Westbound Boarder

This past Saturday, the city of Los Angeles gathered at 70+ locations to clean the SoCal waterways.  Deemed “Coastal Cleanup Day,” the monumental event gathered more than 14,000 LA County volunteers and removed over 150 tons of trash from regional areas.  Volunteers unearthed some pretty unusual debris, including a dead sea lion, a severed goat’s head, a restroom urinal, a dilapidated 10-foot skiff, and a fake mustache (I don’t know about you, but surfing in a sea of fake mustaches is a little less-than-appealing; kind of gross to think about).

Great work to all the volunteers involved in the initiative, and I know I’ll personally take it upon myself to keep the beaches around me clean as can be; I invite you to join me!  For a look at some of the photos from the event, check out the Coastal Cleanup Day Flickr gallery.

Cool stuff from around the Web, plus cool events, equals cool article; check it out!

• Louie Vito Turns in His Snowboard For… Dancing Shoes? That’s right, pro snowboarder Louie Vito is joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars, which premieres Sept. 21.  Will his cha-cha-cha’s are as good as his backside 9′s.  You decide.
• The Best Beach for Beginning Surfers: This week, LA mag highlights the best beach for beginning surfers in LA.  Known for its long, slow waves and forgiving wave riders, this is the perfect beach to hit if you’re just starting out.
• 2010 Winter Olympics Snowboarding Schedule Set: Add these dates to your calendar now, because you won’t want to miss ‘em!

Upcoming Events

• Saturday, Sept. 19, 9am – noon: Coastal Cleanup Day, Southern California, 70+ locations
• Saturday, Sept. 19, 2pm till dark: Bear Mountain Hot Dawgs and Hand Rails, pro invitational rail jam event, music, autograph signings, film screenings, and more; Free admission
• Saturday, Sept. 26: Red Bull Soapbox Los Angeles

This Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9am to noon, Heal The Bay, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds safe, healthy and clean, is attempting to organize the World’s largest, single-day volunteer event to clean up the five trashiest waterways in California, as well as 70+ other destinations.

Called “Coastal Cleanup Day,” tens of thousands of Los Angeles County residents will mobilize on Saturday at more than 70 other cleanup sites, from Pasadena to Palos Verdes. Volunteers will canvass beaches, parks, creeks, lakes, highways and alleys to remove ocean-bound trash.  Volunteers will also get a hands-on education about harmful marine debris and easy steps they can take throughout the year to keep local watersheds clean.

I know, I know, it’s always hard to devote precious weekends to volunteerism (especially when it involves getting up at 9am!) but it is important to keep our beaches clean and safe, and its a great way to give something back to the great surf Mother Nature continues to provide (Karma, anyone?)  So if you don’t have plans yet on Saturday, this will be a fun, rewarding event to participate in.

For more information on how to participate and cleanup site locations, visit the Coastal Cleanup Day Web site.