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Scoring surf, rays and sand
CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. - (May 17, 2003) -Late next week, professor Stephen Leatherman will stand in the surf on one of his favorite beaches, doing his best to exude a Jimmy Buffett-meets-academia image while peering into a network TV camera.
On morning shows and cable channels and in newspapers, the man who calls himself Dr. Beach will spread his ranking of this year's top 10 places to find gin-clear water, powder-white sand and undeveloped shorelines.
Vacationers follow his and other best-beaches lists that pop up this time of year, and the tourism industry eats them up. But some beachgoers might question the lists' value if they knew how beaches were selected: One requires beaches to pay to be considered; another allows beaches to monitor themselves for health and safety standards.
Summer is the season of beach lists - and Pinellas County's beaches regularly appear on all of them.
It kicked off Friday with the Clean Beaches Council. It continues this week when Dr. Beach releases his rankings. It caps off sometime before the Fourth of July weekend with the National Healthy Beach Campaign's list of - you guessed it - healthy beaches.
"A lot of people tell me they plan their vacations by my lists," said Leatherman, whose "real job" is as director of the International Hurricane Center and Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University in Miami. In addition to his admittedly subjective Dr. Beach rankings, he also produces the National Healthy Beach Campaign's list. "Americans love lists, that's one thing for sure."
But if you want to hear about the shortcomings of the lists, just ask their competitors.
Walter McLeod, president of the Clean Beaches Council, on the Healthy Beaches list: "If a beach is on a list where it hasn't been visited and scrutinized, the public will figure that out once they get there."
And Leatherman, on how Healthy Beaches is superior to Clean Beaches: "We list beaches that don't pay a nickel. We're not a pay- to-play operation."
McLeod doesn't buy it. "I believe you have to pay to be on theirs, except it's hidden. You have to look for it."
Pinellas County, McLeod noted, might be the only beach destination that appears on all three lists. Other beaches tend to seek consideration from one list or another.
Pinellas County and local governments pay $12,200 altogether to be part of the programs. Given the media exposure and the year- round benefits of the designations, the investment is a small one, said Carole Ketterhagen, director of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The value is particularly important this year, when the county tourism agency had to reduce its marketing budget from $8.3-million to $6.5-million.
"When you look at it from a PR perspective," Ketterhagen said, "you can't put a dollar figure on that."
The Washington, D.C.-based Clean Beaches Council sends scientists to evaluate each beach that applies. Beaches pay a fee - Pinellas pays $1,275 for each beach on the list - to be considered, and if they don't make the grade, their money is returned.
Leatherman said he created the National Healthy Beaches Campaign two years ago to recognize beaches that are healthy and well- managed, but don't have the natural amenities to get on Dr. Beach's popular "America's Best Beaches" list.
"I get a lot of beaches, I wouldn't say complaining, but what should I say? They just didn't understand why they can't be on the top 10 list," Leatherman said.
Participation in Healthy Beaches is free, but communities submit their own data, sending monthly reports on water quality, beach quality and safety. If a beach wants to promote its inclusion in Healthy Beaches or link to its Web site from drbeach.org, the program charges $500 per beach.
"I don't want to be cynical," McLeod said. "It's almost flattering to see somebody trying to do what we do."
But the list that generates the most envy is Dr. Beach's top 10, scheduled to be released Friday. He chooses from among more than 650 beaches in the country, visiting many and evaluating weather, safety, water clarity and type of sand. There is no charge.
Ketterhagen is hoping local beaches score high again this year: "Any time you have an ability to give a third-party ranking and rating, it just tremendously enhances our message."
Top of the list
Pinellas beaches are perennials on three lists that recognize beaches.
Clean Beaches Council, 2003:
Fort De Soto Park
St. Petersburg's beach in Treasure Island
Sand Key Park
Clearwater Beach
Honeymoon Island State Park
Caladesi Island State Park
Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs
St. Pete Beach county beach access
National Healthy Beaches Campaign, 2002:
Caladesi Island State Park
Clearwater Beach
Fort De Soto Park
Sand Key Park
Dr. Beach's Top 10 America's Beach Beaches, 2002:
4. Fort De Soto Park
5. Caladesi Island State Park
