Photo caption: Be one of the first three to email: info@crsurf.com with the name of this break and win a sticker pack from CR Surf Travel Co.

~ Photo: Alfonso Petrirena (Last month was “Tulin”)

FORECAST

Caribbean Coast: Since the experts are calling for an active hurricane season for the Atlantic, it’s expected to push in chest to head-high surf anytime the winds pick up. Otherwise it will be hot, humid, and flat — great for snorkeling and sunbathing with a cold Imperial or coconut water.

Pacific Coast: Already, two tropical systems have brushed the coastline, bringing some flooding and plenty of local wind swell. After the big south swell pushes 2 to 3 feet overhead through for the Fourth of July weekend, it backs off to chest to head-high surf for the next week. Then another southwest swell arrives midmonth, keeping it overhead for another week, followed by waves from the south. Nothing major is showing later in the month, so the best waves are at the beginning.

New moon: July 11

Full moon: June 25

TRAVEL

A few rumbles are still being felt along the coast, and the new toll road to the Pacific has been closed off temporarily during certain days, so be prepared for detours or take the old route. The problem was that the walls cut from the mountain were too steep, and so rocks have been falling on the highway.

If you head to the Caribbean, be sure to check out a festival created in honor of Costa Rican calypso legend Walter “Mr. Gavitt” Ferguson. It will be celebrated July 5-18 in his hometown of Cahuita, on the southern Caribbean coast. Read more on their site, Festival del Cultura de Cahuita — www.adic.soy.es.

La Dolce Vita in Playa Esterillos Oeste is holding a photo contest, with a three-night stay at the resort as the top prize. Check their site for more information and to submit your photo — www.resortladolcevita.com

There are still plenty of great hotels are offering special low season deals that only CRSURF promote. How about $15/night economy rooms in Playa Grande, hostels and guesthouses from $12/night per person? A standard SUV is only $168 plus insurance. So send us your ideas for a relaxing summer vacation with great surf and we’ll put together a trip for you.

Best flights found for July: JetBlue from Orlando for $426, American Airlines from Miami for $340. The cheaper flights are later in the month and August.

CONTESTS

Luz de Vida Resort in Santa Teresa is hosting a pro surf contest on the weekend of July 9-11. There will be $10,000 in prizes with Open, Juniors, and Womens divisions. Check www.luzdevida-resort.com/torneo/Challenge.html

The Costa Rica National Surf Circuit ended June 26 with Luis Vindas winning the National title in the Open Division. Carlos Munoz took 1st place for Juniors and Lisbeth Vindas won her 8th National title. Congratulations to Noe Mar McGonagle from Pavones, on the CRSURF team, who took 1st in Grommets and 2nd in Boys.

ENVIRONMENT/COMMUNITY

Help put up bridges for monkeys in Manuel Antonio. Call 2777-2592 or e-mail info@kidssavingtherainforest.org. Or if you are in Playa Negra, get out to Azul Profundo Boutique or Luna Llena hotel to buy a souvenir t-shirt, mug, or sticker for the Salve Monos “Save the Monkey” program. They dedicate countless hours and every dollar or colon received to the area’s howler monkeys. All profits go to planting trees for corridors, putting up bridges over streets and power lines, and conducting population studies.

Thanks to Ron McLean at Dominical Photos, the lifeguard program has a new website. The lifeguards have made dozens of saves this year, and their salaries rely on donations from the community and tourists. During the last peak season, professional lifeguards stayed in town to volunteer their services, too. If you’d like to contribute resources to the program, visit www.dominicallifeguards.com. CRSURF also supports the lifeguards in Esterillos, Tamarindo, and Playa Cocles.

CRSURF eco-T-shirts are on still on sale for only $10! They are made in Florida from recycled plastic and cotton, and we are donating $3 from each shirt sold to the Surfrider Foundation’s Tamarindo Chapter, PRETOMA (to stop illegal shark finning), and the Dominical Lifeguards. You can also buy leashes and boardbags from WaveTribe, made from hemp and recycled materials.

Indian & Banana River Fishing Report: July ‘10
• Captain Rob D’Andrea •
www.orlando-fishingcharters.com

In the immortal words of Alice Cooper: “Schools… Out… For… Summer!”  This is a fantastic time to connect with the kids in your life, and fishing is a great way to do it. We’re lucky to live in an area so rich with wildlife and natural beauty. There are many adventures to be had out there, so grab the fishing gear and show the youngsters in your life a thing or two about being an angler.

Indian River & Banana River

The redfish and trout fishing continue to be productive during the first few hours of the morning as well as the last few hours before sunset. As far as artificial lures go, the Heddon Torpedo and Zara Spook fished rapidly on the surface will provoke violent strikes from hungry trout and redfish. Bass Assassin Shads are also working as usual. Live free-lined shrimp and pigfish are the ticket for those who don’t want to work so hard! The grass flats of the Indian River around Pine Island and the Thousand Island area of Cocoa Beach in the Banana River have been providing excellent fishing. Fair numbers of snook have been biting in creeks and canals of these areas, and it can be fast and furious where current from runoff is located. D.O.A shrimp and jerk baits will take them for some enjoyable catch-and-release fishing.  Tarpon are still present and can be spotted while snook fishing and have been weighing anywhere from 10 to 50 lbs.

Cape Canaveral Inshore

There’s a smorgasbord of fish right now off the beaches chewing on pogies and sardines. In 20 to 40 ft. of water we’ve got cobia, kingfish, tarpon, snook, redfish, jack crevalle, and sharks gorging themselves on numerous bait pods. Grab your cast net or sabiki rig, fill your bait well with livies, and start catching. I usually start fishing just outside of where I catch my live bait. I’ll sight fish to visible fish, drift, and slow-troll for success. The fish have been running larger than usual this year with cobia up to 80 lbs., kingfish to 50 lbs., and tarpon to 150 lbs., all being caught recently. There have also been 300+ lb. bull sharks swimming around looking to crash the party, so make sure you eat your Wheaties.

Lake Toho

Lake Toho continues to produce the Orlando trophy bass it’s known for. This year, I’ve seen some of the best big bass fishing in recent memory. The lake drawdown six years ago to scrape areas of muck off the bottom has allowed native vegetation to re-establish itself and greatly improved water quality and bass spawning habitat. I believe we are just starting to see the benefits of the restoration and the fishing will get even better. The bass are well into their summer patterns right now, and the majority of the fish are being caught offshore around submerged vegetation in 4 to 8 ft. of water. Various topwater lures have been effective early and late, and 10″ worms, Florida or Carolina rigged, have been a good bet throughout the day.

Catch ‘em up!

Capt. Rob D’Andrea runs Hooked On Fishing Charters (321) 514-2967 and specializes in inshore saltwater and freshwater lakes. Full, half, and 3/4-day charters available.

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: July ‘10
• Captain Scott Bussen •

Mama always said: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

I would like to start out by saying sorry to Mom. I just can’t find anything positive to say about NMFS, and I’m damn sure not going to keep my mouth shut about the absolute travesty they call “fisheries management.”

In case you haven’t heard, the Council voted 9 to 4 in favor of Amendment 17A, which will include a continued closure on red snapper for up to 35 years. It will also include a large area closure for all bottom fishing from 98′ to 240′ from around Melbourne extending to a portion of Georgia. For a group of people who are supposed to be intelligent, the Council seem to be more like intellectually challenged sheep. If they’re going to be ignorant animals that follow the animal in front of them, then why couldn’t they be more like lemmings and find a cliff to follow each other off? Probably because Florida is too flat… Maybe a rooftop? I’m not sure what lemmings eat, but I’ve got a little cash in the old slush fund to help build the primrose path. Maybe the rest should just stay in my head…

Who was that guy? Whoever he is, I think maybe the sun has turned his brain into scrambled eggs. I’m thinking orderlies in a white van, white scrubs, and a padded room might be in his future. Maybe I shouldn’t be too hard on him, it has been extremely hot.

It always seems that the hotter it gets, the slower the fishing gets. It gets that way every summer. The pelagics are mostly gone and the cold Labrador Current causes the bottom fishing to shut down. The fishing last month was actually pretty good, and hopefully this month will follow suit.

The live baiting in June was definitely spotty. One day the kings would go crazy, the next it would be a struggle to catch a handful. For this month, I would expect much of the same. The key will be finding the fish the day you are fishing. There will likely be no discernible pattern to the king’s location. It will require a bit of luck or possibly some help from a friend on the radio. Once found, the fish may be a bit picky, so make sure you have some quality live baits. If you can’t find the pogies on the beach, stop and catch some greenies or sardines on the way out. Action could be found anywhere from right in the surf to the reefs and wrecks out to 120′. The mackerel will be the most solid bite, but you might also catch dolphin, cobia, sailfish, wahoo, bonito, barracuda, and sharks.

Unfortunately, the cold water upwelling shut down the bottom fishing last month. There were, however, a few decent catches of grouper and amberjack. As long as the cold water stays around, the bottom fishing will remain slow and sporadic. The best bet for July will be finding areas where the fish are holding above the cold water. These fish will not show on your fish finder unless you have the screen expanded to see the fish holding in the warmer surface water. If you can find areas where these fish are holding “up in the water,” the action can be awesome. The amberjacks and snappers will sometimes come right to the back of the boat. For the mangroves, you may have to use a flourocarbon leader as light as 30#. Hide your hook in a piece of sardine and let it drift down naturally. You may have to use flouro for the jacks too, but try not to use less than 80# or they will run you down to the wreck. Either way, be prepared to release plenty of the endangered red snapper. Baaaah… Baaaah…

If you want to stay closer to home, try livebaiting on the beach. There should be an assortment of kings, jacks, tarpon, sharks, and barracuda to keep you busy. If you want to target the tarpon, try using flouro leaders with circle hooks. The tarpon will likely be closer to the beach and bait as the others. You should be able to see the fish rolling or gulping air occasionally. For the others, use the wire stinger rigs a little further offshore in the cleaner water. Sometimes the best bite will be in the afternoon when the sea breeze starts or the storms start looming from the west.

Whatever the case, get out and catch something before NMFS takes away all your rights to the ocean and gives them to their brother, Big Oil.

See ya on the pond!!

Sebastian Area Fishing Report: July ‘10
• Captain Sherrie Stovall •

The weather has been flat calm and the fishing overall has been hot.. or maybe that’s just the temperature outside.

The offshore bar is holding some good numbers of kingfish right now. Slow-troll live baits or free-line them off your transom for an aerial show complete with exploding action as a silver bullet launches from the water and into the sky. Sailfish and dolphin are being caught on trolled ballyhoo in blue water from 130 ft. on out toward the cones. Get close to the Gulf Stream for temperature breaks and floating debris. Good numbers of cobia are still being caught along the Bethel Ledges and shallow bars close to shore. This will slow down as the month progresses. Many boaters have been bringing home a bonus cobia after a long day on the water.

I’ve been holding off on the bad news for this report — it looks like the cold summertime water is here already and not playing around. The surface temperatures have really dropped and it is frigid on the bottom already. Divers are about the only ones who are happy when the cold water upwellings move in for the summer. Most of the fish rock up in their favorite holes or caves to conserve energy until the water temps warm up. The bottom fishing is a bust with the new regulations, and if you want to mess with the smaller bucket fish like sea bass and triggers, that will slow down now with this cold water.

Sebastian Inlet has been a pretty good bet recently. The inlet is full of sheepshead right now, so grab your barnacle scraper and some fiddler crabs and go get them. The small blue crabs are starting to float out of the river on the outgoing tides. This can bring a whole herd of different species into the Inlet to suck them off the top. Expect big redfish, snook, tarpon, permit, and maybe even a cobia to be in there fighting for a chance at one of these crabs. If you can match the hatch and scoop up some of the crabs floating out, that will definitely work. If you can’t get any crabs, heavy topwater plugs thrown out in the middle of the Inlet will also work. The permit are usually further out off the tip, so long casts with a heavy weight can do the trick.

The surf has been too calm recently to provide any of the wave action the fish like. Early morning high tides have been the best time to fish. If we get a little swell, expect fishing to improve. Despite all this, anglers are still picking up some nice-sized whiting and the occasional pompano. Most of the pompano have been small, so release these fish with care. One thing you can do when it’s calm is work the trough with your favorite lure. There are plenty of snook cruising the surf right now up against the beach. When it’s calm and clear you can actually sight-fish them. Areas around the Inlet tend to produce more fish, so grab your plug box, and walk and cast to get exercise at the same time.

The river this time of year is going to be best in the morning or evening. The water warms up quickly as the sun begins to climb, so the fish are most active in low light conditions. Live shrimp or pig fish under a popping cork can work wonders. If you’re an artificial guy or gal, topwater plugs or shallow diving plugs can do the trick. I’ve been hearing good reports of big trout and slot-sized reds in the river. With these long days, it’s great if you’re an early bird because you can get a few hours of fishing in the morning and still make it to work on time.

As always, check in at Whitey’s for the latest and greatest fishing reports and techniques. If you want to get on the river for a day of fishing, check out our rental boat fleet at: www.sebastianinlet.com.

Until next time, tight lines!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
• Lani Mucha •

Reports of the first swell of the season got me up at sunrise. Standing there at the Johnson Street crossover, I could see three silhouettes bobbing in the surf. You can find the same three local girls most mornings, in the same spot, sharing a good time catching waves. I’ve always felt a better vibe out in the lineup when women were out surfing. They seemed to make us guys forget about the mano-a-mano battles for waves, if even for a moment.

But women have played a much larger role in surfing than tempering the temperaments in the lineup. Of the 93 members of the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame, 14 members are women. Mimi Munro started it all back in the 1960s, winning several East Coast Surfing Championships, including a third place at the World Championship at the age of 14. You can still find Mimi surfing for fun or competing in the local area. And there there’s Frieda Zamba. While living in California as a grom, I remember hearing her name. Turns out, not only is she a four-time world surfing champion, but also from Florida. Lisa Anderson is another four-time world champion from the State of Florida. Lisa was the first sponsored rider for Quicksilver/Roxy surfwear and continues to work in the surf industry today. One of the newest inductees to the ECSHF is Cocoa Beach’s own Sharon Wolfe-Cranston, winner of four U.S. surfing championships spanning 12 years, in four different divisions –- and on three coasts.

Today, women are hitting the waves in ever larger numbers. At the 2009 Slater Brothers Invitational surf contest, which invites 48 of the best local and touring pros, Cocoa Beach local Lauren McLean was the first woman in the history of the contest to get an invite advancing to the semi-final round. There are too many up-and-comers to list, but they include Amy Nichols, Savannah Bradley, Nikki Viesins, Chelsea Gresham, Jasset Umbel, Michelle Au, and Hanna Claunch.

It appears the women at the forefront of surfing have left a great foundation for generations of surfer girls to come.

In July, The Cocoa Beach Surf Museum presents “Florida Women of the Waves,” an exhibit featuring Florida female surfers from the early 60s up to the newest up and comers in the sport. A weekend of activities starts July 23 with the surf movie “Dear & Yonder,” at the Cocoa Beach Library. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and organic popcorn will be served. Then on Saturday, July 24, it’s the Ladies’ Surfing Social, from 9 a.m. to noon, on the beach behind The International Palms Resort in Cocoa Beach. Expect a casual gathering of friends at the beach and maybe some surfing, too. All this is lead up to the Exhibit Opening on Saturday, July 24, from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Cocoa Beach Surf Museum. We’ll enjoy live music and light refreshments. The Museum is located at 4275 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, inside the Ron Jon watersports building. The opening is free and open to the public.

The exhibit carries at its heart surfing from a woman’s perspective. In a first for CBSM, the exhibit and its peripheral events are being managed by a female curator team: Melody DeCarlo and Sharon Wolfe-Cranston. The exhibit includes numerous photographs, newsprint articles, event memorabilia, boards, and more. Biographies showcase the accomplishments, depth of experience, and influence women bring the sport, and art, of surfing, locally and across the globe

For more information about “Florida Women of the Waves,” as well as all the other great museum opportunities, please visit our website at www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org, or call Tony Sasso, (321) 258-8217. The Museum is located at 4275 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, in the Ron Jon Watersports Building.

Shark Report: The Manta Ray
Manta birostris, the Manta Ray

As I was ruminating on sharks of past features and the potentials for future ones, it was suggested by someone that I cover not a shark, but a ray.

Although this is a shark journal, rays are in fact related to sharks. Rays are something that many of ya’ll have seen out in our waters, so I figured I’d give you the rundown on the suggestion from our old bro, T.J.

It can and will be confused with some of the sharks we see in the lineup, but as I seem to be the guy telling ya’ll about these species month after month, I thought I would clarify some questions readers might have. T.J. said he saw one in the lineup recently, and they do seem to show up more and more in our area this time of year. I’d like to introduce you guys to an elasmobranch I’ve not written about before. This month’s species: is Manta birostris, the manta ray.

Look at some of the fishing reports in this publication, and many of them will tell of the appearance of the cobia during the summer months. Talk to any fisherman and they’ll tell you that they mainly look for one thing on the water to help locate cobia: manta rays. Cobia orient themselves near large objects, and mantas seem to be some of the largest in our waters. Although manta rays are not of commercial or recreational value in our area, they sure as heck have an impact on some of the species that do.

This creature is an unmistakable species; they are huge, growing to lengths of up to 30 feet tip to tip. Although some may be confused with another species — the devil ray — the huge size of the manta makes it nearly unmistakable in adulthood. It does differ from other rays in that it is much larger and has certain fins on either side of its head that allows it to feed while swimming slowly through the water column filtering plankton.

Mantas often inhabit our waters in the summertime, both feeding and breeding. Their color ranges from grayish to brownish, with a lighter underside like many sharks and rays, and indicative characteristics include wide, winglike pectoral fins, projection-like fins on either side of its mouth, and a small, spineless tail. It’s possible to mistake the manta for a breaching shark fin, as the tips of its wings often resemble a huge shark as it feeds.

Historically, the manta ray has been found in temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters throughout the world. Little is known about the accurate reproductive habits of the species, but it is believed to produce only one offspring per year. Prey items are planktonic species, and this is the reason why they appear along our coasts, as well as those throughout the world during this time of year. The manta ray has never really been implicated in any attack on humans, but they have been known to jump out of the water quite often.

This fish has been commercially fished in areas such as the tropical Americas, as well as Southeast Asia for its meat, fins, and liver oil. It is often sought as a tourism source and its value seems to be much higher alive than any other ray. It is currently listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN. Agencies such as the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are working hard to protect both the populations and the habitats of this species, and help from the public is essential in these efforts.

Like all species, the manta ray is an integral part of our ecosystem and deserves our continued respect, conservation, and admiration. Please help to conserve and protect this amazing creature.

Mahalo,
Bloody Bill

For more information visit: www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/

Jedi Grind Tricks: July ‘10
• Scooter Newell •

Happy would be the word that best describes the summer months of the skateboard world. This month and last month there was just so much going on in local skateboarding that I’m not even sure where to begin. But in neighborhood news: Eastwood, Cocoa Beach, and Graffiti all had a FREE skate day in recognition of “Go Skateboarding Day” this past June 21. Florida legend and streetstyle pioneer Chuck Dinkins made an appearance at the CB Skate Camp. Dew Tour all-star Timmy Knuth got 2nd at the Damn Am, and flew home to make an appearance at the Graffiti Skate Camp. Adam Taylor got 5th place at the Boston Dew Tour Vert Contest. But one thing that always gets my attention is when a large company decides to get involved and give back to local grassroots skateboarding.

One thing that made for a nice summer kick-off was that on June 26, Oakley decided to give back to the local skate scene by sponsoring a contest at the Cocoa Beach Skate Park. The temperatures were in the upper 90s and the sun was in full effect without a cloud in the sky. In fact, it was a perfect setting for an event presented by a premiere sunglass company. Local Oakley representatives Rich Rudolph and Javier Rovira decided that a grassroots event with a huge prize budget would stoke out the local kids who live, eat, and breathe skateboarding. Any skate park operator will explain that it’s expensive to run a park in a quality manner, and even more to have the budget for events and prizes.

Year after year these events get better and better! And this was the second time Oakley got involved. Skaters from all over the Space Coast came out to compete in “From the Cradle to the Rail,” a contest that broke the traditional format that most competitions are modeled after. Usually these events are divided into various disciplines such as “vert,” “street” or “bowl.” This contest was a bowl, flow course and street contest combined, forcing the skaters to showcase variety in their talents. The skaters had two runs through the park with a timed limit of 75 seconds per run. Then a voice came through the PA system: “Welcome to Cocoa Beach Skate Park. Turn on your recording devices; this will be worth putting on YouTube!”

Anniversary parties have a certain feel to them, and even though the CB Park 5-year wasn’t due till July, it seemed like a celebration. The skate park was lined with parents and skaters and families and good vibes all around. There were even some park lurkers who don’t really skate at all, yet showed up to hang out and watch. Our good friend Ryan form Playbrevard.com was in the park taking pics for their website, which features all types of events around the area. The sponsored division was filled with lots of top-notch skateboarding from rippers such as Lea Taylor, Clint Beswick, Frank Schaffroth, Dylan Durkin, Matt Call, and more. But the highlight of the day was the 10-and-under division. Watching these skaters is like looking into a crystal ball and seeing the future of skateboarding. Mikey McAllister took the top honors putting together some solid runs. Randy Porter skated with the biggest smile of the day winding up in 2nd place. And Gunnar Rosenquist skated the entire park, throwing down some new moves he’d been perfecting over the two days prior to the contest. For sure the biggest applause went to Kerissa Porter, the youngest girl in the competition.

I feel like my mind seems somewhat “mindless” after a hot day in the sun, and it’s hard to remember it all, but other notable shredders who stood out were Dakota Hunt, Blake Kovarik, and Deein Coats, representing South Brevard with the GSZ crew. Luke Mollica, Mark Robinson, Sam Rooks, and Cole Dudley were ripping the park along with Ryan Hodges and Andrew Harned. Jonathan Morefield skated hard even though he had the flu. And Alex Henry skated awesome in his first competition.

Love for skateboarding is what one senses when one watches Matt Call, who had the biggest ollie gap of the day to 5050 on the big ledge with a nice display of bowl skills to top it off. Lea Taylor carved the cradle at top speed completely upside down. In fact, she has the best cradle carves out of all the locals! Dylan Durkin put down the fishin’ pole and showed that he still has the Cocoa Beach Park on lockdown. Frank Schaffroth executed legit layback grinds, airs, and hurricanes in the deep end with mad style.

You can look at it a bunch of ways, but skateboarding is not always about competitions, and I don’t like to write about them that much. It’s not about who’s best or who beat whom at a contest. Skateboarding is about life enjoyment and a personal satisfaction heavily rooted in “having fun.” And any time a large company like Oakley wants to jump in, get involved, and donate a ton of sunglasses, gear, and prizes for the local kids, well, that just makes skateboarding that much more FUN! Thanks goes out to Oakley and the elite staff of the CB Park for coming together to put on a great event for the kids.

Oakley “From the Cradle to the Rail” Results

10 & Under
1. Mikey McAllister; 2. Randy Porter; 3. Gunnar Rosenquist; 4. Nicholas Gilman; 5. Gavin Gilman; 6. Kerissa Porter

11-13

1. Mark Robinson; 2. Andrew Harned; 3. Cole Dudley; 4. Ryan Hodges; 5. Luke Mollica; 6. Alex Henry

14 & Up

1. Dakota Hunt; 2. Blake Kovarik; 3. Alex Sckunna; 4. Cody Ash; 5. Deein Coats; 6. Jonathan Morefield; 7. Michael Colletti

Sponsored/Advanced

1. Matt Call; 2. Dylan Durkin; 3. Lea Taylor; 4. Frank Schaffroth; 5. Shylo Tolliver; 6. Jaime Ceruti; 7. Sam Rooks

Best Trick

Street: Blake Kovarik — Nollie Bigger Healflip

Bowl: Frank Schaffroth — Eggplant; Hurricane

Bowl: Dylan Durkin — Backside Boneless; Beanplant Fakie

Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter
• John Hearin •
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach/

On May 24, the Cocoa Beach Surfrider Foundation and Keep Brevard Beautiful played host to the Trinity Prep graduating class of 2010. Over 90 students and faculty from Trinity Prep, located in Winter Park, participated in a beach cleanup from the Pier south to Minutemen Causeway. The students were very enthusiastic and learned a lot about beach maintenance during the experience. We hope to involve more local schools in events such as this, so if you are a local educator looking for a worthwhile project, please contact us about future opportunities.

On June 5-6 the Cocoa Beach Chapter hosted the first annual Surfrider Challenge Team Surfing competition. The event was held as part of the Waterman’s Challenge presented by the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum. Several Surfrider chapters from around Florida took us up on the challenge. We congratulate the Sebastian Inlet Chapter on their victory and look forward to a rematch next year.

On June 20 the Cocoa Beach Chapter celebrated International Surfing Day with several activities at 4th Street North. We invited all comers to “Lend a Hand” to help keep our beach clean by painting the dumpster. We also conducted free surfing lessons and held a paddle out to celebrate our love for the ocean and surfing.

We are still working with Keep Brevard Beautiful to organize volunteers for Oil Spill monitoring and response. Anyone interested in volunteering for Oil Spill monitoring in Brevard County should go to www.keepbrevardbeautiful.com to sign up. We also urge all Brevard County residents to sign the petition calling for a moratorium on new offshore oil drilling. Go to www.nottheanswer.org for spill information and to sign the petition.

Upcoming Events:

Every Wednesday: Surf Chicks & Surf Flicks; Rum Runners, Cocoa Beach from 5 to 8 p.m.

July: No Chapter meeting or events

August 13-15: Surfrider State Conference, Cocoa Beach Hilton

August 17: Chapter meeting; Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, Ron Jon Watersports Building, at 6 p.m.

August 21: Barefoot Wine Beach Cleanup; Lori Wilson Park, Cocoa Beach, 9 to 11 a.m.

August 21: Barefoot Wine Post Cleanup Party; Rum Runners, noon to 2 p.m.

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

Boardrider of the Month: Jim Voeste
• Tobin Bennison •

It’s not unusual for our monthly Boardriders to be well versed in more than one type of boardriding.  We’ve featured skaters who excel at skating, but also love to jump into the surf when the conditions arise and we’ve profiled passionate surfers who hit the skate parks when the Atlantic turns off. Some tear up boat wakes in lakes and others strap a damn kite to their backs to fly up and down the beach. But I can’t remember the last time we covered a boardrider who pretty much rides everything.

Boardhead Jim has achieved ripping status within just about every form of riding that requires a board. When the surf is pumping you’ll find him either shacked tightly into a jade-tinged tube or wiggling his toes off the end of his longboard. When the tide changes, instead of packing it up for the day, he simply switches his surfboard for a skimboard and continues his assault in the thumping shorebreak. But despite his mastery of several varied boardsports, I believe Jim’s true callling might just be the cutting board.

When he’s not surfing, skating, skimming, or just putting in time on his Indo board, Boardhead Jim makes some of the best sandwiches on the beach. Jim’s Boardheads Deli has filled a much needed niche in the downtown Cocoa Beach area, where he takes great pride in building delicious, affordable subs of all kinds to satisfy your hunger after whatever kind of session you’ve had. Ride on Jim. Ride on.

What is your preferred boardsport?

Skimboarding would be my first choice, depending on conditions. Otherwise, progressive longboarding.

At what age did you first put feet to board, and what was it?

Sandskimming as a grom on an old Myers woodie.

Of all your sessions, is there one in particular that has stuck in your mind?

A double-o surf session down south about 10 years ago, all alone with just the video to prove it. Super fun. Yeah!

When was the last time you took a really hard spill?

At the Slater Invitational a few years back. After doing indo board demos and teaching hundreds of people all weekend, I wanted to catch some fun skim during my last hour on the beach. The third wave wasn’t a charm. I hyperextended my MCL and was out for like 6 months in a knee brace.

Out of all your boards, which one do you see yourself still riding into your golden years?

If I can’t run when I’m 89, I guess I’ll still longboard.

Who is your favorite boardrider of all time?

Bill “Beaker” Bryan. If you don’t know who he is, stop by the shop and I’ll throw in some skim videos that will blow your mind.

What do you think is the most important issue facing all boardsports today?

Etiquette — on any board at any age.

What would be your dream vacation?

Wherever Rick Piper’s shorepound paintings are.

What mantra does Boardhead Jim live by?

You don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing.

How did you get into the sandwich biz?

I couldn’t find a great sub anywhere, so now I make them all day long. Opening my own shop got me out of corporate kitchens and in touch with real people… real hungry people.

What’s the most important ingredient in a good sandwich?

Pride. That’s the most important ingredient in anything you do. If you put pride in it, it should always be great.

What’s your most popular seller?

By far, the Italian sub. We’re the only shop around that makes them real!

Any shout-outs?

Big shouts to D from Boardheads2.com; Bob at Zap Skimboards; Indoboard Hunter; Freak Kech; all my crazy boardsport friends, and to all our customers who appreciate a great sub and a good laugh.

Last question: Could I get an 8″ Italian with all the fixins?

Sure! Drop in on Boardheads any time.

Boardheads Deli is located at 24 N. Orlando Ave. Call 785-2700 for more information.

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Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: June ‘10
• Captain Scott Bussen •

So I lied to you all. Yeah, yeah, the check’s in the mail, I love you and, well… you know the rest. If it’s any consolation, the lie was completely unintentional. The lie I’m referring to was my promise to step off the soapbox. I just can’t, in good conscience, keep my mouth shut about the situation.

The “situation” is a little thing called the Gulf Oil Spill, which is probably the biggest man-made environmental disaster in the history of this small planet we call Earth. The whole ordeal reeks of unfathomable idiocy. The number of retarded decisions that had to be made to facilitate this disaster is absolutely astronomical. Those of you who thought I needed anger management before should really appreciate the steam coming from my ears right now. It may sound crazy, but there’s another facet of the Spill that enrages me as much, if not more than the Spill itself.

Here’s the lowdown: IN THE FACE OF THE WORLD’S WORST ENVIROMENTAL DISASTER, WHERE THE F$#% ARE THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS NOW? They spend millions campaigning against the working fisherman, spreading propaganda, turning the public against us and putting us out of work, but again: Where are they now? Just in case you didn’t know: THEY’RE FUNDED BY BIG OIL!

That’s right, they’re not going to bite the oily hand that funds their beloved trusts. The PEW Charitable Trust, the Environmental Defense Fund, and other so-called “environmental” groups are hiding under the outstretched wing of Big Oil, and like good trained monkeys, they won’t start dancing until Big Brother starts the organ grinder. That’s the story. You have the enviros using the NMFS like ventriloquists and Big Oil using them all like an expert magician uses a pretty girl to divert your attention. Harry Houdini, David Copperfield, and David Blaine combined couldn’t come close to touching the illusion that’s being perpetrated on the American People by this circus. The whole thing makes me sick!

On a lighter note: the cobia fishing was sick last month — but in a good way. Both the manta rays and the cobia following them were unbelievable last month. The abundance of cobes and rays was somewhat of an anomaly for May, but who’s to look a gift manta in the mouth? Maybe the environmental disaster in the Gulf pushed them around into the Atlantic?! It seemed like day in and day out there were reports of cobes and/or rays from Sebastian to Ponce Inlet. The fish, in general, were quality-sized, with most being keepers ranging up to 70 lbs. As far as optimism is concerned, I’m gonna cross my fingers that the trend continues into June. Keep your eyes open and the jig rods handy.

The May kingfishing was pretty hot, too. It seems that some of the larger breeders, headed for Jupiter, took a wrong turn and hung around for a couple weeks. For several days the bite was absolutely blistering — literally. More than one thumb got blistered letting back the baits. Although the action this month might not top May’s, it should be fairly consistent. The action could range from right outside the bait on the beach on out to the inshore reefs and wrecks. If you fish right near the beach, you can expect a mixed bag of kings, jacks, tarpon, sharks, bonito, and cobia. Out on the reef, expect a mixed bag of kings, dolphin, cobia, bonito, and possibly a sail or wahoo.

With the cool waters of the thermocline chilling the bottom, the bottom fishing was kind of a letdown for May. There were a limited amount of grouper caught, and the amberjack bite was just o.k. Should the waters warm up, things could heat up right with it. For the most part, I’d concentrate your efforts from 21 fathoms on out to the cones. In addition, I’d use a variety of larger live baits to avoid the endangered American red snapper. If conditions get right, this could be one of the best bottom fishing months of the year.

Much like the bottom fishing, the trolling was a bit of a downer last month. There were a few fish caught, but it was pretty slow overall. The bright spot was that a few nice dolphin were caught toward the end of last month. I’m going to hope that they’re just late, and not drowning in oil to our south. Should they show up, you know what to do.

Keep in mind that it’s “Take An Enviro Fishing Month.” (Returning them to land is optional.)

I’ll see ya on the pond… Or the oily cesspool, whatever it may be by the time of publication.

Oh yeah, and if you see a rabbit floating in a top hat near an oil slick, go ahead and save him. He’s just an innocent victim, too!

Indian & Banana River Fishing Report: June ‘10
• Captain Rob D’Andrea •
www.orlando-fishingcharters.com

Indian River & Banana River

The grass flats north of Pineda Causeway have been excellent for trout and redfish. During the early mornings and late evenings the Heddon Torpedo in chrome has been tough to beat for multiple strikes. This bite can continue throughout the day if overcast conditions are present. In the heat of the day live finger mullet and live handpicked shrimp fished on the bottom have been the ticket. If artificial lures are your game, then a 1/4-oz. jighead with a 4″ chartreuse grub bounced on the bottom will entice them.

The Satellite Beach canals are now holding more tarpon then last month and catches have been improving every day. In June and July they’ll be marching along the beaches and can provide amazing fishing action. Swim baits, Bass Assassin Shads, and D.O.A Shrimp in 1/2 oz. sizes are all working. Live finger mullet will get hook ups as well. Snook are holding along docks, sea walls, and mangroves and are interested in the same bait as the tarpon. Mangrove snapper are holding near bridges, deep docks, and rock piles in the main river, with the better fishing occurring when current is present. Small free-lined shrimp with light line is the trick to a full bag of these hard fighters; they’re a blast to catch and great table fare. We’ve also been catching decent numbers of ladyfish and jack crevelle; they’re always eager to gobble up your bait and give you a workout!

St. Johns River

Water levels on the St. Johns are still high right now, which can make it difficult to find concentrations of fish. I’ve recently been having some success in very specific areas catching schooling catfish and bass. Intersections and bends in the river have been holding these fish.

Cut mullet fished on the bottom have been taking good numbers of catfish up to 15 lbs. These fish provide an excellent fight and are great for the table. Look for schooling bass breaking the surface in these areas and throw a Bass Assassin Shad in there and hold on! When the bass go down, slowly work a Carolina-rigged worm or lizard in the same spot for success. These schooling bass are weighing between 1 to 3 lbs. with the occasional 4- to 5-lb. fish.

Lake Toho & The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes

It’s schooling bass time folks, and the largemouth bass fishing on Lake Tohopekaliga has been excellent. The north end of Lake Toho and the south end of Lake Kissimmee have been productive for those using live wild shiners as well as artificial lures. The outer edges of grass lines and isolated clumps of hydrilla have been holding schooling fish.

Lucky Craft LVR lipless crank baits ripped through the vegetation have been providing my clients with 25-plus fish days. When the action slows, pitching a 10″ worm in these same areas will snatch a few fish. In the mornings and evenings topwater lures have been taking their fare share of nice bass, too. Live wild shiners are working as usual, and on these waters they can produce a trophy bass at any time.

Catch ‘em up!

Capt. Rob D’Andrea runs Hooked On Fishing Charters (321) 514-2967 and specializes in inshore saltwater and freshwater lakes. Full, half, and 3/4-day charters available.

Sebastian Area Fishing Report: June ‘10
• Capt. Eric Metcalf, Attitude Adjustment Charters •
www.attitudefishing.com

Inshore

With the water warming up, it’s set to be a great month for fishing. The bluefish were really thick around the Inlet, river, and beaches. Look for them to start moving north as it gets even warmer. Snook have also been very active and should start moving to the beaches soon. Reports have been promising, and it looks as if there are still some pretty good-sized swimmers to be caught. Hopefully, snook will reopen in September. Mullet are showing up pretty thick on the flats as well as a lot of trout the occasional redfish. Early mornings are best before it gets too hot. There’s tons of action unfolding just outside the Inlet along the beaches. Thread fins with a few sardines mixed in have been thick in 40 ft. Kingfish and cobia have been congregating and have provided some nice catches throughout the past two weeks. Schools of big jacks have been cruising the 30-ft. area as well. Hold on!

Offshore

Where were the May dolphin? A few big ones were caught last month, but it seemed like most were still hanging out further south. Nonetheless, June looks to be a good month for them, so keep your hopes up. Grouper season just reopened, but reports for them have coming in a bit slow. Red snapper are still closed and are thicker than ever in 80 ft.; releasing all the big ones has been pretty tough. On the upside, sea bass and trigger are plentiful as always, and cobia and kingfish have been spotted a little closer to the beaches around the bait pods.

Paipo expression session … progression … at CBSM’s Waterman’s Challenge
• Lani Mucha •

“But a diversion the most common is upon the Water, where there is a very great Sea, and surf breaking on the Shore. The Men sometimes 20 or 30 go without the Swell of the Surf, & lay themselves flat upon an oval piece of plank about their size and breadth, they keep their legs close on top of it, & their arms are us’d to guide the plank, they wait the time for the greatest Swell that sets on Shore, & altogether push forward with their Arms to keep on its top, it sends them in with a most astonishing Velocity, & the great art is to guide the plank so as always to keep it in a proper direction on the top of the Swell, & as it alters its direction. If the Swell drives him close to the rocks before he is overtaken by its break, he is much praised.”

Those are words from the log book of Lt. James King, an officer aboard Captain Cook’s ship HMS Resolution, upon entering Kealakekua Bay in the Hawaiian Islands around 1779.

The use of the word “paipo” has evolved over the past 150 years. Its first spelling appeared as “paepo’o” meaning “night landing,” where spies would chose a rough night at sea to surf ashore in the dark and eavesdrop on activities. The literal Hawaiian translation was “ride a wave head first.” The 1950s brought about the modern era of paipo boarding. Hawaiian surfing legend Wally Froiseth coined the spelling phonetically. Having never seen the word “paepo’o” written, he spelled it the way it sounded when it made his decals, and the new spelling stuck.

The Cocoa Beach Surf Museum has a paipo board on display, I believe circa 1920. The first time I saw it, the shape reminded me of a modern day snowboard. It was one of the coolest items I’d ever seen there. Several years ago I saw an O’Hare paipo board shaped by local surfboard shaper Pat O’Hare. I’m hoping I get a chance to try it out next month at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum’s Waterman’s Challenge.

The Waterman’s Challenge, the contest with the best vibe around, started a non-competitive paipo wave riding division several years ago. The “Paipo Expression Session” as it’s been coined, was started in honor of the late local waterman Chris Harazda, a.k.a. Logjammer. Chris enjoyed everything on the water, and he and his wife, Jan, shared a passion for paipo boarding. Logjammer passed away in 2007, after a paipo boarding session in Jupiter, FL. The Paipo Expression Session is open for all wave riders, whether you’re used to body surfing, bodyboarding, paipo boarding or even standing up. The Waterman’s Challenge is a fundraising event for the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum and will be held on June 5-6 at the International Palms Resort (formerly the Holiday Inn) south of Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach. Surfing heats will take place both on Saturday and Sunday. You can find an entry form at www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org. Sign up on June 4 at the International Palms Resort deck from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. or on Saturday, June 5, before the heats begin.

The Saturday evening Luau will feature live music, a Hula demonstration, a silent auction, and food and beverages from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The public is invited for all events.

The Museum’s current exhibition is “Dick Catri: The Contests, The Teams, The Pioneer.” And opening July 24 is “Florida Women of the Waves,” featuring Florida women surfers from the 1960s to the present. The full weekend opening will include opening party, a women’s surfer movie and women surfers’ social. CBSM is also gathering material for an exhibit about surfing during the Vietnam War. Let us know if you have an experience to share.

For more information about the Waterman’s Challenge and Luau or any of CBSM’s other activities and exhibits, please visit www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org or call 321-258-8217. The Museum is located at 4275 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, in the Ron Jon Watersports Building.

** Photo caption: Be one of the first three to email info@crsurf.com with the name of this break and win a sticker pack from CR Surf Travel Co. (Photo: GG) Last month’s photo showed “Suck Rock” in Santa Teresa.**

Costa Rica Surf Report: June ‘10
• Greg Gordon •
www.crsurf.com

FORECAST

Caribbean Coast: The tropics will be active this month and hurricanes in the Caribbean Sea will churn up overhead wind swells lasting a few days each week. Watch for flooding, as the major highway in and out has been having road problems. Once you get there, enjoy the laid- back vibe. Be prepared to snorkel, or take a boat ride to a mysto reef going off from a hurricane swell to the north.

Pacific Coast: The rainy season is in full swing; the rivermouths have opened wide and the sandbars are setting up for the larger Pacific swells that arrive this month. It’s expected to be an active season, with warm ocean temps bringing strong localized storms. With earthquakes and volcanoes both in the news, look for solid ground as base camp and then explore the nooks and crannies of the coast. A strong SSW brings out the best of the point breaks.

New moon: June 12

Full moon: June 26

TRAVEL

While in San Isidro, I felt a 5.1 earthquake shake the aisles of the Supermercado La Corona. The epicenter was 30 km off the coast of Quepos. Luckily, no tsunami took place. Also, the Arenal Volcano erupted, sending hot lava and rocks flying down on the National Park, forcing it to close temporarily. It has since reopened and the hotels in the area are all still open and many have outstanding views of the lava flow. The best time to view the volcano is early in the morning before the clouds obstruct the view and late at night, when the lava glows the brightest.

If you want to take a surf trip with the family, Witchs’ Rock Surf Camp is offering a free half-day trip aboard the Zori, their 48′ foot yacht, as part of their weeklong camps. And for the ladies, how about learning to surf with Connie Arias? She will be at the Blue Surf Sanctuary from July 25 to the 31 (Connie is June’s “Boardrider of the Month.” See pages 36-37). Send an email to get your vacation plans set today while the flights are cheap.

CONTESTS

In the surf world, the finals of the Circuito Nacional de Surf will be in Playa Hermosa June 25-26. The Costa Rican surfers now can compete against the best in the world and win with their aerial arsenal. If you want to see “the Best of the Best,” then also check out the $10K contest behind Luz de Vida Resort in Santa Teresa July 9-11.

ENVIRONMENT/COMMUNITY

The DominicalLifeguards.org website has been a great link between the community of Dominical and lifeguards willing to volunteer from around the world. During the last Easter Week the group made over 20 saves, but due to limited funds they are always at risk of having to disband. If you have any resources to contribute, visit the site and make a pledge to help save lives.

CRSURF eco-T-shirts are on still on sale for only $12.99 including postage. They’re made in Florida from recycled plastic and cotton, and we’re donating $3 from each shirt sold to the Surfrider Foundation’s Tamarindo Chapter, PRETOMA (to stop illegal shark finning), and the Dominical Lifeguards. You can also buy leashes and boardbags from WaveTribe, all made from hemp and recycled materials.

CR Surf Travel Co. is proud to support the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum as a contributor to their annual Waterman’s Challenge. Check out the WaveTribe products donated for the raffle at the June 5th Luau.

Boardrider of the Month: Connie Arias
• Interview by Alex Joy; Photos by Don Eggert •

Born in New York, Connie Arias moved to Florida as a child. She learned to surf at the age of 7 and was immediately hooked. Going on to participate in some of her first surf contests shortly thereafter, Connie won the East Coast Championships at 12.

Connie currently surfs and does promotional events for Billabong, something that’s taken her all over the world — to countries like Australia, Tahiti, South Africa, and England, to name just a few. From July 25th to the 31st, she’ll be giving surfing lessons at the Blue Surf Sanctuary in Costa Rica. When in Florida, she rocks out and pours drinks at Lou’s Blues. During the rare moments when Connie’s not surfing or working, she can be found fishing with friends or lounging quietly at home planning her next getaway.

But despite this fun-filled life of traveling, Connie says, “Most of all, I just love being at home and hanging out with family and neighbors.”

What type of board have you been riding lately?

Local Motion, made by Ricky Carroll — the most amazing shaper ever!

Name one of the best contests you’ve surfed.

The World Junior Surfing Championships. It was so amazing because I got to compete for the U.S. with some of the best juniors in the world.

There are a lot of new surf tricks out there these days. What’s your favorite?

Anything I happen to land.

What’s your favorite surf spot?

Home! There’s nothing better then being able to surf behind your house.

What’s the biggest wave you’ve wiped out on?

In western Australia I took off on a set wave and ate crap. I came up and realized my leash had broken and my board went half a mile into shore. Luckily there was a jet ski out there to take me in.

When you’re going on a surf trip, what’s the one thing you never forget to bring?

My phone.

Do you see any up-and-comers around here in the pro girl surfing scene?

Yes, Jasset Umbel and Nikki Viesins are both young girls you need to watch out for.

What keeps you motivated?

The accomplishments I’ve made and surfing keep my ADD in check.

What other hobbies do you have?

I love to fish, go on Facebook, text, and run around town doing something different every day.

How many times a day do you check Facebook?

At least 20 times a day.

Do you use your computer to check the waves or go to see for yourself?

Both, but I always check www.thewavecaster.com first because he’s always right and I may be a bit lazy.

Which do you like better, dawn patrol of evening sesh?

I’m not much of a morning person, so definitely evening sesh.

Which tunes get you amped before surfing?

I love Country.

Where do you go for grinds after surfing all day?

I go to the Indialantic Seafood Company for some fresh tuna to take home and cook myself.

Do you think we should start looking for other types of energy in light of the Gulf Oil Spill?

Absolutely. We should always be looking for new resources and forms of energy.

If you were president for a day, what would you do?

I wouldn’t want to be president. Too much work.

Do you have any pets?

Two dogs, Sadie and Dakota. Dakota is my baby; I dress her up and take her everywhere with me.

If you could do one thing over in life, what would it be?

Nothing. I love my life!

Last words or shout-outs?

Thanks to everyone who has helped me — my family and my sponsors, Billabong, Local Motion, and DNA Energy drinks. And I love my brother! I’d also like to give a shout-out to www.breathebelieve.com.

Surfrider News & Events: June ‘10
Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter
• John Hearin •
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

The Gulf oil spill has reached the loop current and we may suffer impacts to the beaches of Brevard County.

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is partnering with Keep Brevard Beautiful to help organize a beach monitoring and response plan. Due to sensitive habitats, individual response/cleaning efforts are strongly discouraged and training will be required for volunteers. Training for the monitoring and response program will assure consistency in monitoring and that volunteers involved in beach and wildlife cleanup do it in a safe and eco-friendly manner that does not disturb nesting and feeding or their own health.

Anyone interested in volunteering in Brevard County should go to: www.keepbrevardbeautiful.com to sign up. You may also call 211, a phone line dedicated to collecting volunteers for the spill response. We will also post regular updates on our website at: www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach.

We also urge all Brevard County residents to sign the petition calling for a moratorium on new offshore oil drilling. Go to www.nottheanswer.org for spill information and to sign the petition.

Upcoming Surfrider events:

June 5-6: Cocoa Beach Surf Museum Waterman’s Challenge and 1st Annual Surfrider Challenge

June 15: Chapter Meeting, Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, 6 p.m.

June 20: International Surfing Day

Every Wednesday: “Surf Chicks & Surf Flicks,” Rum Runners (695 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach), from 5 to 8 p.m.

Whether you surf, bodyboard, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean, healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

This is an article that I really didn’t expect to write.

For the last two months I’ve been out in the Gulf of Mexico, doing the offshore work that’s sometimes required for my real job. Make no mistake about it my friends, the oil is out there. I’ve seen it, and it’s not pretty. There is hope though; our trip was a success. The FWC stepped up when others couldn’t. We made things happen, and I’m very proud and lucky to work for an organization that cares about our waters so strongly enough to research this spill to the extent required. I salute them for their efforts. We were asked to do a job, and we did it. When we were lucky enough to pull some nets, we did. This was a very deep trawl, and there were species that I’d never seen before.

When I saw what came up in that net, I knew what I had to write about: Etmopterus hillianus, the blackbelly dogfish, also known as the Caribbean lanternshark.

The blackbelly dogfish is a small species, with a maximum reported size of 50 centimeters. The ones I saw were considerably smaller. They have a drab coloration — darkish black above with a slightly darker ventral coloration. Indicative characteristics of this shark include a short, rounded snout, spiracles behind the eyes, and dark tips on all the fins. The dorsal fins of this species are of equal size, and have very distinct, very sharp spines located at each base. I grabbed one the wrong way and it really lit me up, if you get my meaning. Their teeth appear to be very blunt, and seem to be specialized in ambushing prey. Our trawl came from many thousands of feet down, so the exact prey of choice is speculative at best. They are found in depths of 180 to 717 meters, and have been located throughout the Western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

This shark is not considered important in commercial or recreational fisheries to the best of my knowledge, and as far as I know it is not listed by the IUCN. It’s not often found due to its deepwater habitat, and little is known about the blackbelly. Like all sharks, this species is an integral part of our ecosystem and deserves our continued respect, conservation, and admiration.

Mahalo,

Bloody Bill

For more information visit: www.fishbase.org

CJ Dixon

Summer is here!

I remember the last summer before the turn of the century. A new skate park had opened in Merritt Island and I was tasked with creating a summer skateboard camp. I never went to a skate camp as a young skater. In fact, back then there were no skateboard camps offered, or at least none in Brevard County.

Like most young Cocoa Beach groms, I went to the City Recreation Center’s version of summer camp. We’d start in the morning playing basketball, volleyball or some other game that required far too much coordination than I had. I also remember lining up for our snacks, drinks, and lunches. The arts and crafts side of the camp was enjoyable because “Arts & Crafts” meant being in the air conditioning. If you were really lucky, you’d get to go to the City pool for the afternoon. That’s where the slide was. That’s where the diving board was. You could slide and fly through the air and make a perfect splash landing into the water. Nowadays, I wonder why anyone would even want water in their swimming pool. After all, you can’t skate in a pool full of water! Back then, I was about 8- or 9-years-old, and it was a great way to spend the long summer days.

Anyway, when given the chance to start a skate camp in 1999, I never knew what I was getting myself into. In fact, I didn’t even know what I was doing. It had been nearly 20 years since I went to a day camp, and now I’m supposed to run one? I went at it like I was helping one (more like 10) of my cousin’s kids skateboard — watch their stance, posture, arms, and the whole nine yards, and just try and coach them into skating a bit better.

Did I just use the word “coach”? There are no “coaches” in skateboarding, and there are no “coaches” at skate camp! Actually, that’s not true — we are coaches, just not in the traditional sense. We explain the use of pressure, gravity, foot positioning, balance, and strength to beginners so they can understand what their board will try to do if they’re not aware or in control.

Anyway, I always use the philosophy of “learning how others learn will make me a better teacher.” So I started to notice that some kids learned how to achieve a certain goal or learn a certain trick in a completely different way than others. While one beginner’s strength was turning, another’s was speed management. I quickly realized I couldn’t explain that “2+2=4″ in only one specific manner. In skateboarding, I may have to explain to one kid that “2+3–1=4,” and he gets it, while other kids find it easier to understand that “4″ is what you get once you subtract “8″ from “12.”

Either way, the goal is to get these young shredders to “4″ however they can get there. It usually results in numerous smiles, because the summer skate camp seems to have a great success rate no matter what the skater’s level. Over the last 12 summers I’ve had the pleasure of directing summer skateboard camps. However, it wasn’t until my fourth year of being involved in them that I realized I’d been missing some great aspects of the camp.

I was working for Graffiti Skate Zone in Palm Bay from 2002-2004 when I was awakened by a whole new and fun approach to camp I’d not yet explored. Dan Hatcher ran the camps with great energy and structure. He educated kids on companies, their products, their riders, and skateboarding in general. Then he’d hold trivia questions sessions every hour for prizes, rewarding those who remembered the info. The team kids would then break into groups and work with the beginners. This went on all day. All I really did was make sure that the kids in my camp skated as much as possible and learned as many fundamental maneuvers as they could to promote longevity in their skating. Dan was going further. He was also ensuring that the skaters knew where their product was coming from and who would actually benefit from the purchase. I was just trying to build great skaters; he was building a great, educated skate scene… while also building great skaters.

Since those days, I’ve directed camps for small city programs in California and Oregon to a well-budgeted camp at a Woodward Skate Park in Texas. Naturally, I stole many great ideas from the Graffiti Skate Camps and have implemented them into every camp since.

Skate safe this summer, and if you come to our summer skate camp in Cocoa Beach, make sure you’re ready to have fun. And please, crowd around the counter when it’s time for pizza, because standing in line at lunchtime really stinks. You can do that at school!

Skate Camps and News Rants:

Graffiti Skate Zone Summer Camps, Palm Bay: June 14-18; June 21-25; July 5-9; July 12-16. $79/week. Call 725-2588 for details.

Cocoa Beach Skate Camps: June 14-18; June 28-July 2; July 12-16. $79/week. Call 868-3238.

Eastwood Skate Park Camps, Rockledge: June 7-11; July 5-9. Call 633-0888.

Cocoa Beach Skate Park and Graffiti Skate Zone will celebrate “Go Skateboarding Day” on June 21. Both parks will be free of charge for the day with random contests, raffles, and prizes. Check out your local skate park and see what’s going on.

Happy late B-Day to Matt Hannan!

Adam Taylor just got a silver medal at the Chinese X-Games Mega Ramp Contest.

Check out www.grindforlife.org for info on the new GFL Colab/Benefit shoe made by DC Shoes.

CJ Dixon is on the road heading to the Damn Am in Minnesota.

Timmy Knuth is heading to NYC for the Maloof Money Cup.

Mike Rogers will also be in NYC for Maloof raising money to fight cancer.

Photo caption: Be one of the first three to email info@crsurf.com with the name of this break and win a sticker pack from CR Surf Travel Co. ~ Photo: GG

FORECAST
Caribbean Coast: Don’t expect big surf this month, but when it’s tiny and the sun is shining the snorkeling is incredible. The rainy season has started, so also be prepared for an afternoon dousing. What’s best is that the hotels drop their rates and when there’s surf the lineups won’t be nearly as crowded.

Pacific Coast: May is a favorite month to travel to the Pacific. First, you have very consistent swells from the south and southwest, and second, the high season is over and summer hasn’t started, which means fewer crowds. Thirdly, the rainy season dampens the dust and turns the landscape green again. It’s not the daily 12-hour downpours you get in October, more like afternoon showers that help afternoon glass-off sessions.

New moon: May 13

Full moon: May 27

TRAVEL
The movie release for “Fe De Agua,” the story of a local surfer from Guanacaste who goes pro, will take place at Aqua Disco on May 7 in Tamarindo at 7 p.m. The movie was filmed on the Nicoya Peninsula and employed local actors and directors. In other news, I’ve been putting together a lot of honeymoon trips, which include a few days at Volcan Arenal and a couple of days in Tamarindo, wrapping up the vacation in Nosara. These custom packages are priced at less than $1,500 per couple for the rooms and the car rental. With summertime around the corner, I also have some great options for the family and for college students who need low-budget accommodations. Just send a note to travel@crsurf.com. Mention the “Beachside Resident” when you book a trip, and you’ll get a free CRSURF t-shirt for every traveler coming with you.

CONTESTS
The next contest on the Circuito Nacional de Surf will take place May 22-23 in Nosara. Then the grand finale occurs June 25-26 in Playa Hermosa. Come watch the best surfers in the country compete to see who makes it on to the National team and on to the ISA World Surfing Games. Also, save the date of July 9 as Hotel Luz de Vida in Santa Teresa hosts an international surf competition with a $10,000 purse. Check the website and Facebook page as more details become available.

ENVIRONMENT/COMMUNITY
How about some summer reading for the kids?? Check out “All the Way to the Ocean,” a book that teaches kids not to litter because it will eventually end up in the sea and hurt marine life. Written by Joel Harper with a introduction by Laird Hamilton, it’s a great way to show your kids how to take care of our oceans. You can buy it in our online store — www.crsurfshop.com.

Did you know the Costa Rican government wants to downgrade the Las Baulas National Park to allow more development in Playa Grande? This is one of the last nesting sites of the endangered leatherback turtle in ALL of the Americas. You can help protect the park by signing this petition created by the Natural Resource Defense Council, posted on the CRSURF Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/crsurf.

CRSURF eco-T-shirts are on still on sale for only $12.99 including postage! They are made in Florida from recycled plastic and cotton, and we’re donating $3 from each shirt sold to the Surfrider Foundation’s Tamarindo Chapter, PRETOMA (to stop illegal shark finning), and the Dominical Lifeguards. You can also buy leashes and boardbags from WaveTribe, made from hemp and recycled materials. Why not save a little green while you’re out in the big blue?

River Fishing Report: May ‘10
• Capt. Rob D’Andrea •
www.orlando-fishingcharters.com

Indian River and Banana River
The inshore saltwater fishing has really picked up with the warmer air and water temperature. The redfish and trout have been feeding voraciously on the grass flats of the Thousand Islands area of Cocoa Beach. Topwater lures such as the Heddon Zara Spook, Lucky Craft Sammy, and Mirrolure Top Dog have been producing excellent action early in the morning and late in the evening. During the day, D.O.A Shrimp and the Bass Assassin Sea Shad fished on a 1/4-oz. jig head has been tough to beat for these fish. Live finger mullet and free-lined shrimp have been catching their fair share as well.

The canals of Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach have been producing some snook and tarpon. The snook are ganged up under docks and mangroves. All docks and mangroves are not created equal, so you must cover water until you find a “magic tree” or dock. If you find a productive tree or dock, stick with it because it’s uncommon to catch five to ten snook in the right spot. Live free-lined shrimp, Bass Assassin Shad, and D.O.A Shrimp have all been effective. The tarpon have been around, but the bite has not been consistent. Look for rolling and cruising fish while snook fishing. If you spot tarpon, pitch a live mullet or D.O.A Bait Buster for success.

Lake Toho
The weather has been steadily warming up and the big bass bite is on at Lake Toho. The bass are in all stages of the spawn which gives anglers many different options to pursue them. For the last few weeks, the fishing on the south end of the lake near Brown’s Point is providing steady fishing. Live wild shiners fished near grass edges and reed clumps have consistently been producing trophy bass from 7 to 9 lbs. for my clients. The action on artificial lures has been equally productive, and at times even better then live bait. In and around heavy vegetation, top water lures such as the Bass Assassin Logger Toad and Gambler Flappin’ Shad have been landing the trophies Lake Toho is known for. Rattle Traps and Jerk baits worked around sparse grass have been getting their share of giants as well.

I had some clients coming into town, so I decided to do some scouting around to find more and better fishing areas. I’m sure glad I did, because I had a memorable day. I picked up a 3/4-oz. Rattle Trap and stuck with it all day. I only caught ten fish for the day, but my five biggest fish weighed over 30 lbs.! My catch was also anchored by a healthy 9-1/2 lb. trophy that had previously spawned. These areas produced several bass from 5 to 7 lbs. for my clients on three different trips. We used a variety of Rattle Traps, Topwaters, soft plastics, and live wild shiners. As we move through May, most of the bass will be post-spawners eager to gorge themselves and explode on topwater lures.

Catch ‘em up!

Capt. Rob D’Andrea runs Hooked On Fishing Charters (321) 514-2967 and specializes in inshore saltwater/freshwater lakes. Full, half, and 3/4 day charters available.

Land of the free, home of the brave MY ASS!

That’s right, we’re still not allowed to keep red snapper! Sadly, if the Environmental Defense Fund, PEW, and other pinko, commie dirtbag organizations have their way, I may have caught the last red snapper I can legally keep before I take the proverbial six-foot dirt nap. It’s all a bad ventriloquist act with NMFS as the dummy and the environmental groups pulling the strings and moving the mouth. I’ve never really been a fan of ventriloquists… They’re creepy, like clowns.

What do they really want? Who the hell really knows? Maybe they don’t have boats and they want to catch red snapper from the shore with surf rods. The stocks are at an al- time high since I started fishing offshore 25 years ago. Apparently, they’re considered overfished until there are so many that somebody can walk across the top of the ocean on them. Which brings me to my most recent conspiracy theory. Keep in mind this is just my own personal theory…

Now, we all know that the NMFS is using archaic, anecdotal data from the ’60s. I surmise that there is another influence driving both the enviros and fisheries groups: Religion. That’s right, religion! Apparently, the Red Sea wasn’t in the Middle East after all. It was on the east coast of Florida. When Moses parted the Red Sea, he was just moving the snapper out of the way so he could have grouper for dinner. In addition, when Jesus walked on water, it was on the backs of red snapper. The part they don’t tell you about is when Jesus gets a snapper fin spine stuck in his foot. He then decides to have a feast and bring the snapper stocks down to a more manageable level. I think if there was a reasonable stock assessment the day after the feast, it would probably reflect the stocks we’re seeing today. Does that sound far- fetched to you? Well, it’s not half as far-fetched as this bass ackwards snapper closure!

Anyways, it’s a good thing all my body fat isn’t between my ears, ’cause falling off that soapbox could have injured my posterior — that, and the fact that my vertical leap is only about eight inches, which keeps me on a relatively short box. It’s good to be back on solid ground, but that won’t last, because May is here and it’s time to live on the ocean.

For the die-hard bottom fisherman, May is like your Birthday, Christmas, New Years and the 4th of July all rolled up into one. It’s like getting the call from the Governor in the 12th hour. You still can’t keep a red snapper, but grouper are finally fair game! There should still be a fair amount of post-spawn fish around this month. The best bait for the grouper and amberjack will be some sort of live bait-like pinfish, grunts, and beeliners. You will probably find that you need to use the larger live baits as the smaller ones will probably get eaten by snapper. Start fishing as shallow as 100′ and work out to the deeper water as needed. The later it gets into the month, the deeper the fish will likely move. Keep the spinning rods ready for those dolphin looking for shade and food.

Last month there were signs of the dolphin run beginning. With everything running late this year, May should be the month for the big push. The fish will be found on weed lines, rips, edges, and flotsam starting in as shallow as 70′. Keep your eyes out for flying fish and working birds, too. The larger fish will likely be caught outside 120′, but it never hurts to start trolling if the water is blue. The standard trolling spread with naked ballyhoo on mono rigs fished tight to the teasers and lure/ballyhoo rigs on down riggers or shotgun lines should do the trick. Keep some of the smaller live baits ready for the occasional finicky dolphin. With the dolphin, expect scattered wahoo, sails, and an occasional tuna.

May is also the official start of the summertime live-baiting extravaganza. This is generally the time of year when the water cleans up and the pelagic fish start to move back onto the inshore reefs and wrecks. It’s also the time when the pogies start to become accessible on the beach. Dragging live baits on stinger rigs could get you strikes from kings, dolphin, cobia, sharks, wahoo, bonito, and barracuda. This month, it should be as close to a guarantee as you will get in fishing.

Oh well, whatever the theory, get out and catch ‘em while you still can!

Me? I’ll see ya on the pond…

… Or possibly on “Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown: Life of a Fisherman.”

Stovall Report: May ‘10
• Captain Sherrie Stovall •

Sebastian Inlet Report
Nighttime anglers are catching snook on buck tails and windcheaters during the outgoing tides. Focus on the tide changes and that should help produce a slot-sized fish. The bluefish have been very thick at the Inlet and expect to hook a few while trying to bag a redfish or snook. Good numbers of black drum, sheepshead, and pompano have been around the rocks at the tip of the North and South Jetties.

With all the bait moving in and out of the Inlet, don’t let the mangrove snapper fishing go by without exploring it. They love all the mojarras and other bait fish rushing by them. The mangroves will hang out under rock ledges waiting for an easy ambush around the channels and catwalks. Fish your baits close to the drop offs with a 3/4-oz. lead weight on a light 15-20 lb. fluorocarbon leader with a #1 (or even a #2) light gauge hook to minimize the sight of your gear. Fluorocarbon is expensive, but in the grand scheme of things it can make the difference between catching and just fishing for the mangroves.

River Report
Flats fishing will remain good throughout most of the month as schools of bait continue to gather on the grass flats. The trout are up on the flats getting lots of food to fatten up for their spawn. Try to really key in your fishing time early in the mornings or when the bait is up on the surface. Use soft plastic baits with a light jig head or your favorite topwaters to put a few fish on your stringer. As the weather continues to settle into summer-like patterns, the water temperature will rise on the flats and slow down the daytime fishing.

Offshore Report
May is a great time for offshore trolling and usually means heading out deep toward the cones or Gulf Stream for some of the best dolphin and wahoo fishing all year. The dolphin are migrating back north this month, using the currents of the Gulf Stream to head toward the Carolinas. rolled ballyhoo naked or with a skirt will help you cover some ground as you look for dolphin action around weed lines, floating debris, temperature breaks or color changes. Many boaters will venture to the other side of the Gulf Stream in search of yellowfin tuna; while crossing all that water, an occasional board, tree or weed line will hold some of the best dolphin action around.

Bottom fishing is a good relief from trolling, and right now the amberjack have shown up along the deep-water reefs. Live bait and vertical jigs will set any angler up for a good 10- to 20-minute tug-of-war against some 40+lb. reef donkeys. Most of us could use a good cardio workout from the bottom species since we’ve been stuck on land for the past few months. Grouper opens back up this month, so break out the bottom digging gear and go for it.

The kingfish are back up in our area and thing are heating up around the Pines and along the 90-ft. offshore bars from Bethel Shoals up toward the northern grounds by the High Bar. If your pockets are empty and the cost of fuel is keeping you at home, hang out close to the beach or right outside the Inlet for the kings and Spanish mackerel. Pods of greenies and pogies are showing up right along the beaches in 40 ft. of water and the smoker kingfish are right on their heels. This can be a great alternative to running way offshore and will provide lots of great action for all. Who knows what else you might find at the end of your hook…

As usual, stop by Whitey’s to get the latest information or check us out on the web at: www.whiteysonline.com.

Until next month…

Cocoa Beach Surf Museum News
Spring at last!
• Athena Sasso •

Spring ushered in the weather we’d pined for, the promise of school ending and the busiest part of the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum’s year.

On Easter weekend, the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum brought paddlers a memorable day at the Florida State Paddleboard Championships, an event at Ron Jon’s 46th Easter Surfing Festival. That evening, the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum opened its new exhibit, “Dick Catri: the Contests, the Teams, the Pioneer.” Dick Catri himself was on hand to give perspective on the cache of photographs, boards and other memorabilia that comprise the exhibit. Many of his fellow East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame members attended to congratulate Dick for his indelible mark on East Coast surfing history. The exhibit will remain open through the summer.

On April 10, CBSM brought Mike DeTemple’s film “Picaresque” to the Cocoa Beach Public Library, the latest offering in CBSM’s ongoing film and lecture series. Then on April 17 and 18, CBSM was one of the many exhibitors at the well-attended 2010 Boards & Waves Expo in Cocoa.

Next up is CBSM’s potluck picnic at Picnic Tables on May 8, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Members and prospective members are invited to bring food and drink and enjoy music and a relaxing day at the beach. Pray for surf.

And on June 5 and 6, CBSM hosts its 9th Annual Waterman’s Challenge Surf Contest and Luau at the International Palms Resort (formerly Holiday Inn). The lineup includes the usual board categories, as well as bodyboarding, a paipo session, Real Retro, Rodeo, SUP and Pro Longboard Open. The Saturday evening Luau will offer live music, an authentic Hula dance exhibition and great spread of food and beverages.

Although spring is CBSM’s busiest season, its volunteers work throughout the year to preserve surfing history through exhibits, lectures, and archiving activities. All are welcome to attend volunteer meetings on the first Wednesday of each month at the museum, 4275 North Atlantic Ave. in the Ron Jon Watersports building. For more information, call (321) 258-2817, visit www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org, or catch us on Facebook.

Boardrider of the Month: Eddie Guilbeau
Interview by Alex Joy

Eddie Guilbeau is one incredibly solid surfer.

He does things in the surf most of us have only dreamt of, which isn’t all that surprising, seeing as how he’s been in and around the ocean since his life began. Raised by a family of surfers in Melbourne Beach, surfing has always been a way of life for Eddie. His parents and his Uncle Brian did what ever they could to help him progress, and Eddie was part of a group of groms who always pushed each other to go bigger and bigger.

Eddie participated in his first competition, the Melbourne Beach Founders Day Pineapple Surf Contest, in 1994. Soon after, he was brought into the ESA and was noticed by longtime friend Barry Pasonski, who hooked Eddie up with the …Lost Team. “When he (Barry) set me up with …Lost, I feel in a way that he changed the whole way my life has played out. Surfing became a major part of my life,” says Eddie.

Since then, Eddie has traveled all over in pursuit of his passion, has surfed in the WQS for the last few years, and became Quicksilver’s King of the Peak at Sebastian Inlet last November. But as many hours  as he spends in the water, somehow Eddie still finds time to work and study.

I always enjoy watching Guilbeau rip it up. He’s a really good guy who is mellow both in and out of the water, and he always makes having fun a top priority.

If you never surfed, what type of lifestyle do you think you’d have?

If I didn’t surf and I hadn’t won the King Of The Peak, then I probably wouldn’t be doing this interview. Surfing has changed my life and I would be naive to think any differently. The gnarliest memories I have are mostly all from moments that had something to do with surfing. I would have never gone to Tahiti if I hadn’t dedicated my summer to qualifying for the U.S. Team. I would have never been asked to go to the Dominican Republic with Hollister and I would have never gotten hooked up with …Lost. Basically, if I never started surfing then I’d probably be in debt and I wouldn’t have been through half the things I’ve been lucky enough to experience.

When racing down the line on a wave, do you have a plan in your head or do you just go and see what happens?

I’m always thinking about what I’m going to do on my wave before I even drop in. All surfers make decisions based on the wave before they ever even start to paddle. Ever notice how no one goes on a close-out but everyone wants a good lined-up wave? Well, I look for the close-outs so I can do airs. Before I stand up I have a very good idea of how far away certain sections are and how long I have until I get to that part of the wave. I definitely make decisions before and during the wave riding process.

What’s the biggest air you ever pulled and landed?

There have been a couple of times I’ve found myself baffled on whatever just happened. I usually try to spin faster rather than go for height on my airs, but I threw a standard backside air a few months ago that must have been about 3- to 4-feet high. The shove-it at King of the Peak was around 2 feet. I’ve landed a ton of airs at Ocean Ave. that were easily 3-feet high or more, so the biggest air I ever landed was probably about 4 feet at the most.

What do you do to keep in shape?

I do stretches and I try to eat somewhat healthy. I work doing general labor, so I stay pretty fit for whenever there are waves.

Where’s the best wave you’ve surfed?

The best wave I ever surfed was probably somewhere in Hawaii. There are so many little bays, coves, reefs, and sandbars out there on those islands that it’s impossible not to get the best waves of your life. I would have to say that either Pipe or Sunset had the best waves I ever surfed.

What and where is the perfect surf trip?

The perfect surf trip is whatever you want it to be. For me it’s no drama, good weather, fun waves, and friends.

What other hobbies keep you busy when you’re not in the water?

I don’t know if college is considered a hobby, but I am taking online classes at BCC right now. I have five classes left until I get my AA and I’m super-excited that I’m working on obtaining a college degree. Other than schoolwork and surfing, I pretty much just try and relax.

Who has been the biggest influence on you?

My biggest influences have been my family and friends. I’ve learned a lot from observing people around me and how they handle themselves in certain situations. I feel I adopted a lot of character from my Dad because I notice we both have a laid-back but proactive style.

Do you have a hero?

I respect a lot of guys, but as for a hero, that could only be my Dad. My Dad is the man.

We live in a place with a lot of really good surfers. Who do you see going big?

Brevard County is full of guys who can win heats at any given time. I just saw that Kelly Slater won the Rip Curl Pro in Bells Beach… But as for all the local groms making the push, I would have to say that Jasset Umbel, Corey Howell, Giorgio Gomez, and Luke Marks are the next in line for their generation. These surfers have exactly what it takes to make a name for themselves, and in most cases they already have. These kids will be leading the next group of über-groms coming out of Brevard County for sure.

Who is the most underrated surfer, locally and pro-wise?

Mark Dawson has been flying under the radars of the industry for way too long now. I try to make it a point to surf with Mark every day because I know he’s one of the best surfers in Brevard County. I see him landing the same moves the best guys in the world are trying to do. He’s also one of the most positive and motivated people I’ve ever met. He’s above all the negative aspects that come with growing up in a small town and he’s made it apparent that he doesn’t want to get caught up in the wrong scene. Mark just wants to go surf, whether it’s flat, cold, 10-foot or snowing. I am stoked that I get to surf with him because he rips and he’s always amped to paddle out. In my opinion, Mark Dawson is the best uncontracted surfer in Brevard County for sure.

When thinking of the future of surfing, do you think there will ever be another Kelly Slater?

I can definitely imagine some crazy little kid winning 12 world titles sometime in the future, but as of now it looks like the level of surfing has reached a plateau of sorts. It seems like even though the level of free-surfing has gone up, the people competing feel more comfortable playing it safe. Competitive surfing can’t progress until someone has the confidence to do huge tricks while the pressure is on in a heat. The scores from the Bells contest reflect that surfers are being judged lower for surfing safe and are judged higher for taking risks.

If you could be mayor of Mel Beach for a day, what you do?

If I were mayor of Melbourne Beach for one day, I’d build a handicapped ramp so people could go down onto the beach at Ocean Avenue. As of now, there is no handicapped access that goes down to the beach at all in Melbourne Beach. I don’t know how this has never been done, but people have been talking about it for years.

What’s your favorite TV show?

“Let’s Make A Deal.” I think it’s funny because the host is always trying to scam people out of whatever they win. It’s hilarious how the contestants are never happy with winning and they always want to keep making deals even though they already won something. It’s sad though when you see a little old lady lose tons of money that she literally just won two minutes before.

What are the best tunes to get amped for a sesh?

I usually surf with Mark Dawson and he has some classic music on his iPod. Recently I’ve been getting amped on whatever soundtrack is on “Modern Collective.”

After surfing all day, what’s the best place to feast?

After surfing I hit up one of the usual spots on Ocean Ave. It’s always either Boscos, Beachstreet or Friendly Toast, no questions asked. They make incredible food and they are all run by great people.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself doing some more school and finishing a few degrees. I only have five more classes until my AA, so that goal is actually only a couple of months away. My long-term goal for five years from today is that I want to wake up in a house I pay the mortgage on and can walk to the beach from. I see myself starting some sort of business geared toward helping reliable college students find local part-time work.

Where’s the best secret surf spot in Brevard? Come on, we know you know.

I have heard that supposedly there is a wave at the end of the Cape that is the best left in Brevard. I’ve heard people who work at the Cape say that there is a sandbar from the very end of the cape that wraps out for hundreds of yards along the beach to the South. From what I understand, the left follows the sandbar just firing off barrels and wraps into a cove where it slowly dies out. I have also heard that there are deer and other animals out there since it is a nature preserve. The place sounds like a paradise from all the stories I’ve been told.

What good advice would you give to any grom coming up?

The best advice I can give to groms is to try and enjoy school. You have to be there anyway and all your friends are around, so try to think about the positives. Plus, the chances that you’ll make more money in the future increase with every day you attend school. That’s why everyone who tells you to stay in school has more money than you do.

Last words or shout-outs?

You (Alex Joy), Mark Dawson, Chicky, Harry, Bergz, Dylan, Reola, Jeremy, Eric, Catalyst, …Lost, Freak, and anyone who has ever helped me in any way. Rip rip! Go surf! Rip!

Jedi Grind Tricks: May ‘10
• Scooter Newell •
sk8scooter@gmail.com
~
I’ve been spending a lot of time at my local skate park lately — pulling some shifts behind the counter, cleaning the shop, working on skateboards, changing bearings, informing new guests about our park, and hanging out with the skaters who’ve been there since it opened.

If you know me, you know that I love the “skate park vibe.” This is a place where we can hang out, practice our beloved craft, and just be skateboarders. Over the years my skateboarding journeys and adventures have taken me coast-to-coast and spot-to-spot, and I’ve skated tons of parks along the way… maybe even hundreds of thousands of tons, since most of the parks are made out of concrete.

All these great skate destinations differ in size, construction, popularity, and management. One thing that always seems to remain though, is the local “young skateboard kid” or “kids.” Yes, I’m talking about the skaters who are so young that they don’t care which pro got kicked off what team for what reason. They don’t care about downloading the newest clip off the Berrics website. Their minds are not yet infected with skateboard marketing or brand recognition. In fact, they’re at the best age of their life to enjoy skateboarding — the “Look Mom!” phase.

This issue’s installment is dedicated to the mothers of all kids who skate — young and old. As we grow as skaters we tend to cycle through some phases — from going to the skate park with your mom and dad to getting dropped off at the skate park by mom and dad; from riding our bikes to the skate park to riding with friends who can drive to the skate park; from driving ourselves to the parks to eventually driving yourself and your kids so you can all skate. It’s happening more and more these days. Dad will be out there shredding it up with his 4- or 16-year-old son or daughter. I’ve skated with moms who can ride the bowl as good as their own offspring.

But it’s that first phase we tend to forget as we become older skaters with our own unique personalities and contributions to the skating community. It’s the phase where Mom (and/or Dad; we know it’s a combined effort!) actually hangs out at the skate park with you. Watching, smiling, wiping sweat, holding your Gatorade, taking pictures, waiting for you to do “one more run,” being your biggest fan, and carrying your board and all your sweaty gear to the car when you’re finished.

This beginning part is where most of our skateboard journeys are very similar. Chances are, we all had a parent or parents who supported our passion for skateboarding when we were young, and it really makes no difference if it was your mom or dad, or both. However, this May I’d like to give some props to all the moms of the world who support their young shredders — I know you wouldn’t have it any other way! I also want to say thanks to my Mom, Jackie, for getting me involved in skateboarding over 35 years ago. (And thanks for carrying my board and pads to and from the car, too!)

Happy Mother’s Day!

News Rants:

Grind for Life founder Mike Rogers just got back from NYC for an annual checkup. He is 7 years cancer free! His Doctor says: “Looking good, Mike! Keep up the good work and keep skateboarding.” MR will be at the ProTech Pool Party May 21-22, proving that there is life after cancer at this prestigious invite-only event. Follow Mike’s travels by logging on to www.grindforlife.org

The crew at Graffiti Skate Zone never sleeps. They’ve been spotted at such recent community events as The Brevard Youth Expo passing out freebies and hosting games. GSZ also put on a demo for the Ben Rocks 3 Fundraiser on the portable mini ramp. Get involved and check out www.graffitiskatezone.com.

On May 22 the Cocoa Beach Skate Park and Evasion Clothing will hold a super-chill BBQ and Best Trick Contest for cash. Hit up “Cocoa Beach Skate Park” on Facebook for daily updates and info.

By the time you read this, Adam Taylor’s new Pro Model Helmet will be out by Triple8.

Skateboard News? Send it in — sk8scooter@gmail.com

surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation participated in a Banana River Lagoon cleanup on April 17, 2010. Twenty volunteers joined with Keep Brevard Beautiful on a trash bash tour of the Thousand Islands. Kayaks and guidance were provided by Fin Expeditions of Cocoa Beach. Check out our video on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cp5vGN0zmI

On April 25 we conducted a beach cleanup at Minutemen Causeway as part of the Earth Day Celebration. We are seeking stakeholders for all the public beach accesses between Port Canaveral and 2nd Light. Stakeholders perform regular maintenance on their favorite beach access to keep it clean and protect the dunes. We have posted a list of available public beach accesses on our website. Please contact us if you would like to become a stakeholder.

Upcoming events:
May 18: Chapter Meeting, Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, 6 p.m.
May 25: Beach Cleanup with Trinity Prep, 10 a.m., locations TBA
June 5-6: 1st Annual Surfrider Challenge at the Waterman’s Challenge, International Palms Resort (formerly the Holiday Inn) in Cocoa Beach
June 20: International Surfing Day, TBD
Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk, or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, located at the Ron Jon Watersports Building, 4275 North Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

Costa Rica Surf Report and Forecast
By Greg Gordon
www.crsurf.com
travel@crsurf.com

FORECAST

Caribbean Coast: The wave season is wrapping up this month, but there are still periods of overhead surf. Just follow any northeasters that head off the coast of North Carolina and wait about a week. The weather is just right, with lots of sunshine in the morning and cooling rainshowers in the afternoon. Expect locals to dominate the lineup at Salsa Brava, but plenty of open space at the Playa Cocles beach breaks.

Pacific Coast: The first major southwest swell hit the last week of March. It was a combo swell since it had plenty of sets from the west-northwest, pushing the wave size to double overhead. In April, expect more swells from the south-southwest, arriving about every two weeks and lasting three to four days with the biggest waves on day two. Hard offshore winds keep some surf off the northern Nicoya coast, so the southern coast is the place to be.

New moon: April 14
Full moon: April 28

TRAVEL

The first week of April is crazy with Semana Santa allowing most residents to take a week off and visit the beach. Add to that Spring Break in the U.S., and that means lots of beachside traffic, mucha fiesta, and more crowded lineups. However, after the 11th it quiets down quickly.

The reason for the missing report in March was that I was doing some research and attending many “board” meetings. In Puerto Viejo, I stayed at the eco-friendly Cashew Hill Jungle Lodge, in Playa Hermosa the rustic beachfront Cabinas Las Arenas, and in Santa Teresa my hosts were the beachside Blue Surf Sanctuary and way up the hill in Surf Vista Villas. All of these are great options if you’re planning your next trip. Reviews for these accommodations and many others are on the CRSURF website: www.crsurf.com

CONTESTS

The next contest on the Circuito Nacional de Surf will take place April 10-11 in Santa Teresa. CR Surf Travel Company currently sponsors five surfers who compete on the national tour: Lealani and Noe Mar McGonagle from Pavones, Elliot Bishop from Puerto Viejo, Jefferson Tacson from Jaco, and Luis Castro from Tamarindo.

Also that weekend (although unconfirmed at print time) in Boca Barranca will be the Gidget Pro Longboard Association World Championships. Boca Barranca is one of the longest lefts in the world, and for years Toes on the Nose held an annual event hosted by Rabbit Kekai. Usually local beaches hold their own events, so if you are a competitive surfer, check the local surf shops to sign up.

ENVIRONMENT/COMMUNITY

The Jaco Chamber of Commerce wants to continue to help support the Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to nesting grounds for olive ridley, green and rare hawksbill sea turtles. The refuge needs help with basic infrastructure and equipment, more park rangers and public services (electricity and telephone), and educational materials for visitors. To help with this project, contact the chamber at 2643-2853 or by emailing cenpac.chamber@gmail.com. If you wish to help the lifeguard program in Dominical, you can make a donation at www.dominicallifeguards.org. Last Easter week they made over 40 saves!

CRSURF eco-T-shirts are on still on sale for only $12.99 including postage through www.crsurf.com They are made in Florida from recycled plastic and cotton, and we are donating $3 from each shirt sold to the Surfrider Foundation, Pretoma.org (to stop the tuna farms in Punto Banco), and the Dominical Lifeguards. You can also buy leashes and boardbags from WaveTribe made from hemp and recycled materials. Save a little green while you’re out in the big blue.

So… the Groundhog Day saga continues.

You’re probably thinking “Is this idiot going to go off on another rant?” or “Is he going to babble about television commercials again?” Although I’m not going to entertain you with anecdotes about daytime TV, I am going to tell you a thing or two about the National Marine Fisheries Commission and the South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council. If that is going to affect your delicate sensibilities, I suggest you flip over to another page. If you consider fishing in Florida one of your rights as an individual, you might want to listen.

After writing last month’s article, I had the experience of visiting our Nation’s Capital for the rally in D.C. I can honestly say that I’m glad I was in attendance. I’m not much for the hot air politicians will blow up our skirts, but it was good to see that the fishermen were getting support from their state representatives. It was good to hear that there’s legislation in the works that could give us some relief from the stringent Magnusson Act.

On the other hand, what really pisses me off is the fact that organizations like the PEW Charitable Trust and the Environmental Defense Fund are using their extensive funding in their fight to put us out of business! What do they really have to gain by this? What stake do they have in the fisheries? If I had to guess, it’s sleight of hand, like a good magician. Somewhere, somehow, they are getting something in the long run. Right now, they are just putting more Americans out of work. These groups being in bed with NMFS goes way beyond the proverbial fox in the henhouse. It’s more like the fox in the henhouse followed by the snake in the grass. The fox eats the chickens, the snake eats the eggs, and all we fishermen are left with is chicken sh*t. You can make a chicken salad out of it, but it’s still going to make one big sh*t sandwich and we’re all gonna get a huge bite.

Another thing that raises the hair on the back of my neck was revealed to me by talking to fishermen from around the country. From Alaska to California, from Texas to Florida’s West Coast, from Key West to Cape Cod, no matter what region the person was from, the story was always the same: “NMFS screwed up the fishery”. Hearing the similar story from others provided some level of comfort, as many times we go through life thinking we’re the only ones suffering certain circumstances. On one hand, it was good to find out our region was not alone. On the other hand, it’s not very encouraging to know that the governing body of the nation’s fisheries has screwed the pooch everywhere. Not only that, they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. I’ve said it before: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result”. Hello, head. Hello, brick wall.

The other overwhelming similarity between the regions is the story of data. Many fish have been declared “overfished” by NMFS data while the fishermen say: “There’s never been so many and now we can’t even fish for them.” From personal experience, I can say that our red snapper population is, by far, the best it’s been in 25 years. NMFS says that they are so badly overfished that they have to shut down the ocean to stop the bycatch. Could there be any bigger gap?

Oh yeah, it’s not enough that the data sucks and NMFS admits it! Now they’ve taken money from data research and allocated $54 million to promote catch share programs. Could they be any more backwards? HEEELLLLLOOOOOOO!!?? CAN ANYBODY F*$#ING HEAR ME? Does that not seem ludicrous? Somebody should allocate monies to a slush fund to buy council members some common sense. This is the kind of stuff that makes people go postal…

I’d like to think I’m just being extra crazy ‘cuz I haven’t been fishing in a while, but that kind of thinking would only be a form of moderate self-preservation. I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m too afraid of heights to climb an antenna tower.

If you do want to go fishing, cobia should be a good bet at the beginning of the month. Toward the middle or end of the month, we should start seeing the beginnings of the dolphin run.

Typically, for April, I would write a kind of April Fool’s article. Although I joked about my mental state, the subject material of this article is very much real.

Get involved with the fight to save our fisheries: www.joinrfa.org

See ya at the next meeting!

Stovall Report: April ‘10
Captain Sherrie Stovall

I do hope that winter is finally over because my heating and firewood bills are astronomical. I’m pretty sure there are a lot of fish that will agree with me in welcoming spring.

But expect everything to be late this year due to cooler water temperatures. The cobia run, which can be really great during the month of March, was mediocre at best. A few fish were caught, but not in the numbers that should have been brought in. Scattered reports of free swimmers and a few following rays are being reported around the docks. We’re hearing good news from the south that they’re seeing cobia and rays, so they should be on their way up. Some warmer days and some southeast winds should make a difference. The board for our Cobia for Cash tournament at Whitey’s is pretty pathetic at this time, so it’s not too late to sign up. Get in the tournament as soon as possible as the cobia aren’t even here yet.

Offshore should light up this month as fish prepare for th migration back north. Good numbers of wahoo have already been caught throughout the winter by anglers trolling out deep. Expect this to remain strong as the fish move up from their winter hangouts in the Bahamas. Dolphin will also begin their run this month. Trolling or live baiting on temperature breaks or over the offshore bars should bring the fish to the table.

For the bottom fishermen out there, it has been a long three months and we only have 30 more days till grouper opens up. Until then we have to keep catching our sea bass, triggers, mangroves, and the occasional mutton. I know it’s hard to keep releasing those “highly endangered” red snapper, but maybe they’ll let us start keeping them after the six-month closure.

Sebastian Inlet has been alive recently with good numbers of Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Got-Cha plugs and small spoons have been accounting for most of the fish on the outgoing tides. Sheepshead are still pretty active around the Inlet on the drop-offs and deeper channels. Cut shrimp, clams, and sand fleas have been working well for the prized game fish. Expect the numbers of these fish and more to continue to rise as water temperatures rise.

The surf was pretty slow last month except for the occasional whiting and pompano. A few reports of big pompano coming up from the south are trickling in, and they should be hitting our beaches soon. Hopefully the sand fleas will come back from wherever they’ve been for the last few months and make an appearance on our beaches. Bluefish are plentiful for people throwing spoons or using cut mullet on bottom. April can be a great month for some of the biggest blues of the season. Large top water plugs can produce some explosive strikes when the blues are on a feeding frenzy and can be a blast.

The Indian River will should be teeming with life this month. All the fish are fattening up after the long, cold winter and are preparing for their spring spawn. The shallow water flats will be flooded with every fish in the river. Pinfish, pigfish, mullet, and shrimp will invade the potholes and the game fish will surely follow. Live baits fished under a cork will bring a lot of action as well as soft plastics and top water plugs. This month can be the best month for the river, and from what I’ve seen, the snook are thick along the mangroves already. This can provide some excellent sight fishing opportunities.

As usual, check out our website — www.whiteysonline.com — for the latest reports and pictures from the region, or call the shop at (321) 724-1440.

Hope the winds lay down for everybody this month and temperatures stay warm.

Until next time, tight lines!

Poroderma pantherinium, the Leopard Catshark

I always seem to be rushing to finish up my articles before $2 tacos and $1 drafts at Taco City… This is the fourth in my series of ongoing reports of common sharks we may see in our local aquariums, restaurants, and pet shops. This month’s species is one that caught my eye several years ago at a small aquarium in the northeast. Its amazing coloration was the first thing that caught my eye. My friend Summer had actually suggested this species many months ago, but unfortunately was only able to write about it until now. This one goes out to you, Summer. I’ll miss ya, and thank you for suggesting this month’s species. It’s one that’s very easy to identify: Poroderma pantherinium, the leopard catshark.

The Leopard catshark is another of the smaller species, with a maximum reported size reaching 33.4 inches, though they’re likely to be found in the 21- to 24-inch range. They have an amazing coloration: a creamy brown to gold color with variable darker spots, rings, and lines along their entire body, a feature which give them their name.

Indicative characteristics of the leopard catshark include a short, stocky body, the absence of a lower tail lobe, spiracles behind the eyes, and large sensory barbels near the nostrils. The two dorsal fins are of similar size and are set far back on the body. The pectoral fins are of equal size, and are the same size as the pelvic fins as well. Like last month’s species, they are large and muscular, and are often observed walking along the ocean floor.

This shark commonly inhabits inshore rocky reefs along the southern tip of South Africa along the Natal coast to depths of 840 feet. Although they appear to be year-round residents in this home range, data on them is extremely deficient. The Leopard catshark is a nocturnal predator, and its teeth are similar to others in its family, specialized for grasping soft-bodied creatures as well as crushing hard-bodied reef dwellers. They are known to feed on bony fishes, crustaceans, octopi, and polychaete worms.

It is is considered to be of minor importance in the pet and aquaria trade, and is often caught in commercial fisheries, as well as by shoreline anglers. Found in aquariums throughout the world due to its ability to adapt well to captivity and for its striking coloration, the leopard catshark is not currently listed by the IUCN, but this may change due to its collection in the pet trade.

Like all sharks, this species is an integral part of our ecosystem and deserves our continued respect, conservation, and admiration.

Mahalo,
Bloody Bill

For more information visit:
www.flmnh.ufl.edu