Travel Safety and Surfing from Sebastian to Stuart

Laura Passanisi, Justin Beard and Talkin' Tourism's Gary Guertin
ready to talk travel safety and surfing!

Laura Passanisi, from the Martin County Sherriff’s Department, was today's featured guest.  Laura, a law enforcement and crime prevention specialist, had a wealth of “common sense” information for persons that travel for both business and pleasure.  When do you place your valuables in the trunk of your car when going to the beach or other isolated location?  What should you do when returning to your hotel room after dark or entering into your room after checking in? Should you open the door for “room service” or “maintenance/housekeeping” knocking at your door? It may be common sense, but Laura really opened our eyes to making sure that we are aware of our surroundings when traveling.

The beaches, are one of the Treasure Coast's  greatest assets. Thousands upon thousands of visitors and locals alike enjoy the wide variety of beaches along the Treasure Coast. Justin Beard and Talkin’ Tourism host Gary Guertin had a blast checking out the surf breaks from Sebastian Inlet to Stuart.  While co-host Robin Hicks-Connors certainly loves the beach, she became a little lost with the surf lingo….shore break…close out….tube…wedge at Sebastian Inlet…Monster Hole…peak…single fin???? If you are a surf dude or dudettes, you’ll have it wired.

Last but certainly not least, Justin shared all the great details of the 4th Annual Single Fin Showdown scheduled for March 17th at Stuart  Beach, Florida.  Surfers from around Florida will be checking into this great event to benefit, which will benefit the United Way of Martin County!

Here's the Talkin' Tourism February 24th show file for your listening pleasure! 

Comments, questions and suggestions are always welcomed!

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!

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!).