JAYO Volleball Celebrity Tournament

Beachhouse.com Vacation Rentals Teams Up with Pro Surfers James Pribram and Mary Osborne for 2010 JAYO Invitational Celebrity-Pro-Am Volleyball Tournament

Beachhouse.com Beach Vacation Rentals is an official sponsor of the 8th annual JAYO Invitational Celebrity-Pro-Am Volleyball Tournament, benefiting Adopt-A-Shark and AVP Cares. Along with their sponsorship, Beachhouse.com is entering a team in the tournament, headed up by James Pribram, professional surfer and founder of the Eco-Warrior project, and professional surfer and model, Mary Osborne. Beachhouse.com is eager to participate in the event and looks forward to raising awareness among youth of the importance and benefits of our oceans and beaches.

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2009 JAYO Invitational Kids Clinic participants wait for an autograph.

By supporting a balanced ocean environment, Beachhouse.com can help ensure that future generations of vacationers can experience clean oceans and beaches.

Irvine, CA (PRWEB) September 28, 2010

Beachhouse.com is a title sponsor of the 2010 JAYO Invitational Pro Am Volleyball Tournament, which will be held on October 2, 2010 near the Long Beach, CA marina at Rainbow Lagoon Park. Heading up the Beachhouse.com volleyball team are pro surfers Mary Osborne and James Pribram.

This year, the 8th annual JAYO Invitational is benefiting 2 charities; Adopt-A-Shark and AVP Cares. Adopt-A-Shark focuses on the importance of the various eco-systems in our oceans, namely the sharks. AVP Cares, the charitable arm of the professional beach volleyball tour, works with disadvantaged youth to advance their educational and social welfare opportunities. A slew of celebrity participants will join Osborne and Pribram, including Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh, actor David Arquette, supermodel Kirsty Hume, and many more.

Sponsoring the JAYO Invitational was a natural fit for Beachhouse.com. “Enjoying pristine beaches is what our vacationers have come to expect when booking a property on our site,” said CEO of Beachhouse.com, Scott Hinkley.Beachhouse.com also believes in educating children about the importance of conserving and protecting our oceans and beaches. “By supporting a balanced ocean environment, Beachhouse.com can help ensure that future generations of vacationers can experience clean oceans and beaches,” said Hinkley.

Pribram, who attended the 2009 JAYO Invitational, is excited about participating in the event again. In addition to the environmental work he does through his own non-profit organization, Eco Warrior, Pribram believes that bringing people together while raising awareness and looking for better solutions gives us hope in changing things for the better. “Whether it’s attending a city council meeting or a Surfrider meeting, change only happens when we begin participating and letting our voices be heard,” said Pribram.

Osborne is no stranger to environmental work. This past summer she and Pribram traveled to the Gulf Coast to raise awareness of the effects the oil spill is having on our oceans and beaches. “With everything that is happening environmentally, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to start to help,” said Osborne. “If we all try to make a few simple changes in our lifestyles, it can really help.”

Osborne is also excited to make her JAYO debut on the Beachhouse.com team. “I love that site!” said Osborne. “I am a huge fan of vacationing in Cabo, Mexico – It’s an easy, quick flight and before you know it, you’re on the beach surfing.” Osborne used to play volleyball in high-school and clubs and grew up with a sand court in her parent’s yard. “Skills or no skill, either way, I’m sure I will be laughing, smiling and having a blast,” said Osborne.

Beachhouse.com, about to celebrate their 10th year in business, is the leading place on the Internet focused entirely on listing beach house properties available for rent around the world. Beachhouse.com connects vacationers and property owners/managers together online. For vacationers, Beachhouse.com provides an easy-to-navigate, online directory listing thousands of beach front properties. For homeowners and property managers, Beachhouse.com provides direct access to serious vacationers around the world.

For more information about Beachhouse.com or their participation in the JAYO Invitational, please contact Tarrah Graves at (949) 863-0050 or Media(at)Beachhouse(dot)com, or visit them on Facebook.

1st Place MSA Contest Sept 11-12

Held in beautiful weather with small but fun 1-3' surf at world-famous First Point, Malibu, the MSA Classic entered over 275 athletes representing California's elite surfing clubs from Sunset Cliffs to Santa Cruz. Also participating were teams from the Hawaiian Longboard Federation, Virginia Longboard Federation, Noosa Malibu Club (Qld, AU) and, for the first time, the Salinas Longboard Surf Club from San Sebastian, Spain.

"This year our youngest competitor is 9, our oldest, 79 -- the surfing collective on display. A little something for everyone, and all at historic Malibu," said MSA President Michael Blum. " It's a privilege for us to annually host one of the only contests at First Point. Thanks to our friends and partners who joined us for the weekend and to members of Malibu's surfing community who've helped to make this one of the world's most famous waves."

Fifteen minute heats, with a maximum of five waves ridden, made it extra challenging for surfers. Not only was the surf small, but tidal surges played a big role for each surfer in the lineup. Strategy and carefully selecting each wave was a determining factor in order to move into the next final rounds.

The event's only perfect 10-point ride was turned in by surfer/shaper Kevin Connelly (Men 30-39 Finals, La Jolla Shores Surfing Association). With style to spare and noseriding skills that have won him several titles -- including the 2009 U.S. Open Corona Noseriding Invitational -- "KC" connected tens and fives on a wave from the top of First Point to the beach, easily accumulating 25-plus seconds of tip time.

Other standout performances were delivered by: repeat champions Tony Silvagni (Men 20-29, Virginia Longboard Federation) and Mary Osborne (Women 19-34, Ventura Surf Club), Keoni Bloomfield and Sierra Lerback (both of the Hawaiian Longboard Federation), and Josh Constable and Matt.


Not only was the beach lined with talented surfers young and seasoned, celebrities filled the Surfrider Foundation tent surrounded by paparazzi. The Fifth Annual Celebrity Expression Session was able to raise over $29,000- a 500% increase in funds raised from last year- to help Surfrider continue it’s efforts towards protecting our world’s ocean, waves and beaches.
This year’s event was hosted by musician Martyne Lenoble and actress Christina Applegate. Commentating from the microphone with the ASP judges was pro surfer-environmentalist James Pribram The celebrities, which included Anthony Kiedis and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction’s bassist Eric Avery, and actors Austin Nichols, Brian Geraghty, Eric Balfour and Sam Trammell, were all treated to a rare opportunity; the chance to surf Malibu’s famed First Point all by themselves.. For each wave caught and ridden, event sponsors donated $200. Additionally, away from the water, celebrities encouraged their social network followers to make donations to the Surfrider Foundation via www.crowdrise.com and raised an additional $4,600.

It was a classic Malibu weekend at it’s finest. There were great competitors, lineup spectators and fun glassy surf. Can’t wait for next year’s event.

Major support for the 2010 MSA Classic is provided by Global Surf Industries. Other major partners include: Jim Beam Suftag, Surfrider Foundation, Duke's Malibu, Emergen-C, Clif Bar, California State Parks, and 100.3 FM The Sound.
A portion of proceeds from the MSA Classic will be donated to organizations working to improve water quality at Surfrider Beach.

Coast Magazine interview with Pro Surfer James Pribram and the our gulf trip

http://www.coastmagazine.com/articles/jamespribram-1353--.html

Interview with James Pribram
This pro surfer, writer, Eco Warrior, and owner of Aloha School of Surfing talks about the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster and protecting the world's oceans.

BY SHAWN PRICE
August 24, 2010 - 4:24 PM

PHOTO BY RALPH PALUMBO

James Pribram

Get Involved
Learn more about Pribram’s People of Sound
fundraiser or his Eco Warrior Project online.
ecowarriorsurf.com :: oneill.com
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a disaster that Americans have had to live with all summer and is only now beginning to creep from the public spotlight. Despite broad outrage, it can often seem a world away from the Southern California coast, only a nightmare piped into our TV sets each night.

Pro surfer and owner of Aloha School of Surfing James Pribram had to do more than watch. After starting his Eco Warrior Project in 2006, he focused his energies on the idea of teaching surfers and others to “save a wave, clean up the water where they live and make a difference in their own backyard.” The project, which has taken him around the world, will become a documentary in 2011.

The 39-year-old Laguna Beach native has now put together an ongoing series of trips with fellow surfers to see firsthand what is happening in the gulf and help raise awareness and funds for the gulf region. His most recent was a stand up paddle trip with surfers Mary Osborne and Chuck Patterson, paddling in hazmat suits and respirators through the bayou. His next trip will be in October for his People of Sound fundraiser in Mississippi.

Even though this is still a water issue, it seems a big jump for an Orange County surfer to pack up his paddleboard and go to the site of the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. This was no surf trip. Why did you decide to do it?
I don’t have some fantastic answer other than to say, I care. When you grow up on the beach, it’s everything. The ocean has always been my first love.

When I was there with a friend in February on a canoe trip for Reader’s Digest, I got a glimpse of what was happening [after Katrina] and that Southern hospitality. I knew after the first trip I had to make a statement and stand up for those people. When you feel someone’s sadness, you can’t not help. Hope was high after Katrina, but the stories go on forever and you hear how the residents want to help and be part of the cleanup but are being turned back. Just testing the boundaries one day, I walked up to a cleanup crew member. The guy just said to me, “I’m on the phone.” They should hire the residents there. They care. I can’t imagine an oil spill closing our beaches and being told you can’t go out.

If you go down there, it’s something out of "The Twilight Zone." When they [BP] should be serving these people breakfast, you have crews that are so standoffish, it’s awful. To say it’s complicated is an understatement. It’s something you can’t really explain. You have to go. It’s not Grand Isle anymore, it’s Grand Oil.

The people I met remind me of the people I grew up with in Laguna Beach. The people who are generations of shrimpers there are like generations of surfers here. I think the least I can do is everything I can, so I came up with the idea of doing a stand up paddle in hazmat suits and respirators. [Fellow Southern California surfers] Chuck Patterson and Mary Osborne joined me and went down for the Save the Sound [fundraiser] in Mississippi.

So now the well is sealed, hopefully for good, and some experts are saying the oil is disappearing. Based on your experience, what do you believe?
How can you believe a company that has proven again and again to be a liar? That oil is somewhere, most likely on the bottom of the ocean. I’ve seen it firsthand and I’m going back. It doesn’t just disappear.

Let’s take the opportunity here to explain what you intend this to be.
It’s not really about me getting exposure. It’s about shining a light on people dealing with major environmental issues. These people are trying to put food on the table. If I can tell their stories, then it’s more about their story than mine. And about empowering them and helping them solve problems in their own communities and finding better solutions. With Katrina, these people are getting kicked in the teeth again. When we had bad things happen in Laguna, we had people rally around. That’s what America is all about. If this happened on the West Coast it wouldn’t have turned out this way, so why is it being handled like that out there?

The environmental movement continues to evolve into sub-groups with their own missions. Do you consider yourself a conservationist, a “water-firster?” How would you describe yourself?
I would say I’m more blue than green. My passion, my niche, has always been about preserving our oceans. That’s what I know. That’s what I fight for. I view them as playgrounds. Collectively, we should be doing all we can. Together we can all make a difference. A united front with a big voice is something people can’t turn away from.

I know so many surfers, with rare exceptions, who consider themselves environmentalists of some sort or other. What do you think it is that makes that so?
I can’t speak for others. But growing up in Laguna Beach, the ocean has always been my sanctuary. Not one day will I ever take it for granted. When you’re lucky enough to grow up on the beach, it’s only natural to give back to something that’s given you so much.

Tell me about the Eco Warrior Project.
I started that in 2006. I would travel around the world, going to areas with various environmental issues. Then I’d research what’s happening and meet with both sides. In Chicago, they’ve been trying to get surfing legalized. I met Jack Flynn, who was arrested for surfing. He shared a cell with three bank robbers. Within six months we changed that and now you can surf legally in Chicago.

It’s about compromise for better solutions. To do that, both sides have to be treated with respect. I don’t like the word activist, but maybe I’m an ambassador. You think about the guy strapping himself to a tree and living a completely different way. These stereotypes slow down the process. Whatever you want to call them, listen to their message and don’t judge a book by its cover.

How has your project fueled further adventures?
You certainly don’t get rich by doing what I do. I live check by check. I had a dream [of] growing up to be a pro surfer. I want to make sure that every generation has that option. We have to take care of our environment for those kids. Money is always an issue. I get by on very little to be honest. It’s really the dreams of the next generation I’m trying to keep alive.

There is never any shortage of things to discuss when it comes to the environment. So what are things you’d like to make films about?
I’ve been pretty focused on the gulf. But the one thing that is always shocking to me is that nonprofits don’t reach out. My whole thing is about working with people to find solutions, whether it’s here or Malibu or wherever. Also, I don’t think beaches should be privatized or closed.

I’m probably going back to the gulf next week. This story is not going away even if the media will. Not for 10 or 15 years. That oil is still out there. It hasn’t hit yet, but it will. Oil and water don’t mix. In every issue I’ve been involved in, there is a path to the end of it. In the gulf, there isn’t, and that’s [what's] so sad.

For the sake of optimism, has the disaster in the gulf allowed us to see a possible turning point for environmentalism?
I absolutely think it’s a turning point for the environmental movement. They’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest. We can’t get off oil tomorrow, but we can ask for stricter guidelines to be put in place so this won’t happen again. It’s the least we can do. We don’t want this to happen again. [The question is]: How can we do that?

BP Oil Spill thru my eyes

The Gulf through my eyes

The view from above

Save Our Sound Charity event

Signings to locals

Wildlife response center where we watched a pelican be cleaned

Fourth of July, 2010

Beaches still open, families and children playing with tar nearby

Part of our amazing and talented crew:

Pro Surfer Chuck Patterson

James "Eco Warrior" Pribram

Government agencies are always nearby watching our every step of the way

Captain Tom explaining the harsh reality of what is happening the Gulf waters

Cleaned birds are kept here until they release them. To where one might ask...I have no clue

One of the many stickers

BP workers taking a break: 20 min. on 40 off

What used to be a shrimp and fishing boat will soon be turned into a Vessel of Opportunity

vehicle...Well, that is if they can get into the program.

Local signs posted in front of homes, businesses and restaurants

A mock cemetery clearly explains it all

Drop your birds and go... bizarre, eerie, and sad

Welcome to Grand Isle, Louisiana

Oil and water clearly don't mix

Three days later this beach had tar covering it.

Who knows when this child will get to play on it again.

Chuck Patterson painting at the Save Our Sound fundraiser on July4.

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The best pictures are not released yet...check back for more soon!

Gulf Report 2010

Overview from above.. you can see the oil film

Restaurants already out of seafood
This says it all...
BP workers covering the beaches
Save Our Sound event, Chuck Patterson painting

Every minute passing means more beaches are covered in brown oily tar balls. Weather and winds fluctuate in all directions, pushing crude oil into new areas of fresh white sand beaches, covering sea animals, rivers and marshes. Fish are dying; crabs are now toxic, and mammals slowly are being poisoned. Three days ago today, the beach that I spent watching beautiful fireworks explode into the sky, is now spotted with tar, endless miles of boom and BP scouring the beach. The same beach I listened to families cheering and kids running around happily in celebration of our country's independence is the mirror opposite of the evening of July 4, 2010. The feeling of independence in the southern states has now vanished.

I don't even live in the Gulf and my mind was consumed minute after minute with mind-boggling questions. What is completely unsettling is one beach remains wide open with people swimming, while 100 feet away another beach is closed. Is this not the same ocean waters? Isn't it the same air we are breathing from one beach to another so close by? Who is in charge down here? What is our government doing to stop this?

One can only imagine how the fisherman, business owners and avid beach lovers are feeling. You honestly have no idea until you see it with your own eyes and hear the stories with your own ears what is really happening with this tragedy.

Gulf Port fisherman, Skipper Tom, put a lot in perspective for our crew. We were fortunate to sit with him for a morning as he explained what is honestly happening to the fisherman in the Gulf.

“We don’t know where our future is. People have no clue the magnitude of this spill and the effects it will have,” said Tom. “My son was going to take over my business in a few years and now I don’t think he can. I wanted to teach my grandson to fish and I don’t even know if that is possible for the future. It’s sad to think we know more about our universe than our oceans. I have over $145,000 in my boat with my credentials. Overnight, I have nothing.”

What seems to be commonality amongst people here is the aggravation of communication with BP. The hired BP workers are unfamiliar with the local waters they are paid to look after.

Skipper John explains in disgust, “These BP officials don’t know how to read swells, buoys or weather reports. They are hiring men for the Vessels of Opportunity program who can barely drive a boat. We have local fisherman who have been denied getting on this program that need the work.”

Skipper John is just one of the thousands of affected people we spoke with.

Just as the South’s economy was on the rise, they have been hit with yet, another disaster. Strange how our nation’s economic downfall and this oil spill are both manmade catastrophes. At least Katrina was a natural disaster where one could rebuild the physical elements of their life that were lost. At this point in time, the future is entirely unknown. So who is to blame in this situation? We easily point fingers at BP, our government and towards other people. The reality is, we are all to blame. It is time to stop blaming others and take matters into our own hands. We need to make changes to protect our Mother Earth, changes for this current generation and, most importantly, the future generations to come. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy.

Gulf Port, Miss. This beach is still open to swimming and tar is everywhere.

Rock jetty covered in oil
Grand Isle, Louisiana BP workers and miles of boom
Independence Day, 2010
Save Our Sound Benefit July 4, 2010

Gulf Alert 2010 Here we come!

Project Save Our Surf and The Eco-Warrior Project are joining forces to launch "GULF ALERT 2010". The aim of the Gulf Alert initiative is to raise awareness of actionable ways the surfing public can help shift the direction from pollution toward renewal. Gulf Alert 2010 will accomplish these goals with direct action on-the ground, in the water and over the skies of the Gulf area.

On Saturday, July 3rd ECO-Warrior James Pribram, professional surfer and model Mary Osborne, along with champion stand-up paddler Chuck Patterson and actor Richard Burgi will leave for Gulf Port Miss. The Gulf Alert team will stand-up paddle through areas of the spill in protest of the devastation that is plaguing that region of coastline as well as document a fly-over and participate in local wildlife rescue efforts.




Details of the paddle mission will be made public afterwards due to the conflict of interest within local agencies and restricted areas of coastline.

Project Save Our Surf was founded in 2008 by actress and surfer Tanna Frederick to raise funds, awareness and hope around clean ocean issues. For more information, check out projectsaveoursurf.org.

The ECO-Warrior project, is led by professional surfer James Pribram shows how people can contribute to environmental issues such as improving water quality, protecting endangered reefs and wildlife while enhancing life on earth for everyone.

For more information please go to www.ECOWarriorSurf.com

PSOS Event PIX

Over $50,000 raised to clean our oceans last weekend in Huntington Beach. What an amazing weekend we had with 24 hours of straight surfing. I was somehow put in the 2-3am heat, which wasnt easy to keep my eyes open before my session, but our team "Eco Warriors" managed to to place 1st in the recreational division. Thank you to everyone who donated and supported us!

In this picture James "Eco Warrior" Pribram, Project Save Our Surf host and actress Tanna Fredrick and myself.