SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Santa Cruz surfers are concerned about the future of their sport as climate change threatens local surf spots. At Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, surfers say that Thursday was one of the best days they’ve experienced in quite a while, but experts said climate change and sea level rise have them concerned for the future of surfing. Locals took advantage of Thursday afternoon’s sunshine and pleasant conditions, bringing dozens of surfers to the waters off West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. “Surfing here in Santa Cruz is kind of King. You know people come here from all over not only to surf in Santa Cruz but to watch the waves,” said Trent Hodges, a senior programs manager at Save the Waves Coalition Santa Cruz. There are 30 surf spots in Santa Cruz County, but climate change could cut that number nearly in half. David Revell, a coastal geomorphologist, has spent 40 years protecting surf breaks and beaches across the world and is a lifelong surfer. “With just two feet of sea level rise, we lose 12 of those surf spots. When asked in the survey what would you do if you lost the surf spots like Steamer Lane, most said they would go somewhere else. I think the future of surfing in Santa Cruz largely depends on what we the people decide to do with our coastlines,” Revell said. Recommended Acting legend Maggie Smith, star of stage, film and ‘Downton Abbey,’ dead at 89 As each wave gets bigger and the energy they hold gets stronger, Revell is concerned surfing locations may become limited sooner than we think. “Caves start to develop faster. These all lead to risk of erosion. Erosion is a natural process, it’s just hazardous when people get in the way,” Revell […]