Surfrider Foundation Seeks to End Sand Mining near Monterey, CA

A resident of Big Sur, CA, Frank Chenault operates Chenault Enterprises. An avid surfer, Frank Chenault started in the sport as a teen near Big Sur and Carmel, and maintains membership in the Surfrider Foundation.

Dedicated to protecting the oceans and beaches, the Surfrider Foundation includes a staff of nearly 50. Since beginning its work, it has counted more than 350 victories in coastal preservation, clean water programs, and ocean cleanup endeavors.

As of April 2016, the Surfrider Foundation was working on 28 separate campaigns, among them the efforts of its Monterey, California, chapter to halt development of a CEMEX sand mining plant in the town of Marina. According to the organization, CEMEX mines approximately 200,000 cubic yards of sand per year from the beach. Sand is a vital resource for the coasts, and CEMEX’s operations are believed to cause beach erosion in Monterey Bay.

Surfrider hosted a film screening for “Sand Wars” as well as a panel discussion on the impact of sand mining. It also is circulating a petition to give to the California Coastal Commission, asking it to take appropriate action against CEMEX.

Surfrider Foundation’s 2015 International Surfing Day

A resident of Big Sur, California, Frank Chenault has built a successful career as an acquisition director through his time at Quantum Group and Chenault Enterprises. Outside of his business pursuits, Frank Chenault is a professional surfer and supports the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit group dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans and beaches.

On June 20, 2015, the Surfrider Foundation celebrated its 11th annual International Surfing Day (ISD) at events around the world. In the US, people hosted 83 ISD gatherings, including barbecues, movie screenings, and surfing contests. Participants everywhere also cleaned up their local beaches. Since its inception, ISD has motivated more than 1 million people to remove 70 tons of garbage from waterfronts in 30 countries.

This year, the ISD event at Huntington Beach, California, drew the largest crowd, with 229 people helping collect a total of 116.5 pounds of trash from the beach. In addition, 66 surfers garnered a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of people to simultaneously ride a single surfboard. Attendees also enjoyed live music and a number of prize giveaways sponsored by local vendors.