Victoria's Haines Skims Over Rough Spots
Last month's championship skimboard competition added to congestion at Aliso Beach. Tex Haines, founder of Laguna icon Victoria Skimboards, marshaled skimboarding supporters this week at a meeting to counter a perceived threat from county parks officials over the World Championship of Skimboarding, a contest held at Aliso Beach since 1976.
During this year's event last month, Haines met resistance from a park ranger, who strongly urged him to move the permitted event outside of the crowded summer months due to overcrowding at the county's second most popular beach.
Such a move, though, would spell disaster for Haines' event, which now takes advantage of summer's south swell and freedom from school assignments to draw contestants from across the country.
Haines' concerns seem overblown, according to Leslie Ray, coastal district supervisor for OC Parks, who described the event as "way cool."
"It's a pretty well-run event, it's a popular event…it's only on half the beach," said Ray. "Because of the type of event that it is, that's a prime location to have it. We definitely understand that and it's a known worldwide event…We are very willing to work with Tex, and have been."
On sunny summer weekends, the 280-space parking lot at Aliso beach is overloaded, and tempers often flare. Haines estimated the contest crowd at about 300, increasing to 450 during the pro finals.
Jonet Wollert, the park ranger for Aliso and several other beaches, said last month's contest was crowded. "In previous years we had some difficulties with the vendor. There were a few confrontations with one of the sponsors," she said, though declining to identify the parties involved.
Haines said no citations were issued, "just very strong suggestions that we move the event out of the summer months."
Wollert, who along with other rangers and the district supervisor, helps decide whether a permit will be granted, said, "We're not crazy about these events because it's a big event at a small beach. We're looking at whether it's worth having that event at that beach. Was it a good event for us? Was it too much? Was it overkill? Did we have a lot of problems?"
Haines, who for several years paid $350 for the weekend event permit, said it recently jumped to $1081. In addition there are permits for scaffolding, insurance, lifeguards and security, totaling an additional $1950.
Haines casts the event as a community service, a family event where skimboarders come together to trade waves and culture in the sport's birthplace. Moving the event outside of the summer season would inhibit the entry of competitors that come from the east coast, Japan and Europe, many of which are school age. Competitors often come for a week to sample Laguna's unique waves and interact with fellow skimboarders.
"I'm going to dig in my heels. We are starting a campaign of letter writing. I will be super upset if they move it out of summer. We can appeal to higher ups," said Haines.
Ray reiterated the absence of pressure from park officials. "This permit has already been through the review process. This permit will just be issued unless there are any complaints…and that hasn't happened," she said.
Special event permits with various city and county agencies in the area can be difficult to obtain. Fewer than 10 per year are turned down, said Doug Witherspoon, permit manager for OC Parks, who couldn't say how many special event permits are requested annually.
