Mercury News: Bill calls for protection of ‘surfing reserves’ off California’s coast

April 7: California’s coastline is dotted with world-class surf breaks — from the iconic Malibu that helped fuel the culture and popularity of the sport to the monster waves at Mavericks in Northern California that test elite big wave surfers to Lower Trestles, the site of the LA28 Olympics — and proposed legislation could protect them. A bill authored by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, would designate state surfing reserves using the California Coastal Act of 1976, which aims at giving protections for coastal areas from development and ensuring public access. Irwin notes that the coastline spans 1,100 miles, and the state is home to a number of world-famous surf breaks. “These breaks are destinations for millions of domestic and international surfers, and generate several billion dollars of economic activity every year,” she said in a statement. More HERE.