The first regional contest of the year, the Clean Water Classic, is THIS WEEKEND!

The 7th annual Clean Water Classic surfing contest will be held May 16th to 18th at Westport, Washington. This event is a benefit for the Pacific Northwest chapters of the Surfrider Foundation, and has been awarded the Surfrider Foundation Chapter Event of the Year. The Classic is the oldest continuously running surf competition in the Pacific Northwest. In 2008, the Classic will debut a Stand Up Paddle demo heat and a keiki (youth) heat. Registration forms for the Classic are now available on line at CleanWaterClassic.com. Most of the heats fill up completely, and competitors should not rely on beach registrations due to the high popularity of this event.

Pete Stauffer is the Oregon Policy Coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation. Pete explains the importance of the Classic to the Pacific Northwest chapters. “The CWC generates crucial funding for the volunteer chapters of Surfrider throughout the Pacific Northwest. These funds help support a variety of campaigns and programs that focus on water quality, beach access, ocean health, and shoreline preservation. We really appreciate all the support provided by local surf shops and shapers to help make the contest a success. The event would not be possible without the wonderful support of the community of Westport.”

Pint Nite comes May 21st to Backspace

Portland Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and Kona Brewing are holding a Pint Night fundraiser for their growing initiative on reducing plastics in the consumer marketplace and in our coastal watersheds and beaches. Please join us at Backspace in downtown Portland on Wed, May 21st at 6pm. Attendees can purchase pint glasses with Surfrider Foundation and Kona Brewing logos. The glasses can be filled or empty. There will be lots information of Surfrider campaigns and programs plus surf films and music. Kona Brewing partnered with Portland Chapter of Surfrider Foundation to develop this fundraising program to help the chapter's plastics awareness campaign; which had its official kick off on Cinco de Mayo (May 5th). Kona beers to be featured at the event are Longboard Lager and Fire Rock Pale Ale.

Water quality advisories (a.k.a. the poo factor)

Sample results detected higher thannormal fecal bacteria levels at the following locations:

No advisories at this time.

The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program (OBMP) monitors the waters along Oregon's coastline for the presence of fecal bacteria, and reports elevated levels to the public. For information on advisories, testing sites, and the program in general, follow this link.

OSP Logo Hoodies Hoodies, t-shirts, nice embroidered beanies and stickers available in the OregonSurf store. Just can't get enough of the OSP. Click here to order.

Shark research along the Pacific coast

The Shark Research Committee is requesting the assistance of the Oregon surfing community in establishing a network of volunteers willing to report encounters, observed predatory events, and sightings of White Sharks.
The online Reporting Forms are available at: www.sharkresearchcommittee.com. Check the Shark News page for regional updates.