Every spring, my mailbox is flooded with invitations from some of our community’s most important nonprofit organizations. One of the best, but maybe less well known, is Santa Barbara Channelkeeper.
Founded in 1999, it’s a grassroots group that takes action to protect and preserve our oceans, beaches and marine life, and advocates for clean water — for today and for tomorrow.
Channelkeeper will be holding its 16th annual Blue Water Ball on April 16 in the beautiful rotunda at Deckers Brands in Goleta. The keynote speaker each year is always much-anticipated. Past speakers have included Robert Kennedy Jr., Yvon Chouinard and Wallace “J.” Nichols.
This year’s keynote address will be given by Christian Beamish, a Carpinteria resident, surfboard shaper, big-wave rider and boat builder.
He’s also the author of The Voyage of the Cormorant, which chronicles his solitary quest for surf along the coast of Baja in an 18-foot sailboat he built in his garage. Now, he’s building a new 27-foot sailboat with a cabin to accommodate his family for future aquatic adventures.
The father of two young children, Beamish and his wife, Natasha Elliott, a landscape designer, relocated to the Central Coast two years ago to be closer to grandparents.
Beamish has lived up and down the coast of California, from Newport Beach and San Clemente to Santa Cruz, where he received a BA in literature and creative writing from UC Santa Cruz.
He went on to earn a master’s degree from San Francisco State University in 2001. He’s a contributing writer to The Surfer’s Journal and SURFER Magazine and to Patagonia’s weblog, The Cleanest Line.
Every morning after he gets his kids off to school, Beamish checks the ocean conditions at Linden Avenue. If he has an open day, he rolls the Cormorant into the water at the Carpinteria boat launch.
“I’ve always looked at the hills here in California and the ocean, and felt compelled to go out there, into that open space, and see what’s there,” he told Noozhawk.
“When we finally go, on foot or by boat, we see the ocean, like the hills, is made up of specific places — a stand of oaks, or current line, a deep pool in a creek or a cover anchorage.”
Beamish credits world champion surfer and motivational speaker Shaun Tomson — “one of the first people I met in this area” — with introducing him to the work of Channelkeeper.
“This organization truly understands the connectedness of the watershed and the open sea all the way to the incomparable islands offshore,” he said.
He says he likes the idea that the Blue Water Ball raises funds to help protect the Santa Barbara Channel.
“The work reflects my values by helping ensure our water system is safe and habitable for people and marine life,” he said.
“For those of us who are lucky enough to call Santa Barbara home, their work ensures it will remain one of the most beautiful coastal communities on earth.”
The Blue Water Ball promises good energy, delicious food and lively music, including an impressive array of auction items, from local food and wine resources, beauty and adventure experiences, and a selection of merchandise from water-loving companies like Patagonia, O’Neill, Toad&Co and the Santa Barbara Sailing Center.
The gala is almost sold out, but names will be accepted for the waiting list until noon Monday. For more information, call Morgan Coffey at 805.563.3377 x2.
Click here for more information about Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. Click here to make an online donation.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at judyforeman@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.