by Stewart Udall and John Stansbury
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HONOLULU- Recently the senior author had a closeup view of what is undoubtedly
the swingingest- and surely one of the most effective local environmental
groups in the whole country. It is, strange to say, a "nonorganization."
It calls itself SAVE OUR SURF- and its activists are Hawaii's young surfriders.
The beaches and reefs of the Aloha state are the "turf" of SOS.
In 1970, this coalition of surfers helped stir up public opinion that...
SOS became a militant movement overnight in late 1969 when plans were unveiled
by the Army Corps of Engineers and the state to "broaden" the
beaches of Waikiki. Using old fashioned political techniques- hand-bills,
demonstrations and colorful presentations at public meetings- the SOS teenagers
quickly won the respect of the politicians and developed strong grassroots
support in the community at large.
Surfing is one of the most individualistic sports, and SOS describes itself
as more of a hang-loose movement than an organization. It has no dues, membership
lists, monthly newsletters or officers. Its single minded goal is the preservation
of Hawaii's wave producing reefs and public access to them.
The principal spokesman for the group is John Kelly, a blunt, fortyish former
music teacher who has remarkable rapport with Hawaii's high school youth.
As described by Kelly, the SOS strategy rests on three simple concepts:
respect the intelligence of the people, get the facts to them and help the
people develop and action program.
Bold language and ringing demands are essential elements in this strategy.
One recent SOS handbill read: "TO ALL PLANNERS, LEGISLATORS AND DEVELOPERS:
"Well gentlemen-drop your plans! We have prior users' rights in the
sea. We swimmers, divers, surfers, bathers, fishermen, conservationists
and park users outnumber you "decision makers" thousands to one,
so please be forewarned: There will be no high rises, no "construction"
on the reef at Kewalo."
"There will be no parking lot on the Ala Moana Bowl! There will be
no more killing of Hawaii's reefs for someone's private profit! No more
polluting swimming areas with dredging! No Waikiki at Ala Moana! This entire
ocean beach park from the green grass to the horizon, from the earth to
the sky belongs to the people, now and forever! And this we will defend!"
This brash style has worked beautifully up to now. Kelly's young brigadiers
gather facts, prepare broadside handbills, edit crisis newspapers and tangle
with leading establishment planners and businessmen in public hearings.
Their batting average to date has been remarkably high. In a state where
developers and land speculators are still riding high, the surfers have
won most of the major fights they have entered.
Critics of Kelly and SOS question their strident rhetoric, and call him
"communistic" for his anti-capitalist rhetoric. But to us, Save
Our Surf is a bright story of participatory democracy. Any time high school
youngsters can do battle for the environment and hold their own with the
establishment elders, all of us should applaud.
And SOS, with its relatively narrow focus on a single resource, disproves
the contention (heard often these days) that the environmental movement
suffers from too many overlapping organizations. Diversity, we believe,
strengthens the cause.
In any event, SOS is a force to contend with in Hawaii- and our forecast
is that many more Hawaii land speculators and shortsighted public officials
will be "wiped out" by the young surfers if they continue their
old ways.