date June 27, 2008 Georgia (U. S. state), Georgia,ESA Georgia Surf Contest This Weekend
TransWorldSurf, June 24, 2008, access date June 25, 2008 Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York (state), New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina,International Surfing Day on Friday – Summer of Surf Celebration This Weekend on Folly Beach
, Moultrie News, June 18, 2008, access date June 27, 2008 Texas, and Virginia. After North America the observance has the most popularity in Europe: including in most of the coastal European Union and it is held by surf enthusiasts in France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, and Belgium. Further European celebrations are held in Norway, in addition to many of the EU nations overseas possessions. In Africa, the two French territories of Réunion and Mayotte hold annual festivities alongside Morocco, the Spanish insular area of the Canary Islands and South Africa. The day has also taken hold in some other countries such as Israel and Japan.

Notes

External links

* International Surfing Da
official website
* International Surfing Da
Social Network
{{Surfing June observances Unofficial observances Surfing Recurring events established in 2004 International observances Saturday observances

History

Extent of celebrations

See also

Notes

External links