Surfrider Chicago

Surfrider Chicago Protecting Oceans, Waves and Beaches since 1984 SURFRIDER acts to preserve this right of access.

3.

Represented by over 50,000 members and approximately 80 local chapters in the U.S., the Surfrider Foundation also has affiliations in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Europe, and Japan. The Surfrider Foundation has adopted the following principles to guide and govern the activities of the organization .

1. SURFRIDER recognizes the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the planet's coasts are nece

ssary and irreplaceable. SURFRIDER is committed to preserving natural living and non-living diversity and ecological integrity of the coastal environment.

2. SURFRIDER promotes the right of low-impact, free and open access to the world's waves and beaches for all people. SURFRIDER is dedicated to enhancing wave-riding opportunities in ways which will not adversely impact nearshore ecosystems.

4. SURFRIDER believes environmental education is essential to the future health and well- being of the planet. SURFRIDER seeks to develop and utilize educational materials that are informative, factual, proactive, synergistic and fun.

5. SURFRIDER strives to be accurate and nonpartisan in its communications with its members and the general public. In addition, SURFRIDER will express the unique values inherent in wave-riding — individualism, camaraderie, non materialism, and an appreciation for human kind's historic relations with the Ocean.

6. SURFRIDER is a grassroots organization, effective through the participation of its members. SURFRIDER activities emphasize the value of an involved membership.

7. SURFRIDER encourages all commercial enterprises to adopt the Ceres Principles. Their determination to do so will favorably influence SURFRIDER's willingness to provide support. SURFRIDER will not permit sponsors to divert the Foundation from its mission or projects undertaken.

8. SURFRIDER does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, s*x, or national origin for any reason. SURFRIDER promotes the healthy enjoyment of the coastal environment for all people.

9. SURFRIDER and its representatives, affiliations and chapters agree to abide by these principles and all rules and regulations governing non-profit organizations.

06/18/2026
06/17/2026

HIGH F***L BACTERIA: A list of Chicago-area beaches closed due to contamination. ⬇️

Join us for a 2-day paint this weekend for the 33rd Annual Artists of the Wall Festival! We will be painting a designate...
06/17/2026

Join us for a 2-day paint this weekend for the 33rd Annual Artists of the Wall Festival! We will be painting a designated spot on the wall for our wave loving community here in Chicago.

RSVP at the link below!

https://chicago.surfrider.org/events

This week, we’re rewinding time at the lakefront. Friday, June 12th, marks 17 years since surfing was legalized in Chica...
06/08/2026

This week, we’re rewinding time at the lakefront. Friday, June 12th, marks 17 years since surfing was legalized in Chicago. What started with arrests of trailblazers .flynn.art and later Rex Flodstrom, led to a much larger (ongoing) debate:

Can we legalize surfing in Chicago?

To commemorate this historic period, we decided to pull out the archive. In an article by one of our chapters founders, Mitch McNeil writes:

In 2009, a group of local surfers, watermen, and assorted activists, many of whom had never met, sat down with the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District and hammered out a temporary agreement to enhance recreational opportunities by lifting a 20-year ban on surfing at selected city beaches along Lake Michigan… In the process, the Surfrider Foundation Chicago Chapter was born.

Visit the link below to read the full article. If you have stories from this time, leave a comment or DM us be featured in our posts!

https://www.theinertia.com/surf/the-reality-of-surfing-in-chicago/

Seventeen years ago, if you paddled into a wave on a Chicago beach, you risked more than getting worked by the lake. Su...
06/04/2026

Seventeen years ago, if you paddled into a wave on a Chicago beach, you risked more than getting worked by the lake. Surfing wasn’t welcome. a handful of stubborn surfers, Surfrider volunteers, and Chicago Park District leaders sat down, talked it out, and found a better way forward.

The result? The surf community we have today.

On June 12, we’re paddling out at Montrose to celebrate the folks who made it happen and the generations of surfers who’ve kept the stoke alive ever since.

🌊 17th Anniversary Paddle Out

📍 Montrose Beach
📅 June 12, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM

Bring a board. Bring a story. Bring someone who’s never seen Chicago surf before.

RSVP at the link below:

https://volunteer.surfrider.org/opportunities/77zRsumHn9?%24web_only=true&_branch_match_id=1558277865908336040&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXr9BLz0nJ08vM10%2FV94lK868oDXKrME6yrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUAQMmgUzkAAAA%3D

Nice to see some front page exposure for this pernicious pollutant that threatens the Great Lakes (and our entire ecosys...
06/01/2026

Nice to see some front page exposure for this pernicious pollutant that threatens the Great Lakes (and our entire ecosystem). Surfrider has been sounding the alarm for decades, with our RISE ABOVE PLASTICS campaign, locally the ban on single-use plastic bags, Great Lakes Friendly Restaurants, and our continual beach cleaning operations that focuses 90% on plastic trash. Michael Hawthorne's reporting excellence is vital, as well!

This would never happen in Alabama ... or Georgia.
05/29/2026

This would never happen in Alabama ... or Georgia.

Once signed into law, Illinois will be the first Great Lakes state to pass a bill to directly address this source of plastic waste.

We are excited to team up with Jack Johnson as an All At Once Non-Profit Partner on his 2026 Summer Tour! Come see us at...
05/28/2026

We are excited to team up with Jack Johnson as an All At Once Non-Profit Partner on his 2026 Summer Tour! Come see us at the Village Green in Chicago at Huntington Bank Pavilion on July 11th, 2026 to connect, learn, and take action with us! Stay up to date with our social media channels in the coming weeks for a chance to win tickets! 🎟️

All At Once is Jack’s social action network connecting nonprofits with people who want to take action and give back to their community. All At Once promotes sustainable & equitable food systems, plastic free initiatives, healthy watersheds and more!

Get involved at allatonce.org and learn more about the tour at ➡️ jackjohnsonmusic.com

Address

2137 W Walnut St
Chicago, IL
60612

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Surfrider Chicago posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Surfrider Chicago:

Shortcuts

Share

Category