Photos by Daniel DeBoom
2:00pm | The chilly water stung as it flowed over my shoulders and down my back, but I welcomed it. The ocean felt good on that Saturday morning.
Several dozen surfers and I paddled out into the water off the coast of Long Beach over the weekend, in an event to raise awareness for the effort to remove or alter the breakwater; hopefully improving water quality and returning surfable waves to Long Beach. That salty surfer pictured at right is your intrepid reporter.
The event was part of Breakwater Awareness Month (BAM), hosted by the office of 4th District Councilmember Patrick O’Donnell, who led the procession about 100 yards off the shore and gathered everyone into a large circle. We were the only people in the ocean.
There, sitting on our boards with our legs in the still waters, we listened as Councilmember O’Donnell recited a prayer, which is below:
Dear God:
We glide upon these waters out of respect for the opportunity, life, and fulfillment our ocean waters bring us.
We acknowledge that by man’s own hand we have harmed our coastline to the detriment of water quality, recreational opportunity and economic vitality.
We ask for guidance, wisdom, and success as we attempt to address the misdeed before us. Please help us help man right what has wronged.
The prayer was followed by a moment of silence, about a minute of serene quiet as we ebbed and flowed together with the rolling water. We were each given a flower, which we tossed into the center of the circle and headed back to shore.
Surfing may have been absent in Long Beach waters for some time, but many of its traditions were kept alive and well during the event. Surfers waxed their boards and lined up for a group photograph. Dancers performed a beautiful routine to honor the sea. I ate a coconut donut.
But the overall theme was recognizing the growing movement to reconfigure the breakwater. Ten years ago, said Long Beach Surfrider member Robert Palmer, no one took the effort seriously. Today, the support of many city officials and the general public is on the side of reconfiguration.
The city submitted a proposal for reconfiguration to the Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the structure, last year. The Corps is expected to announce a decision on whether or not they will allow reconfiguration, soon.
In fact, representatives from the Corps will be present at another BAM event tonight at Ecco’s Pizza on Bellflower Boulevard from 7:00pm-8:30pm. Long Beach city officials from the Government Affairs department will also be on hand to answer questions and provide updates on the city’s effort for reconfiguration.
