Sierra Journal

The Present - New Surf Film Playing Now

Er... it's been playing for a month but I just ran across it on the interwebs, so it's new to me. I'm pretty psyched to see The Present, a new surf film from Patagonia. I'm a surfing newbie myself, just feeling out local surf spots on my longboard. Footage like the below sure gets me stoked. It's very inspiring to see these guys tear it up. Here's the schedule. For you NorCal locals, it's playing in Santa Cruz on May 23rd. Here's the trailer:

 

Public Hearing on Offshore Oil Drilling Set for Thursday

The Interior Department will make a stop in San Francisco on Thursday for the next in a series of public hearings on offshore drilling.

I'm no petroleum or environmental sciences expert (few are), but I do know two things: I don't want oil rigs messing with my sunsets and I don't want oil spills mucking up my beaches. 

There are plenty of other ways to harness the energy of the sea and shore: wind, tidal, etc. Let's start planning for the future by investing in clean, renewable energy sources and stop planning for the future like we're perpetually stuck in 1965. 

If you feel so inclined, numerous local and national environmental and conservation groups could use your support at the hearing.

Details on the hearing via SF Gate:
The Department of the Interior will hold a public hearing from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center, Robertson Auditorium, 1675 Owens St., San Francisco.

My latest obsession: Surfing

So I'm going to have to update the mission of Sierra Journal. In addition to alpine climbing, ski mountaineering and other mountain-related stuff, you can expect to see surfing news, photos, reports and gear reviews. Why? Because it's my latest obsession.

During this shoulder season, while the weather's been too cold and volatile for climbing, and the snow to thin for skiing, I've been out surfing - every single weekend. I can't stop.

So, here's my inaugural surfing gear review - an in-depth review of my new board, a 9'6" Stewart HydroHull. It's big, wide, thick and stable. Perfect for a clumsy surfing newbie like me. How's that for in-depth? :)