NEWPORT BEACH : Panel Takes Step to Ease Surfing Ban

A standing-room-only crowd of anxious surfers who want to lift a surfing ban cleared a hurdle Tuesday night before the city’s Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission.

On a motion by Commissioner Ken Bonner, the commission voted unanimously to appoint surfers to a city panel to work out a compromise that eventually can remove the so-called “black ball” system, which prohibits board surfing at the city’s beaches from noon to 4 p.m. daily.

“This represents a major victory,” said Bill Sharp, 34, who helped organize Newport’s surfers. “It’s a step in the right direction.”

The commission will make a recommendation to the City Council by Sept. 5.

Since the 1960s, board surfing has been prohibited at all city beaches from noon to 4 p.m., June 15 through Sept. 10. The concern was that board surfers created a hazard for swimmers.

Surfers said the city was being unfair because it has allowed exclusive use to special areas for body surfers and body boarders at a stretch of beach between 40th and 44th streets.

Tony Melum, deputy chief of the city’s Marine Division, who recommended the commission reject the surfers’ proposal, disagreed with the surfers’ claim that City Hall was being unfair. The city is not shutting out surfers, he said.

“To put this into perspective,” Melum said, “surfers have 71% of the daylight hours to surf during the 87 days of summer. They can do this from sunrise to noon and, from 4 p.m. to sunset. During the winter, they can surf 100% of the daylight hours. Now, that’s a very limited restriction.”