The deadline has just passed and this year’s applications are in – The World Surfing Reserves Vision Council will be reviewing the applications and selecting the next World Surfing Reserve on Oct 26th, 2017. The group will meet and rank the applications on which best meets the criteria of the World Surfing Reserves selection process. Interested locations include Noosa, Australia; La Fae / Loberia, Ecuador; The Azores, Portugal; Boroquin, Puerto Rico; Tofino, Canada; and Molotai, Indonesia.
“The demand for this program is growing by leaps and bounds, and the number and quality of the applications are indicative of this.” Said Nik Strong-Cvetich, Executive Director of Save The Waves Coalition, and member of the World Surfing Reserves Executive Committee. “All of them are outstanding and each of the communities has put significant work into these submissions.”
Each World Surfing Reserve is scored and ranked on four criteria – Quality and Consistency of Waves, Environmental Characteristics, Surf Culture and History, and Local Support / Capacity. Once the reserve is approved, the local community and Save The Waves will begin the stewardship planning process followed by an official dedication. The next selected World Surfing Reserve will join the existing global network along with Malibu, CA (USA), Ericeira (Portugal), Manly-Freshwater Beach (Australia), Santa Cruz, CA (USA), Bahía De Todos Santos, Baja (Mexico), Huanchaco (Peru), and Punta de Lobos (Chile), Gold Coast (Australia), and Guarda do Embau (Brazil).