including one on the Outer Banks 

 and one in Wilmington — and 

 four international affiliates. 



"I am a water enthusiast and 

 believe in the foundation's 

 mission statement: 'clean water, 

 clean beach and access to beach,'" 

 says McMillan. "We do this 

 through conservation activism, 

 research and education." 



At Rodanthe, members 

 worked with public officials to 

 increase public parking near a 

 private pier, thus offering greater 

 beach access. 



"The only access for the 

 public is at the private pier," says 

 McMillan. "The pier owner 

 wanted his pier used for fishing 

 and not surfing. Our chapter tried 

 to smooth matters over with the 

 pier management and worked 

 with Dare County to donate land 

 and build a parking lot." The 

 group also received a state grant. 



The organization also 

 supported the relocation of the 

 Cape Hatteras lighthouse. 

 "Nationally, Surfrider is against 

 hardened structures like jetties and 

 sea walls," says Joan Van 

 Newenhizen, co-chair of the 

 group. "We believe nature should 

 take its course." 



Occasionally, the ESA Outer 

 Banks District advocates for 

 surfers' rights. When the 

 Currituck County Board of 

 Commissioners wanted to ban 

 surfers in the water during red- 

 flag days, the ESA convinced 

 them to allow surfing during 

 turbulent weather. 



"Experienced surfers know 

 when not to go into the water," 

 says Julie Hume. 



The Surfrider Foundation also is 

 environmentally active, encouraging good 

 stewardship of coastal resources. 



As keepers of the coast, the group 

 educates young people about preserving the 

 beach. Each year, they sponsor a "Respect 

 the Beach" poster contest for middle and 

 high school students. Last year, they 



Contestants check the scoreboard. 



Two surfers anticipate their 3A men's heat. 



sponsored a half-day "Respect the Beach" 

 camp for youngsters between ages 5 and 9. 

 The group also gives an Outer Banks 

 Surfrider Scholarship to a high school 

 student. 



The group conducts research when 

 needed. After a Halloween storm in 1992 

 flooded the bypass in Kitty Hawk, the town 

 proposed an outfall pipe for storm runoff. 



The Surfrider Foundation 

 countered with an alternative plan. 



"We had concern about the 

 petroleum runoff." says 

 McMillan. "One alternative that 

 we proposed was putting a gate 

 valve on the pipe. When we have 

 a big storm, the valve is opened." 



The Outer Banks Surfrider 

 Foundation also initiated the first 

 Adopt- A-Beach program in 1993 

 in Dare County, covering over 20 

 miles of public beach. The 

 program is modeled after the 

 Adopt-A-Highway Program. 

 "It has been a very successful 

 endeavor and involves various 

 segments of the community 

 working together to keep our 

 beaches clean and beautiful," 

 says Van Newenhizen. 



Each September, the 

 organization helps coordinate 

 Dare County's Big Sweep, part of 

 a statewide waterways cleanup. 

 For the last three years, the 

 chapter has provided trash bags 

 across the state for Big Sweep. 



Other surfers continue the 

 cleanup year-round. Once a 

 month, ESA members clean up a 

 beach on Oregon Street in Kill 

 Devil Hills. 



The Outer Banks Surfrider 

 chapter was formed in 1991. 

 "Our main impetus was stopping 

 offshore oil drilling by Mobil 

 Oil," says McMillan. 



Since then, the chapter has 

 been involved in a number of 

 coastal issues. 



After a campaign by the 

 group to raise awareness of poor 

 water quality, Dare County began 

 a water-testing program. 

 "Over the last 50 years, the surfing 

 culture has evolved from sport to business 

 to environmental action," says Orbach. 



"The Hawaiians use the concept of a 

 'waterman' to mean someone who surfs, 

 sails, fishes, and is generally aware and a 

 knowledgeable user of the ocean and its 

 resources. That is what many of today's 

 surfers strive for." □ 



COASTWATCH 17 



