Surf’s Up for SDSU
Surfer Derek Dunfee. Photo by Frank Quirate
Take a walk on one of the beautiful beaches in Indonesia, Fiji, or Papua New Guinea, and chances are you will see a number of surfers from different countries riding the waves, laying on the beach or getting a bite at a local water front restaurant. How these and other countries adapt to an influx of surfing tourists is the focus of the world’s first Center for Surf Research (CSR), which is launching this month at San Diego State University.
Surf tourism is a rapidly expanding trend throughout the world’s surfable coasts. According to the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, the American surf industry is worth about $7 billion annually and surfing and surf tourism impacts coastal environments in nearly 120 countries. Yet impoverished coastal communities in the less developed world have become unprepared and sometimes unwilling hosts to traveling surfers with different cultural norms and values.
Jess Ponting, professor in SDSU’s Sustainable Tourism program and director of the CSR, said that too often surf destination communities shoulder major social, cultural and environmental costs while seeing relatively little economic benefit.
“Surfing is such an environmentally aware activity. Surfers take great care of the oceans,” Ponting said. “But they don’t always think about the rest of their surroundings. We want to teach students about sustainable surf travel, to conduct research into sustainable surf tourism management, to provide support for surf tourism operators looking to go green, and to support surf tourism destination communities.”
The Center for Surf Research will be a no-profit research and teaching center housed in SDSU’s L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. It will host a kickoff symposium, The Audacity of Stoke, on Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.
The CSR will lead surf tourism to a more sustainable path by:
• Engaging with the surf industry and surf tourism industry to create a cutting edge research agenda.
• Disseminating specialist knowledge to governments, the surf industry, tourism developers, destination communities, non-profits, and tourists.
• Shaping responsible global citizens through life-changing experiential learning opportunities.
• Inspiring active stakeholder engagement with the social and economic development of destination communities, sustainable use of their resources, and conservation of their critical environments.
The center will take students abroad to Peru this winter where they will surf and study the surf tourism culture and its impacts.
Ponting said the center will disseminate research to government, communities, nonprofits and tourists that analyzes and assesses various models of surf tourism management and explores new ways to affect positive change in the practice of surf tourism.
He expects the center to develop best practice codes of conduct for all stakeholders in sustainable surf tourism and establish an in-house accreditation/sustainable best practice surf tourism labeling system.
Speakers at symposium include:
Fernando Aguerre, philanthropist; Rusty Miller (’64), surf legend; Jon Roseman, co-owner, Tavarua; Dave Jenkins, founder of SurAid; Steve Barilotti, Surfer Magazine; Serge Dedina, Wild Coast; surf industry representatives; a panel of surfer nonprofit CEOs.
The website for the Center for Surf Research will launch at http://csr.sdsu.edu.
— Greg Block, SDSU
Irvine Company Buildings Receive High Green Ratings
Two of the Irvine Company’s Class A office buildings in San Diego have been awarded LEED certifications by the U.S. Green Building Council to designate them as high-performing sustainable structures. 101 W. Broadway, a 20-story office building in Downtown San Diego, and La Jolla Centre, a two-building office complex in La Jolla-University Towne Centre, received the certifications.
101 BroadwayLa Jolla Centre
101 W. Broadway earned the highest level of certification attainable —LEED Platinum — in the Existing Buildings: Operations and Management category, which scores buildings on water and energy efficiency, waste management, sustainable purchasing, temperature monitoring, commuting programs, environmentally friendly cleaning and other criteria.
101 W. Broadway is only the second existing office building in San Diego to earn LEED Platinum (along with Glenborough LLC’s Aventine Office Building in UTC) and is among a select number of buildings nationally with the honor, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Built in 1982, 101 W. Broadway is among even fewer from its era to hold LEED Platinum status. It is the second Irvine Company Office Properties building to earn LEED Platinum certification after Hyatt Center in Downtown Chicago.
La Jolla Centre earned LEED Silver certification in the Existing Buildings: Operations and Management category.
Small Business Workshops
SCORE San Diego continues its series of small business workshops. For more information, call (619) 557-7272 or visit score-sandiego.org.
• Sept. 16 Women’s Networking Breakfast and Exhibits 8 to 11 a.m. at Morgan Run Resort & Club in Rancho Santa Fe (5690 Cancha de Golf, Rancho Santa Fe 92091; Attendees: $30 pre-paid registration by Sep. 13, $40 thereafter; Exhibitors: $80 pre-paid registration by Sep. 13, $90 thereafter).
• Sept. 16 Managing Grants and Contracts for Nonprofits 9 to 11:30 a.m. at The San Diego Foundation in Point Loma (2508 Historic Decatur Rd., #200, San Diego 92106; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).
• Sept. 19 Business Basics 101 9 a.m. to noon at National University in Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92011; no charge please pre-register).
• Sept. 20 California Sales and Use Tax Basics 1 to 3 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Avenue, San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).
• Sept. 21 Business Plan 201: How to Write a Winning Business Plan 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Avenue, San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $99, $109 at the door).
• Sept. 22 How to Start a Nonprofit 9 to 11:30 a.m. at The San Diego Foundation in Point Loma (2508 Historic Decatur Rd., #200, San Diego 92106; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).
• Sept. 23 Professional Selling: Increase Your Business Sales Now! 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Avenue, San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• Sept. 27 Marketing and Contracting with State and Local Governments 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Avenue, San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• Sept. 29 Tax Considerations for Small Business 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).
• Sept. 30 Business Basics 101 9 a.m. to noon at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Avenue, San Diego 92123; no charge please pre-register).
The Daily Business Report is produced by REP Publishing Inc., publisher of SD METRO, the North Park News and the West Coast Craftsman. Contact: Manny Cruz (619) 287-1865.
