The annual Ground Swell Society (how freaking great is that name?) conference is this weekend! The event is a 2 day gig, with Saturday tapping the craniums of the kind of surf folk you wish you had access to all year round. The academic portion of this years event is solidly formed around south swell, with talks ranging from swell generation off New Zealand to Baja Pointbreaks. You can tell the karma on this event is great as it’s attracted an out of season south swell, from New Zealand of all places. :D From the event’s press release:

Did you know there’s a place where ocean swells roll for over five thousand miles? Where there are standing waves big enough to swallow container ships? Where yesterday’s mariners could be “caught inside” for months and today’s surfers get the longest rides in the world?

If you were worried about spending your weekend indoors, fear not. Sunday is reserved for riding an array of environmentally sensitive equipment from BioFoam to a Peruvian reed craft.

Saturday – February 24th – Conference Sessions

9 a.m. The Southern Ocean: A Most Remarkable StoryA presentation based on extensive research into the weather and history of the Southern Ocean by Glenn Hening from the meteorology of Antarctica to the ancient Peruvians veneration of ‘corduroy to the horizon’ to the great tall ship races through the Roaring 40s 100 years ago.

10 a.m. Where the Swell Begins -Dr. Walter Munk with Cher PendarvisDr. Munk and Cher’s presentation includes a history of swell forecasting, the origin of a south swell, movement of the swell energy across the Pacific toward San Diego, and the joy of riding the waves. A few San Diego surf spots that work best with south swells will also be described and illustrated using drawings, paintings and photographs. .

11:00 a.m. Waves Across the Pacific A special reprise showing of the 1963 documentary about Dr. Munk’s pioneering study tracing a swell from New Zealand to Alaska. Shown at last year’s conference, this 30 min. black and white film is a must see if you haven’t done so already.

1:00 Biofoam Update -Ned McMahon
A presenter at SASIC VI, Ned will be giving us the latest of earth-friendly surfboard materials.

1:30 Modern Surf Forecasting – Chuck Menzel, Along with Wetsand.com Forecaster Nathan Todd Cool, Chuck will present an overview of the technology behind today’s surf reports that translate real time data coming out of the Southern Ocean into quality surf sessions for modern surfers

2:30 p.m. Epic Jeffrey’s Bay, July 2007 – Shaun TomsonLast July Shaun surfed J-Bay for 10 days straight under maximum conditions. His presentation will cover the storm conditions that created the waves, and show his amazing surfing at J- Bay, the planet’s legendary right point break.

3:30 p.m. Baja Point Breaks, Then and Now, 1972 – 2007 – Richard SafadayRichard will tell the story of Baja’s Scorpion Bay, a place that depends entirely on the Southern Ocean for its remarkably long and perfect waves. The presentation will feature footage shot when the place was first ridden by surfers 30 years ago.

4:30 p.m. Wrap up and closing film

Sunday, 8 a.m. to noon, the energy will shift to the beach with a morning of wave-testing a variety of surfboard and fin designs using new materials intended to reduce the impact of surfboard construction and use on the environment. Biofoam boards, chambered balsa, and even a reed surfing craft from Peru will be on the beach for near the pier for use by attendees and friends.

Registration is $45 – includes parking, event t-shirt, and a box lunch for the first 100 paid registrants.
Students and seniors get in for free, but no shirt, no free parking, and lunch on your own. Seating is limited. Send a check made out to the Groundswell Society to the address below – or go to  www.groundswellsociety.org and register online.

In this coverage of last years event, I learned that if the US surf industry contributed 1% to the planet, they would donate 45 million a year.