The following article was published in the Half Moon Bay Review today:
Save the Waves Coalition released a 'Surfonomic' report
Half Moon Bay Review: By Greg Thomas Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010
A full report on the rationale behind the claim that Mavericks is worth $24 million a year – a lesson in what some environmental economists call “surfonomics.”
Research for the study was conducted in the first six months of 2009. An abbreviated report released in October put the value of the famed wave break at $23.8 million annually.
Save the Waves Coalition, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving surf breaks and fostering stewardship in the marine environment, commissioned the study.
Data-gatherers surveyed visitors to Mavericks, compiling information from about 200 people about the purpose of their visits, travel distance and other telling variables economists then leveraged in reaching their conclusions. They estimate that Mavericks sees more than 421,000 visits each year – averaging out at more than 1,150 per day. Mavericks is valued at $56.70 per visit -- that’s how much money people are willing to pay for the experience, according to the report.
The numbers in the report are not supported by data. It’s unfortunate that a "non-profit" organization that claims to "save the waves" would churn out misleading public relations spin as factual information. Save the Waves Coalition should seriously reevaluate its mission.
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