Laguna Beach is recognized as the skimboarding capital of the world. Photo: Andrea Magarao
Victoria Beach is a small cove in Laguna Beach, California and the acclaimed birthplace of skimboarding. But sadly, to those who’ve plied its shoreline for years, in waves perfect for finless boards, the acclaimed skim spot is under threat due to sea level rise and increasing erosion. It’s one sure way we might permanently lose one of the sport’s truly iconic locales over the coming decades. I implore the community to come together to stand against against sacrificing our public beaches and the recreational opportunities they provide for private homeowner benefit.
Property owners on Lagunita Drive, adjacent to Victoria Beach, have illegally retained and rebuilt a seawall after undergoing extensive unpermitted renovations to their private residence (you can read the full history of the violation under item 8 & 9, here). This brand new home is not entitled to a seawall under the California Coastal Act. As we well know, seawalls exacerbate erosion and accelerate beach loss; and this at a time when we need to be preserving our beaches and retreating from sea level rise.
Victoria Beach continues to be a popular skimboarding location. In fact, Laguna Beach was recently declared the Skimboard Capital of the World. Let’s not lose it due to developer attempts to exploit the Coastal Act!
The California Coastal Commission staff has documented the violation and is now pursuing enforcement and administrative fines at their hearing on Friday, August 10. We need to be there to support the enforcement action and ensure Commissioners approve staff’s recommended enforcement orders! Without public outcry, the Commissioners may choose to be more lenient and not order the removal of the seawall.
If you can attend the meeting, please arrive by 9 am – however, timing is difficult to nail down and this item could start as late as 12 pm. Please contact Mandy Sackett at msackett@surfrider.org if you plan to attend and for any updates on timing. If you are unable to attend, please send your comments of support to the Coastal Commission at robert.moddelmog@coastal.ca.gov.
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