The real O.C. The fight to save the Trestles
Kids in Orange County, California, are hardly known for their radical politics. I should know, being a former typical O.C. kid myself. You know the ones: spoiled by the surf and sand but totally clueless about what it takes to keep our oceans, waves and beaches safe and clean.
Sixteen-year-old Justin Huft is proof things have changed. He’s a Surfrider Foundation activist who spends his time and energy fighting for Trestles, California’s premier surf break. In fact, you may have spotted this next-generation Gandhi shouting “Save Trestles, because it’s the right thing to do,” at a protest he recently organised in Laguna Beach.
“The ocean is the last place we have that mankind hasn’t totally overdeveloped,” said Justin to his listening crowd. “You can go to the beach and really connect with nature. You can take the day off work and do something that is, well… not typical.”
And when Justin isn’t arranging protests, holding meetings or blanketing his school with ‘Save Trestles’ flyers, he does just that. He takes the day off and heads down to Trestles.
And what does he do when he spies someone with a surfboard under their arm? “Well I ask them if they know about Trestles. And when they say yes and just keep walking, I start walking with them and say, ‘What exactly do you know?’ Then I tell them about the proposed toll road project and what they can do to save Trestles from it.
“A lot of people don’t realise that they can help out,” he continues. “All it takes is five minutes. Just Google ‘Save Trestles and City Councils’ and you’ll get a whole list of city officials that you can barrage with e-mails. Because one person, one voice, really can make a difference.”
Now you know what to do.
www.savetrestles.org
This story originally appeared in Huck #005.
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