Big congrats to Mike Schleis, the reigning Coos Bay Stand Up Paddle Board Joust champion for defending his title this past weekend. Mike is pictured at left on the front page of the local paper de-boarding chapter chair Carmen Matthews. What a weekend it was in Coos Bay! The weather couldn't have been better as the chapter welcomed in the tall ships to the Coos Bay harbor on their paddle boards. Big thanks to all the chapter members that came out and helped with the tabling, the official paddle welcome to the fleet and of course the fun and folly of the second annual stand up paddle board joust event! Reigning champion Mike Schleis, once again was able to defend his title...will he hold on for the Stand up for the Bay event this fall? We'll just have to wait and see, maybe you can be the next jouster to dethrone the king!
As a founding member of the Newport, OR Chapter, Charlie has greatly advanced Surfrider's mission through ocean conservation as the Oregon Policy Manager. He’s led a critical role in ocean protection through strategic engagement of our Oregon chapter network in policy initiatives, grassroots campaigns, and community-based projects. With a BS in Marine Biology and as a member of the Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council, Charlie’s ties to the ocean reach far and wide.