WILDWOOD CREST – After a lot of pushback from local property owners, the Wildwood Crest Board of Commissioners reversed a decision to grant surfers an additional hour at the surfing beach between Hollywood and Topeka avenues.
At its June 21 meeting, commissioners listened to a dozen or so residents who came out to object to changing surfing hours on that beach from 10 a.m. to noon, as it is now, and allowing surfing from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mayor Don Cabrera said there was a text message chain being circulated and people were going door to door to gather support for not extending the hours.
Those who came out felt the borough was giving away their time, and they suggested the commissioners consider alternative, extra hours.
One resident suggested allowing surfing from 9 a.m. to noon, and another said the borough could add a third hour from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., which is when the guards go off duty.
Commissioner Joseph Schiff, who is the borough’s director of public safety, oversees the Beach Patrol. He said starting at 9 a.m. might require having lifeguards on duty there an hour early.
By the same token, Schiff said surfers are traditionally in the water before lifeguards come on duty or after they are done for the day – times when swimmers are warned to stay out of the water.
Another recommendation was to alternate the surfing beach during the week. The commissioners said that would cause too much confusion.
“That won’t work,” Schiff said. “No one will understand what’s going on.”
Ann O’Brien, speaking on the conference phone line, said, “We pay taxes. We pay salaries… for all the taxes we pay, we have to sit for a handful of surfers? This is not a good decision.”
O’Brien asked how out-of-towners could get more involved in elections.
Another speaker, Laurie Plenkowski, complimented the commissioners, in general, saying they do a lot to improve the lives of residents and improve experiences for the visitors, but she had great concern about the extra surfing hour.
“We were assured that surfing hours would never be increased. Now, I’m reluctant to accept the promise that it would not become a full-time surfing beach,” she said.
Property owner Joe DeMarko was also concerned Hollywood to Topeka would become a full-time surfing beach.
Schiff said that would not happen. He said there were some residents who emailed the public safety department and asked for surfing hours to be extended and some wanted a full-time surfing beach.
Schiff said after a discussion with the Beach Patrol chief, Buddy Johnson, they decided a compromise would be to give surfers an additional hour.
“We thought if it doesn’t work, we would reverse it,” he said.
According to Schiff, the number of surfers has been growing. He said the Beach Patrol counts the number of surfers each day and in 2021, they were averaging 10 to 15 surfers a day.
Last year, the number grew to 20 to 25 per day, and this summer they are anticipating 30 to 35 surfers every day.
He said Wildwood Crest has had designated surfing beaches for over 60 years. Only three blocks out of 42 blocks (7%) in Wildwood Crest are designated as surfing beaches.
Schiff said surfing is a recreational activity, and as a wellness community, they are trying to provide the opportunity to be active, especially for young people.
Schiff said the borough had requests for a surfing beach in the south end. He said Hollywood to Topeka is a central location in the south end, and it’s an outfall area with restricted bathing. Besides that, he said the borough has not received complaints from residents about the other surfing beaches.
O’Brien said the wellness of the taxpayers on these two blocks takes priority over the surfers, and she objected to perhaps having to walk to other beaches with children, the elderly, beach gear, etc.
“This is unacceptable. We need it rolled back one hour – end of story,” she said. “I need you to repeal this. I’m sorry.”
Schiff said a letter could have expressed the property owners’ dissatisfaction with the change.
He said the commissioners are there to listen to the taxpayers, and the Beach Patrol and beach services have always tried to accommodate beachgoers.
The commissioners rolled back the extra hour for surfing, which became effective as of the next day.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
