SANTA CRUZ - Santa Barbara surfer Chadd Konig is set to paddle out of the Santa Cruz Harbor early Wednesday, steering his efforts toward a statewide campaign against hydraulic fracturing.
The athlete set sail for Point Lobos for the first stop of a three-week, 250-mile paddling trip along the California Coast, that will take him back to Santa Barbara.
Konig, 24, is riding an 18-foot prone/knee paddleboard, large enough to carry him and a few pounds of tightly packed camping gear on coastal waters.
Coming ashore after a training session off Twin Lakes State Beach on Tuesday, Konig explained that he hopes to raise awareness about hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" in California. Fracking is a technique using sand, water and undisclosed chemicals under high pressure to fracture geological formations and stimulate the flow of oil or gas while drilling.
