Mavericks Online Survey: Save The Waves in partnership with the Center for Responsible Travel - CREST - at Stanford University and the University of Hawai'i has launched an important online survey to assess the value of Mavericks big wave surf spot to the local and regional economy.

Please click on the link below and help us proactively protect Mavericks - this new study will also help us to create a survey model for more waves around the world to help protect and promote surf spots as important cultural, environmental and economic resources that must be protected and preserved.

Take the survey now at:  http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/122581/the-value-of-a-wave-late-spring-2009

Also visit our coalition member, Surfrider Foundation and their Surf- First survey - http://www.surf-first.org. These academic instruments contribute to the creation of "paper" and political tools that help surfers and coastal lovers in their activism to protect our surf spots and coastline by correctly assessing their value.

These studies calculate and prove not only the economic value of a wave in a given year (as we all know a wave's value goes far beyond economics) but also the value of a wave over time and from a social, environmental and cultural perspective. These are considered the more intrinsic values of waves and their surrounding coastline and waters. Stay tuned for more as the "Value of a Wave - Mavericks" study is slated to be published in Oct. '09.

Surf photo: program manager Joao De Macedo charges Mavericks during November 2008 Thanksgiving swell.
Photo: Ken Skindog Collins.