Surf's Up!

For all of the surf dudes and dudettes out there in radio land, this week show hosts Gary Guertin and Robin Hicks-Connors are hitting the beaches of the Treasure Coast. From Sebastian to Jupiter, the Treasure Coast has some of the finest beaches in Florida. We'll explore these with Ohana Surf Shop owner Jordan Schwartz and veteran surfer Justin Beard. Having lived the surfer life-style for years and actually moving to Florida from the chilly New England waters in search of the perfect wave (or at least warmer water), Radio Man surfed all of these beach years ago. Want to know the best surf breaks along the Treasure Coast?  What's the latest on the surfing scene? This week's show will reveal those answers and more!

Speaking of surfing, while we have Jordan and Justin in the studio, we'll give all the details of the 4th Annual Single Fin Showdown, taking place at Stuart Beach on March 17th.  This retro and popular surf contest has gotten bigger and better every year. What’s on tap this year? Based upon past showdowns, this event will continue to draw surfers and friends to Stuart from across the state.  We'll cover those points, along with the local non-profit that will benefit from the funds raised during the event. The last couple of years, Talkin’ Tourism's own Gary Guertin has been a judge. Will he judge again this year? Tune in for the scoop.

And, depending on the time, all the usual and sometimes unusual regular show features, upcoming events and more will be covered. If you are a local, thanks for supporting the tourism industry! And, if you are a visitor, thanks for spending time on Florida's Treasure Coast.

The fun begins on Friday at 10:05 a.m. You can catch the live radio broadcast on WPSL 1590 AM or you can catch the live Internet stream at www.wpsltv.com. Time to wax up. See you in the morning!

Good Art and Surfing Vibrations on the Treasure Coast

Last Friday’s show was billed as a show that would explain and verify the fact that destinations with a strong commitment to arts and culture, benefit from the investment in the form of increased tourism. To illustrate that very point, Radio Man shared statistics on Canada’s commitment to arts and culture, which were pretty amazing. The Green Party of Canada, the government’s investment of $7.7 billion, generated $40 billion for the Canadian economy—a return on investment of 500%! 

Nancy Turrell, the executive director of The Arts Council of Martin County, was equally passionate about the importance of art and cultural tourism for the U.S. economy as well. Narrowing it down a little closer to home, Nancy talked about next weekend's ArtsFest, the 24th annual festival, and clarified what makes this art-centric event unique from the others along the Treasure Coast.

From the early days, surfing has always been about the search for “the perfect wave." The Endless Summer (released in 1964), was a classic film portraying surfers who traveled the world in search of the ultimate wave. These travels by adventurous young surfers, opened up exotic tropical paradises to a broader market of tropical adventure escapes and experiences. Ohana Surf Shop owner Jordan Schwartz could not agree more with that statement. The upcoming Single Fin Showdown, which will benefit the United Way of Martin County, will bring surfing enthusiasts from across Florida for this fun “retro” event. Whether you are a surfing enthusiast or not, most of us have been touched by surf culture in one way or another.

So listeners, wax your board, jump into your woodie and head on down to the closest arts show or surfing competition. If you need some inspiration, download last week's show. Before you know it, you'll be humming a Beach Boy's tune, hanging ten, or painting flowers on your car! See you on Friday for another hour filled show loaded with tourism information from near and far that you won't want to miss!

Arts, Culture and Hanging Ten!

Chase Roberts cuts back on a wave during the 2010
Stuart Single Fin Showdown. Photo credit: Dick Hall.

There are many attributes that help define the marketability of a tourist destination. Among the most notable of these is a destination’s commitment to arts and culture. Some of the keybenefits of a strong arts and cultural component to a destination and community are:

(1) it generates clean industries;
(2) proliferates small enterprises;
(3) increases people’s pride in the place they live; and
(4) supports the tourism industry and improves the quality of life for residents.

Drilling down to the local level, Nancy Turrell, executive director of The Arts Council, will be in the studio to provide her thoughts on cultural tourism and share with listeners all the nitty gritty on the upcoming ArtsFest, which is produced by the Arts Council. Joining Nancy for this conversation will be Thomas Winter, the award-winning photographer, who is the festival's featured artist this year.

From arts and culture to surfing culture? Absolutely! We’ll bridge this gap with Ohana Surf Shop owner/operator Jordan Schwartz. On the very same weekend as ArtsFest, the third annual Single Fin Showdown surfing contest, which benefits the United Way of Martin County, will be taking place on Stuart Public Beach. A unique event among surf contests, in which competitors use 1970's era vintage surf boards, this competition will bring surfer dudes and dudettes from around Florida. Surfing tourism you ask? Cowabunga! Surfing and the surf culture has had an enormous role in the migration of enthusiasts to the coast and to destinations around the world in search of that perfect wave. Radio Man is looking forward to this conversation!

So, lots of art, culture and hanging ten are in store for you this week, along with the latest tourism info on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond!).