SFist: Mayor Gavin "God of the Sea" Newsom to Unleash Oceanic Powers

Seannn

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:13:33 -0800

OK - I think everyone was on board with the idea of capturing tidal energy under the bridge, but there is going to be significant opposition to installing machines in the waves out at Ocean Beach. The sand bottom waves that thousands of surfers (yes, it is that popular now) use for recreation at Ocean Beach require the free flow of sand up and down the beach to form. Putting any substantial and permanent construction in the middle of that will disrupt the natural flow of sand up and down the beach and will more than likely completely eliminate one of the main surf recreation resources in the area. History has shown there have been countless marine construction projects (breakwalls, marinas, etc.) around the world that have completely ruined nearby surf resources. How would you like it if they put an oil well in at Dolores Park that turned all the grass brown and smelly so that you didn't want to go there anymore? You have to understand that it takes a very rare combination of bottom contour, swell window, and wind conditions to create a surfing wave so that the majority of the coastline is not even surfable. There are many miles of beaches around here that are completely devoid of rideable surf due to bottom contour issues and these areas should be explored for wave machines, but not at Ocean Beach which is one of the most viable surf resources in the area.

PoKonrad

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:42:51 -0800

I continue to be confused by how becoming a Contra Costa County supe would not be a departure from 'this particular office'. Does anyone know what either a) I'm misunderstanding, or b) Newsom actually intended to say? My guess is that he meant to say something like 'I'm not running for Governor/President/Pope until X.' But perhaps he's just revealing the secret Contra Costa cabal that runs San Pancho behind the façade of City Hall.

cablecarsam

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:46:34 -0800

Hey Gav, Contra Costa has far surpassed SF, you could never get a job there. Sorry to burst your bubble. Hey Don't forget the homeless before you leave office (or should we say... get booted out of office!

RobInSF

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:17:15 -0800

He truly is a renaissance man! How does he do it?!