The surfing industry is seeing a boom in business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One place where business has boomed is at Drill Malibu Surf and Skate.
Craig Clunies-Ross said he and his staff will be riding the surf frenzy wave as long as they can. "It's exploding," Clunies-Ross said. The shop owner said surf lessons and board and wetsuit sales have quadrupled.
"People are chasing the delivery truck to our shop and there's a line before we can even get them off the delivery truck," employee Christian Pflaum said.
After losing both his homes to the Woolsey Fire in 2018, the Malibu business owner thought his luck was turning around in the spring.
"We felt like we'd really righted the ship and got things back to normal and then the pandemic hit this spring," Clunies-Ross said.
Clunies-Ross was forced to shut his doors for a few months, but with the pandemic pushing most outdoors, people want to hit the water.
"I was just stuck in my apartment all day. I'm a musician. I've been working from home and I just wasn't getting outside, so I'd always been thinking about it and just decided to teach myself," surfer Sam Saunders said.
"During COVID, there's not as many ways to be social or be in a community and so for me, surfing has kind of become that way to just connect and just to be around people," surfer Mattie Peña said.
"As stores started to open up and down the California coast, the demand got crazy and companies like O'Neill wetsuits, Catch Surf, Storm Blade, Rip Curl - they started running out of product because stores like mine were seeing elevated business," Clunies-Ross said.
"Before, we would do one-time lessons for first-time tourists who just want to get the California scene. Now, it's more like surf coaching and surf training with people that are renting the beach houses in this area, so we'll have clients that'll stick around for months with us," Pflaum said.
Clunies-Ross said sales have been record-breaking in September. He's on his way to his best year since opening his shop in 2009.

​Statistics received from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles show that total revenue from all specialty plate sales in August, 2020 actually decreased to $2,701,403.00 from $2,798,122.00 for August, 2019. However, Endless Summer was the highest grossing plate in August, 2020 with $182,075.00, increasing from $171,250.00 for August, 2019.  The next highest was University of Florida with $159,775.00 (falling from $172,825.00 in August, 2019).

​This continues to follow the increase each month which will ultimately result in Endless Summer taking over the top selling plate spot from the University of Florida, which they have held for over 20 years. The University of Florida license plate was authorized in 1986, Endless Summer was not available until 2011.
In 2019, University of Florida raised $2,188,575.00 while Endless Summer raised $2,006,075.
So far in 2020, through August 31, University of Florida has raised $1,321,950.00 and Endless Summer has raised $1,367,650.00.
​Nearly 100,000 Florida vehicles should have the Endless Summer specialty license plate on their vehicles in 2021.

Revenue from sales of the license plate go to Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, which was established in 2008. The primary funding source for Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation is the Florida “Endless Summer” specialty license plate. The plate is one way to show support for the sport of surfing, as well as keeping Florida’s beaches healthy and clean.
In the enabling legislation, and following the Foundation’s mission, the primary use of the funds from the specialty plate is to support the proposed Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation “Experience” project, which will be located in Cocoa Beach. The Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation “Experience” will be an interactive encounter telling the story of how surfing has evolved and its role in the creation of two new sports: skateboarding and snowboarding, among other sports.
This project, currently estimated at between $15 million and $20 million, is in the initial
concept and planning stages.  So far, $10,674,302.20 has been raised from sales of the Endless Summer specialty license plate in Florida.
In addition to the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation “Experience” project, the Foundation
has assisted organizations and events whose missions parallel the Foundation’s goals:
keeping beaches healthy and safe through education and action. The Foundation has
researched opportunities to help and has found a number of partners, including the Marine Discovery Center, whose mission is “To protect and restore the Florida coastal and Indian River Lagoon ecosystems through education, research and community stewardship.”
The Foundation also supports Special Olympics Florida with its board sports programs, and a number of beach cleanup organizations, including local affiliates of Keep America Beautiful, which allows participation in annual events such as Earth Day and the International Coastal Cleanup.

Taking the Drive in Movie Theater experience to the next level, the Newport Beach Film Festival is screening the world premiere of 'A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story'. The film features a look back at the famous filmmaker, his career, his friends, family, and the art of surf film-making.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, August 13, 2020, 8:00 PM PDT. Doors open at 6:00 PM, showtime is approximately 8.00PM (sunset). The event will be held at  Fashion Island, 401 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, CA - on top of the parking structure at THE LOT Fashion Island.
The audio for the movie is broadcast through a Professional Grade FM transmitter (radio), so make sure you have a good sound system in your vehicle. If you don't have an FM transmitter in your car you can bring a battery-operated stereo with speakers to hear the movie. Tickets must be purchased online, in advance. Tickets will be scanned through car window when entering.
For ticket information, click here.

​Surfing advocates and the California Coastal Commission rained ire this week on a bill that would allow San Diego and Orange county homeowners to build seawalls by right, sidestepping commission oversight.
Seawalls are highly controversial in California, viewed as a property defense against sea-level rise and the crumbling of coastal cliffs. At the same time, seawalls prevent the natural replenishment of beach sand from cliff faces and land runoff.
Republican Sen. Pat Bates, who represents portions of San Diego and Orange counties, brought SB 1090 before the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee allowing testimony from pre-selected speakers.
The father of an Encinitas family that lost three members when a cliff collapsed on top of their weekend picnic last year gave emotional testimony on behalf of the bill.
“There is no plan for sand replenishment or any other bluff changes to increase safety on this very popular stretch of beach where my accident occurred,” said J. Patrick Davis, a pediatric dentist.
Seawalls, or “hard armoring” as Surfrider Foundation’s scientist Jennifer Savage called the structures, do not make beaches safer, she said. “They destroy the beach by speeding-up erosion,” Savage said.

​The Coastal Commission representative argued the Encinitas incident was a tragic accident, not due to a lack of action by the commission to approve or deny a seawall in the area.
“The bill is designed to make it faster, easier and cheaper to build seawalls primarily to protect private residential development,” Sarah Christie, the commission’s legislative director, testified. “For every seawall that is built, the public loses a beach.”
There was no committee vote, however. Sen. Henry Stern, the committee chair, and Bates agreed ahead of time to hear the bill without the vote, and testimony was heard on May 26, 2020. said Josh Kirmsse, Stern’s communications director.
The Committee Analysis states that for Orange and San Diego Counties, this bill would effectively authorize by-right construction of sea walls/other hard shoreline structures and  only allow the commission or a local government to deny an application for a shoreline protective device only if they determine that the construction of a shoreline protective device would constitute a substantial threat to the public health or safety. It also seeks to prohibit a state agency or local government to adopt an ordinance, regulation, policy or rule that is inconsistent with these requirements.
Supporters of the bill include California Apartment Association, California Association of Realtors, Newport Beach Association of Realtors, North San Diego County Association of Realtors, Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, Orange County Realtors, County of San Diego, and ‘four individuals’.

Opposers to the bill included Azul, Azul was founded in 2011 by Marce Gutierrez-Graudins, to bring Latinxs perspectives and participation to ocean conservation, and are legally organized under the Trust for Conservation Innovation. After experiencing how mainstream ocean conservation efforts and campaigns were leaving Latinxs out, Marce decided to start Azul to engage her community in protecting coastal resources and marine life. In a joint sign-on letter expressing strong opposition, Azul, among others, writes that SB 1090 “would pave the way for private property owners to effectively hasten and accelerate the loss of public beaches from the Orange County and San Diego coasts under the guise of claiming to improve public safety.”
Others who registered in opposition to the bill were California Coastal Protection Network, Heal the Bay, California Coastal Commission, California Coastkeeper Alliance, California League of Conservation Voters, California Native Plant Society, Center for Biological Diversity, Clean Water Action, Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Plastic Pollution Coalition, Seventh Generation Advisors, Sierra Club California, Surfrider Foundation, The 5 Gyres Institute, The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education (COARE), The Honorable Betty T. Yee, California State Controller, and the Nature Conservancy. Heal the Bay is an advocacy group of activists based in Santa Monica, California. The focus is protecting coastal waters and watersheds of southern California.
Senators will do more work on the legislation at the committee level.
The bill analysis also states that "erosion will be exacerbated by the presence of sea walls on the seaward size of the sea wall. Public accessibility will be correspondingly compromised. Beaches need natural erosion and sediment transfer for their health. Living shorelines, soft armoring and managed retreat, if necessary, should be prioritized. How can shoreline armoring be 'designed to mitigate or protect against coastal erosion' as it is known to exacerbate that very thing?" It also comments that the bill "provides an implicit public subsidy to private landowners."
Click here for the full bill text.

​Bruce Brown is widely known to have been the innovator of modern-day surf films.
The California filmmaker who directed "The Endless Summer" continues to fill seats around the world. "A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story" is a feature-length movie about the legendary director. Written, directed, and produced by Dana Brown, this film features a look back at the famous filmmaker, his career, his friends, family, and the nexus of surf filmmaking.

The documentary about Bruce Brown reveals details about the man, the husband, the father, and the pioneer filmmaker he was for five decades and features the likes of Hobie Alter, Gerry Lopez, Jack O'Neill, Kenny Roberts, Chad McQueen, Mert Lawwill, and a slew of other notable surf and motto dignitaries. 
"We are excited to be able to offer this fantastic film to our audiences at this unique time of transition," notes Henry C. Lystad, director of operations at Adventure Entertainment. "As we are all starting to carefully and conscientiously re-open for business, 'A Life of Endless Summers' is just the type of uplifting story film that we need now."
"A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story" will be released on digital platforms and select theaters on August 18th. Click here for a preview.

It's the year 1962. Bruce Brown, an ambitious young filmmaker has an idea for a new project - The Endless Summer. 
The concept: Follow the summer season around the world with two surfers on a quest for the perfect wave. As it turned out, Bruce was on to something. Not only did the film become a hit, it earned a cult following, became the most successful surf film of all time and arguably made him the founding father of action sports films. 
Directed by second generation, award winning and documentarian filmmaker Dana Brown his projects have included such titles as Endless Summer 2, Step Into Liquid, Dust to Glory, Highwater, On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter and Dust 2 Glory.
A Life of Endless Summers is the story of a man, a father, a husband, a filmmaker, a pioneer, a legend.

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Outerknown, a clothing brand co-founded by pro-surfer Kelly Slater, makes effortless and casual beach styles rooted in sustainability and transparency. Over 90% of Outerknown's products are made from organic, recycled, or regenerated materials. The company's manufacturing partners also follow strict guidelines of safety and working conditions.
Slater pointed out that "conscious development takes time and investment. There are added costs in creating quality product made to last, in finding and partnering with the right factories that value worker well-being, and in sourcing and leveraging materials that cause less harm." 
"At the end of the day, we're looking at the long run and what's best 'For People and Planet.' We're putting in the work to build a truly sustainable model rather than zeroing in on short-term trends or financials," he says. 
Outerknown has partnered with Bruce Brown films LLC to launch a new collection - Bruce Brown Films
available in store and online.

​A recent comment on the store's website stated: "Honestly, I hadn’t thought about Endless Summer for years. It’s always been one of my favorite movies and movie posters. I was recently in a VRBO and the owner was a Tower Records Exec. In a prior life. His home was filled with vintage concert and movie prints. I immediately was drawn to the Endless Summer print with its amazing colors and the silhouettes of the surfers. I went home and bought a framed print and watched the movie. Totally inspiring and the Soundtrack by The Sandals is so cool. Then...I get the email from Outerknown featuring Bruce Brown. I was like, this is too good to be true. Feels like serendipity! Needless to say, I immediately bought the shirt and it is fantastic. Feels good to wear it. Ahh, Karma." Jake'

The store is now open at The Point in El Segundo:
The Point Shopping Center, 850 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite D 106, El Segundo, CA 90245.
​Best of luck to Kelly on this new adventure.

The Board also approved a grant of up to $500,000 to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority to prepare plans, designs, environmental review documents and a public works plan for a campground and associated amenities at the Malibu Bluffs in the City of Malibu.  One of the biggest barriers for low and middle-income Californians to accessing and enjoying the coast is the lack of affordable overnight options. Nearly 60% of Californians never spend the night when they visit the coast. This project will help expand coastal camping in Southern California. When constructed, the Malibu Bluffs Campground would add 50 campsites ranging from platform tent cabins/yurts to pop-up tent campsites, nearly doubling the number of campsites in the City of Malibu, which receives 15 million visitors annually.

A grant of up to $50,000 was authorized, to the Orange County Coastkeeper to prepare a business plan, evaluate design options, and prepare permit applications for the purchase and installation of ten prefabricated lower-cost bungalows at the Waterfront RV Park in Huntington Beach, Orange County.
A grant of up to $1,300,000 was authorized to go to the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy for the acquisition of the 113-acre Mill Bend property and preparation of an integrated resource management plan for the property, located at the mouth of the Gualala River in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

Six weeks after first announcing the tour’s postponement, World Surf League CEO Erik Logan provided another detailed message, letting fans know that competitive surfing has been put on hold until at least June 1 while officially postponing the Oi Rio Pro in hopes of running it later in that month. “Where and when we will run this year is still very much an open question,” he said. “But we will continue to work with governments, world health authorities, and our local communities on returning to the lineup.”

Logan also announced that 2021 will see big changes to the tour format, ones the WSL was planning to unveil in 2022. “Our pause due to COVID really allowed us to see that now is the time to accelerate these changes,” he said.

​Last year’s final at Pipeline, which saw Italo Ferreira and Gabriel Medina face off in the last heat of the year to decide the world title, was a shot of reality for the WSL – a scenario they’d like to see much more of as the engagement in that event was extremely high thanks to the ramifications. So the League won’t leave that scenario to chance anymore and will use a “regular season” of sorts to decide seedings for the final event of the year, a “surf-off” as they’re calling it, to decide the world title. They’re essentially creating a playoff format similar to other sports leagues to ensure titles are won in the water and at year’s end.

Option 1, featuring the Endless Summer® slogan and logo is the clear favorite for the proposed design for the Endless Summer® license plate.  Also, 87% of respondents chose Option 1 as their first or second choice.

Beaches and parks in Santa Cruz County reopened Thursday as California and other states across the country began discussing plans to lift stay-at-home orders. Public spaces in California counties that have been harder hit by the coronavirus pandemic remain closed.
"We are, please, asking you not to congregate into groups, because that's going to force us to probably shut this down again," Santa Cruz Chief of Police Andrew Mills warned residents Thursday.

​Santa Cruz issued a one-week order before the Easter holiday to close county beaches, parks and other recreational spaces on April 8. The order expired after Wednesday, though the county's stay-at-home order remains in effect through May 3. Residents were encouraged to continue practicing social distancing and wear masks while in public, and spaces where maintaining six feet of distance between people is difficult—including basketball courts, skate parks and playgrounds—are still closed.

Ralph Dimarucut, principal management analyst with the City of Santa Cruz, said residents' ability to abide by social distancing guidelines would factor into the county's decision to keep beaches open. "If our community is able to follow shelter-in-place orders, we don't have to take that route" of reinstating closures, Dimarucut said. "We really don't want to. We understand how important exercise is to everyone's mental health, but we have to protect the health of our community. If people are gathering at a park or beach to a point where they can't practice social distancing, we may have to take those measures."

​California—which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said was first to report a case of community transmission—became the first state to issue a stay-at-home order on March 19. The order came shortly after Governor Gavin Newsom sent a letter to President Donald Trump projecting 56 percent of California residents would contract the virus within an eight-week period if quick action was not taken.

​San Diego County—which has the state's second largest number of cases with 2,087 confirmed and 63 deaths reported as of April 15—also issued its beach closures last month. In comparison, Santa Cruz had confirmed 96 COVID-19 cases and two deaths by April 15.

Newsom began discussing the state's options for lifting stay-at-home orders earlier this week. His plan thus far does not specify a timeline for returning the state to business as usual; instead, he said progress will depend on six key indicators, which include the state's testing capacity and ability to enforce social distancing.