I would like to follow up on my communication of 18 February, 2012 regarding two of the ISA’s premiere World Championships.

As you know, the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) has been an annual event since 2003, and the ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) has been annual event since 2008.

During the 2011 WSG in Panama, which I was unable to attend due to my back injury, I asked ISA Director General Bob Mignogna to informally survey all of the NGB Presidents attending the event, as I wanted to better understand their thoughts on whether the WJSC and WSG should continue on a yearly schedule.

As a result of those meetings, a formal questionnaire was sent to all ISA Members who had participated in at least one WJSC and one WSG within the past four years.  The results were quite interesting.

Overwhelmingly, ISA Members chose to continue holding the WJSC every year, and many cited this event as the most important program for funding their NGB.  As a result, the ISA Executive Committee has decided that the WJSC will continue every year, and we have signed a contract with DaKine as title sponsor and Billabong as presenting sponsor.

The results of the questionnaire were different for the WSG.  While there was 100% support for continuing the event, a majority of the Members in the survey preferred the event to be held once every two years.  Nevertheless, many of those who voted for the every other year, said they would still attend every year, especially as funding improves after the global recession passes.

As a result, the ISA Executive Committee has decided that we will not have a WSG in 2012, and that the next WSG will be in 2013.   This decision by the ISA Executive Committee is only for years 2012 and 2013. The EC will continue to monitor this situation for 2014 and the years beyond.

Also, the Head Office of the ISA is engaged in discussions with several potential 2013 WSG Sponsors. In the next 45 days you will receive an email from the ISA, to offer you the possibility of your country being a host of the 2013 World Surfing Games.

TEAM RANKINGS FOR THE 2013 ISA CHINA CUP:
As I referenced in my last communication to all ISA Members, dated 18 February, Team results from the upcoming DaKine ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Presented by Billabong in Playa Venao, Panama will be the ones that determine which countries will be invited to the 2013 ISA China Cup.  Also, Team results from the 2012 WJSC will determine 2013 ISA Membership Fees for the Top 16 Teams.

Feel free to contact Anne Tuite annetuite@isasurf.org with any questions regarding this matter.

I look forward to seeing you in Panama.

Thank you and warmest regards,

Fernando Aguerre

ISA President

Martinique Beach

DNR is proposing some significant changes for Martinique over the next several years. More facilities, changes in parking, greater environmental protection. This is your chance to voice your opinion. Fill out the survey and let them know what you think about the proposed changes! Check out details here.

Quiksilver and SANS are pleased to present the 2012 Nor’Easter. The contest will be held on the first day of contestable surf ( March 31, April 1, 7, 8). Contest location will be determined based on conditions, but plan for Lawrencetown Beach. Divisions will include Men’s Open, Women’s Open & Juniors.

Click here for online registration.

SANS will be picking up cheques on Monday morning so please drop your cheque off at If Only Surf Shop or Kannon Beach before then. Please remember:

• Make all cheques out to “The Halifax Regional Municipality”
• $100 per board
• Include the name that you want on the board (feel free to use a business name)
• Include your address so you can receive a tax credit
• Include your phone number in case SANS needs to follow-up

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Iaian Archibald at 478-1146.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this great project a resounding success!

For more information and details on this application, click here.

Coastal access is a topic we can all relate to, and one we often take for granted. Just think of the recent Coastal Access win in Cow Bay or the property at The Moose. Please take a few minutes to download and read the document here.

Remember: We’re one of the groups who enjoy the water year-round. Comments are encouraged, and it’s our responsibility as surfers and coastal stewards to share our thoughts and help protect the ocean.

Link to NS Government site: Province Seeks Feeback on Draft Coastal Strategy

(Halifax, NS) – In late 2009 the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) Council approved the purchase of a coastal lot in Cow Bay to create a coastal access point with the vision of maintaining healthy relationships between the local community, the surfing population and all coastal users. A condition of this venture was a commitment from the surf community to act as stewards of the property and make a financial contribution on behalf of coastal users. We’re happy to say that we have currently raised close to 70% of our agreed-upon contribution.

Leading up to October 25, our “Wooden Plank Campaign” will continue to run. Wooden planks on the boardwalk engraved with a name of your choosing are available for $100 per plank. Tax receipts are available and will be issued before the end of the year. The board can have your name, a friend’s name, family’s name, or your business name engraved. Please make cheques payable to The Halifax Regional Municipality and drop it off in an envelope with the your name, contact information and the name that you would like on the board at Emma’s Eatery in Eastern Passage (31 Cow Bay Rd), If Only Surf Shop in Halifax (1300 Queen Street) or Kannon Beach in Lawrencetown (4144 Lawrencetown Rd.) or mail them to Coastal Acess Committee, 2465 John St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 4K6. Get your donations in while you can, and be a part of this amazing costal legacy!

Phase I of the project, consisting of a parking lot, has already been completed and Phase II of the project, consisting of a boardwalk to access the coast as well as walking trails in the area is due to commence soon! After years of working towards permanent access to the pristine beaches and surf breaks in Cow Bay, the Surfing Association of Nova Scotia is ecstatic to announce that the wait is nearly over and that permanent public access to one of our most pristine breaks is fast approaching.

With your continued support, we will make this public access a place for today’s and future generations to enjoy whether they are surfers, residents of Cow Bay or in many cases both.

For more information:

Sean Kelly & Iaian Archibald

Surfing Association of Nova Scotia

Costal Access Committee

sans@surfns.com

www.surfns.com

Check it out: September 29 - October 2

We were so excited when we heard the CSFF lineup this year. Last year’s inaugural event was a huge hit and a real boost for our community. The festival folks kicked things off last week, launching their program, showed off some trailers, and let me tell you: you don’t want to miss out!

The event takes place this Thursday – Sunday (Septmber 29 – October 2). All screenings are at Empire Park Lane Theatres of Spring Garden Road. The three concerts will take place at The Palace Night Club following screenings on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Here are a few events that caught our eye:

- Sight|Sound, Mikey DeTemple’s sophomore film features local surfers, and has a section that was shot in Nova Scotia. Chcek it out on opening night, Thursday at 8:30PM.

- SANS is a community partner with the festival. We’re sponsoring the Short Film Challenge. All Canadian content. East & West Coast films, including a short submitted by Canadian rock legend, Matt Mays. Mays’ will also perform for a second year in a row. The event sold out last year…

- Quiksilver night will have local content with the Cypher Film Challenge, featuring Nico Manos. “Just Add Water” Clay Marzo’s critically acclaimed film about his struggles with Asperger’s.

- Last year, 180 Degrees South was a fan favorite film. 180 South star Keith Malloy’s new film Come Hell or High Water premieres on Saturday, October 1.

- Screenings wrap up Sunday night with a generational clash. The Hot Generation from the 1960′s is paired with Who is J.O.B., Jamie O’Brien’s latest film. This night will take you from the height of 60′s longboarding to a new era of post-2010 high performance surf smashing! Come get some!

- SANS president Justin Huston will be on the CSFF Jury, joining Scott Huelet (editor of The Surfer’s Journal); Devon Howard, (Patagonia); Grant Ellis (photo editor, Surfer Magazine); Ricardo Salcedo, (freelance writer); and Andrew Murphy, (Atlantic Film Festival)

Come by and support this growing festival. Hope to see everyone there!

To buy tickets, visit TicketPro

For more info, program guides, &  film trailers, visit csff.ca

Boys Under-18
1. Cree De Clouett
2. Colin Colson
3. Jamie Smith

Women’s Open
1. Janine Strickland
2. Alexandra Grootkoerkamp
3. Michelle Richards

Men’s Open
1. Nico Manos
2. Dean Petty
3. Jacob Albury

It’s great that people came down to watch the waves and hang out while their friends surfed, and it’s OK that there were a lot of people in the water, even though there were many that didn’t have the skills to be out there. This is all a part of summertime and the whole hurricane hype machine.

But what is not OK is being disrespectful to the very people we rely on to access the surf. I’m talking about the Cow Bay Church and all the cars in the parking lot, the litter that was left behind, people camping (on a Sunday morning no less!), and people shitting, yes shitting, behind the church.

Ever heard of the old adage, “Don’t shit where you eat”? Or how about the one, “One rotten apple spoils the barrel”?

We are very, very fortunate to be allowed to cross private property to get to the surf. There’s plenty of parking alongside the road, it’s painless to throw your Tim’s cup in the back of your car, and it should go without saying that you don’t take a dump on someone’s lawn, let alone a church lawn.

Show some respect for the church property, or I guarantee you that we will be losing access through there real quick. If you see people knowingly or unknowingly doing things that put our access at risk, please ask them to stop.

SANS is going to approach the folks that attend and take care of the church to see if we can help with a gate or something across the driveway (some of you may recall that there was at one time a simple chain there, that is until someone ripped it out). In the meantime, the best thing we can all do is just park on the road and keep the place clean.

Thanks,

Justin Huston
SANS President