www.BeachandBayPress.com | Thursday, February 16, 2012 • The Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial cross is again at the center of debate, Page 3 • Roundup of live music events in the Pacific Beach area, Page 4 • Students spruce up the Rose Canyon Creek area, which feeds into Mission Bay, Page 5
Killer whale ‘enslavement’ lawsuit tossed
WHAT’S INSIDE: • The 2012 San Diego Bird Festival prepares to take wing on Mission Bay, Page 6 • The MBHS baseball season opens March 1 on the road with the Bill Whitaker Classic, Page 11 • Events, honors and news in Pacific Beach schools, Page 16
PACIFIC NISSAN “Highway 5 on Mission Bay Drive” www.PacificNissan.com
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PB SURFER GIVES OF HIMSELF TO HELP WOUNDED WARRIORS
SeaWorld hails judge’s rejection of ‘publicity stunt’ by PETA group BY PATRICIA WALSH | BEACH & BAY PRESS Orca whales are not plaintiffs and will not have a day in court, according to a fresh legal ruling. Last week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that claimed SeaWorld’s killer whales were being held in captivity as slaves, alleging a violation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for the conviction of a crime. “The speed in which the court issued its opinion provides reassurance of the sanctity of the 13th Amendment and the absurdity of PETA’s baseless lawsuit,” said SeaWorld San Diego officials in a written statement following the ruling. “We cannot hope that this is PETA’s last publicity stunt, but we can now refocus our energy in more positive and constructive ways: delivering high-quality educational experiences to our guests and providing the highest possible standard of care to our animals.” U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller dismissed the lawsuit after
Chris Decker, left, and soldier Daniel Riley clown around while surfing during the Naval Medical Center San Diego Surf Clinic in Del Mar. Decker, of Pacific Beach, is a 20-year surfer who volunteers to help wounded warriors with rehabilitation by using surfing as therapy. Photo by Don Balch I Beach & Bay Press
Clinic uses surfing as therapy in soldiers’ rehabilitation BY PATRICIA WALSH | BEACH & BAY PRESS
SEE LAWSUIT, Page 7
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t’s the kind of San Diego day that makes you sing “Surfin’ USA” out loud. Under a sunny, clear, blue sky, the mica flecks sparkle like gold in the sand. The white waves are big — eight to 10 feet, pounding in with attitude at high tide. It’s only 9 a.m. and the thermometer registers 68 degrees. You have to check the calendar to confirm that it’s Feb. 9,
not the Fourth of July. “You’d catch ’em surfin’ at Del Mar. Inside, outside, USA,” as the Beach Boys song goes. Brian Wilson could have written those lyrics about Dan Riley and Chris Decker. They’re riding the waves just off 20th Street in Del Mar. Their Cheshire Cat smiles shine like high beams on sun-kissed cheeks; it looks like they’re having the time of their lives. They could be brothers, but they’re not — at least not by blood.
Decker, 38, a Pacific Beach resident and co-owner of Decker Brothers Gourmet, is a 20-year seasoned surfer. He volunteers every Thursday with the Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) Surf Clinic. He helps wounded warriors like Riley learn the way of the waves as part of the rehabilitation process. Riley, 26, a Marine Corps lance corporal, is a Purple Heart recipient. The Canadian native, who took the oath of AmeriSEE SOLDIERS, Page 7
Riding a new wave of remote-controlled water toys BY MARIKO LAMB | BEACH & BAY PRESS
A federal judge tossed a lawsuit by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals last week that claimed SeaWorld’s killer whales are being enslaved, alleging a violation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. ConCourtesy photo by SeaWorld San Diego stitution.
A new surfing prototype has hit South Mission Beach and other local sand sanctuaries, delighting lifeguards and beachgoers alike with her performance of agile tricks on even the smallest of waves. Melika is not the typical surfer girl. At less than two feet tall, this next-generation surfer can ride the tiniest of waves and still launch five to seven feet in the air, showing off aerial surf tricks with ease. No matter how hard she falls, she always gets right back up again. Melika is an RC Surfer — a remote-controlled surfer, that is — with a range of 300 yards, equipped with a propeller that turns at 20,000 rpm. She is mounted on a weighted board to ensure the surfer self-rights after each crash. Australian Jason Hall invented the original
radio-controlled surfing model 30 years ago after the swells on the southeastern coast of Australia went flat for a time and the natives began to get restless. In 1995, Hall’s design was refined, and he launched his own radio-controlled surfer company called RC Surfer. Longtime Midway-area resident Tom Dart first got involved in the hobby when Kyosho, a Japanese RC company, launched its own model in 2000. By 2005, however, the company no longer produced the model, which left Dart with three broken surfers and no new parts to be had. With a DVD from Maui RC Surfers, the modern-day innovators of the brand, Dart began building his own model — Melika — named Tom Dart used multiple resources to gather after an old girlfriend. materials for and assemble Melika, a remoteHe started his project with a $20 surfboard he controlled, self-righting surfing toy. He frequently shows her off in South Mission
SEE TOYS, Page 8 Beach near the jetty. Photo by Jim Grant I Beach & Bay Press