Santa Cruz High graduate Sae Ackerstein, whose junior guards experience was the subject of a Lookout opinion piece that caused some social media ripples earlier this year, is off to Texas this week, where with Soquel High senior Madalyn “Munchie” Price she will compete with Team USA at the International Surf Rescue Challenge.
Coast Life
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The sights, the sounds and the smells: Wallace Baine takes you on a tour of the Santa Cruz County Fair
Go inside the 2023 Santa Cruz County Fair, running through Sunday at the fairgrounds in Watsonville, with Lookout’s Wallace Baine via video shot by Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud.
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Santa Cruz Skateboards hits its 50th anniversary as a crucial component in the history of skateboarding
This year, NHS Inc. — the Seabright-based parent company of Santa Cruz Skateboards — marks its half-century anniversary in the skateboard business. In the immense but imaginary skatepark of today’s skateboarding industry, Santa Cruz Skateboards is that legendary skater that all the other kids stop to watch. It has shaped what the industry looks like today. And it has built a brand that has spilled out beyond the world of skateboarding, becoming a touchstone in the world of commercial art.
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After a stormy offseason, Zeke Fraser is hustling to get the Santa Cruz County Fair up and running
Less than three months into his tenure as Santa Cruz County Fair CEO, the pressure is on for Zeke Fraser to pull off this year’s version, which runs Sept. 13-17. The longtime local talks about getting up to speed, what’s on tap for this year’s fair and bridging the North County-South County divide.
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Santa Cruz Harbor’s anchovy invasion is over — for now
Thousands of anchovies have found their way back into Monterey Bay after they swarmed the Santa Cruz surfline and small craft harbor near Seabright Beach. Though harbor staff is not sure why this phenomenon occurs, they are glad this iteration was quick and that they do not have to oversee any large-scale cleanup efforts.
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Otter 841 still roaming free as Fish & Wildlife struggles to capture her
Otter 841 remains free in the Santa Cruz waters, even as state and federal fish and wildlife workers continue to try to capture her. They could halt attempts if ocean conditions like visibility and water clarity worsen, or if surfers stop reporting run-ins.
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Boardwalk could have a new Ferris wheel soon, pending planning commission approval
The Chance Wheel is expected to replace the spinning Rock & Roll ride and give the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk its first Ferris wheel since 2017, when the previous 60-year-old wheel was retired following routine winter maintenance. A vote is expected Aug. 17 after being delayed Thursday.
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Selfies by the sea: Otter 841’s popularity renews concerns about humans encroaching on marine wildlife
The growing popularity of Santa Cruz’s Otter 841 is renewing concerns about the damaging ways that humans encroach on marine life. Researchers say ocean tourism, social media and portable cameras are enticing spectators to get closer to wild animals. Some are now raising the alarm that repeated human encounters are harming the animals’ predator-avoidance instincts.
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As ‘Free Otter 841′ movement grows, expert warns that officials have little choice but to capture it
Although fish and wildlife officials continue efforts to capture the surfboard-stealing sea otter known as Otter 841 and bring her into captivity, local pushback is growing. Some Santa Cruzans and visitors want to see the otter remain in the wild: “I think the ocean belongs to the otter, so we should just let the otter be in her ocean,” said one.