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Students Celebrate Graduation At The Beach On 'Int'l Surfing Day'

HERMOSA BEACH (CBS) — Hundreds of Orange County students hit the waves on Wednesday, one day after state lawmakers declared the first "International Surfing Day".

KNX 1070's Margret Carrero reports the weather cooperated with the California Assembly's declaration.

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Over 100 students from George White Elementary in Laguna Niguel took to the waves to celebrate their graduation from elementary school.

The students took to the beach on the same day that the head of the sport's international advocacy group called on surfers to play hooky.

"You have my permission to skip work," Surfrider Foundation Chief Executive Jim Moriarty announced on Twitter. "I'll even write your sick note."

The San Clemente-based group first started the observance back in 2005, but it was only this week that the day was officially recognized by the state.

Despite a lack of any real waves, both young and old surfers alike took in the waves, while some feared the prospect of losing their precious beaches to commercial developers in California's multi-billion-dollar ocean economy.

"It has eroded constantly the quality of surf here to where we have very few rideable days," said Manhattan Beach surfer Kurt.

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