Categories
- Competitions (10)
- Environment (11)
- Events (15)
- Film Reviews (11)
- Photography (11)
- Products (21)
- SurfReel (25)
- Travel (14)
- Uncategorized (24)
- Videos (19)
Surfer’s feel pinch at the pump
AP Photo/Chris Carlson
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (AP) — For years, Chris Mauro took a 10-mile detour on his way to work each morning to check out the swells at his favorite surf break and plot the best location for his afterwork wave-riding.
But with gas now approaching $5 a gallon, Mauro recently cut out his daily ritual in favor of the savings.
He isn’t alone.
The surfing industry depends on petroleum-based products to build and ship its boards. And surfers in search of the biggest waves have to dig deeper into the pockets to fill their gas tanks or book flights to the best breaks around the world, including far-flung places like South Africa and Tahiti.
Peter St. Pierre, who owns Moonlight Glassing in San Marco, Calif., has seen the cost of resin jump 30 percent to $1,000 for a 50-gallon drum in the past year, squeezing his profit margins when money is already tight.
“If we can break even this year, I’ll be happy,” said St. Pierre, who recalls a similar crisis during the oil embargo in the 1970s.
“It’s a trade-off of being able to do something you love, with your hands, and being able to go out and go surfing instead of just punching the clock,” he said.
Web sites with surf cameras have reported an uptick in users, said Mike Matey, vice president of marketing at Huntington Beach-based surfline.com.
The high gas prices still haven’t dissuaded some die-hard surfers from enjoying their sport - expensive or not.
As the sun set over San Clemente’s famed Trestles surf break on a recent summer day, Alan Harrison peeled off his wet suit and swore he would never choose money over surfing.
“If you love it, you can’t change it for anybody or anything,” said the 23-year-old Harrison, who spends $40 a week to get to Trestles from his inland home. “Even if gas went to $10 a gallon, I’d still do it. I’d find a way. It’s an addiction.”
- BROWSE / IN TIMELINE
- « PC Editing Software
- » That’s hot!
- BROWSE / IN Uncategorized
- « PC Editing Software
- » That’s hot!
SPEAK / ADD YOUR COMMENT
Comments are moderated.
