vintage SurfWatch logo

It has been a blast!SurfWatch has been about sharing the fun of Second Life (SL) surfing, waves, surfers, beaches and the virtual world swirling throughout.When I came back to SL after a multi year absence, I was asked by a very good friend to restart SurfWatch. I considered it carefully. SL surfing was in a slump. In restarting SurfWatch, my goal was to generate interest, excitement and fun to revive the beach and surf scene. There are so many fun moments doing SurfWatch - meeting new people, sharing the creativity of the individuals involved in creating the sport, sims, boards, waves, groups, events, merchandise, fashion, photography and video around it, doing the actual SL surfing and sharing memories of real life (RL) surfing, and it goes on. The creative opportunities of doing SurfWatch - from finding new ways to present information and outreach to finding new people to add their talents to the staff, writing, filming, interviewing, managing, editing, proofreading and coming up with ideas, to the thrill of watching others grow and excel in their craft.As in real life (RL), there are non-fun moments. Trying to find a fresh perspective, new information to post, trying to deal with people you dislike in a fair manner, dealing with controversial topics, constantly rotating staff, negative criticism and demanding expectations from those that have no idea or appreciation of what it takes to keep this project going, trying to squeeze it all into a very busy RL, and it goes on.I did it anyway. SurfWatch jumped into the daily posts and pre-posting, breaking news, marketing on social media, growing staff talent, etc. There is no money being made at SurfWatch. While there are ways to make money blogging, and I have been offered money for sponsorships, as well as spent my own money on this project, I chose to keep SurfWatch driven by the love of SL surfing and the commitment from others that feel the same - friends sharing a passion.SurfWatch has clearly pulled in the SL surfing community in a way no other organization has over the years and shared opinions, ideas, talents, passion thanks to the commitment of staff and contributors. Page views and followers have never been higher. It’s also been buffeted by the negative side of those afraid or envious of its success trying to copy us, minimize or, in the words of a few, "crush" SurfWatch. Like the never-ending swell, SurfWatch has persevered.The waves roll in and out, and interest in the activities and drama of SL peak and wane. When the toll and effort it takes to run a virtual blog and the intrusion into RL becomes a chore instead of a joy, it's good to evaluate whether it's time to take a break, and this is that time for me. No doubt other blogs will step up and try to recreate what SurfWatch has created and successfully sustained. Good luck to them.The Wave Report by the amazingwill continue to be a reliable updated list of SL surfing beaches for as long as she cares to continue: http://swwavereport.blogspot.com/ either from the SurfWatch page, directly from swwavereport.blogspot.com, or from the in-world signs and HUDs Kantbe helped create and maintains. SurfWatch as a historical resource will remain as it is as a reference in its current format with a search field back to its start in 2008. Partner, staff, and other pages will remain intact and provide a source of reference and historical record.Special thank you's to Kantbe Thursday for countless hours of hard work;for her expertise and talent; the many members and supporters of SurfWatch staff over the years that have each brought something so special to the blog and into my SL. From the bottom of my heart I thank everyone that has contributed, made time to join the staff group, shared their ideas and opinions, supported SurfWatch with Partnerships, content, social media sharing and positive vibes all the way back to its start in 2008. I am so proud of this project and the contribution we have made to SL surfing.New adventures and opportunities await. And who knows what the future will bring.