Siesta Key Beach ranked #1 in the Nation by Dr. Beach
Siesta Key Beach has been given the Number One spot by Dr. Stephen Leatherman a.k.a. "Dr. Beach" The residents of Sarasota knew this all the time. Now the whole world also knows! The following article appear in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, written by Tom Becnel.
"By TOM BECNEL
Published: Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 5:22 p.m.
SARASOTA - The powdery white shoreline of Siesta Key just got the ultimate seal of approval from “Dr. Beach.”
DR. BEACH'S TOP 10 U.S. BEACHES
1. Siesta Beach in Sarasota;
2. San Diego's Coronado Beach;
3. No. 3 was Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii.
4, Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.;
5, Cape Hatteras in North Carolina;
6, St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle;
7, Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.;
8, Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.;
9, Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii
10, Cape Florida State Park near Miami.
Siesta Beach was ranked No. 1 in the nation today in the annual survey by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University.
“The sand is like sugar,” Leatherman said. “Some people can't believe it. It's super soft, super fine. They claim to have the finest, whitest sand in the world, and I can't argue with that.”
For the past two years, Siesta was ranked No. 2 in the survey. Now local tourism officials can boast of the top spot.
“This is absolutely the best thing we could ever hear,” said Virginia Haley, president of the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We know we'll be on national TV in the morning. Live shots across the country.”
On Thursday afternoon, visitors to Siesta weren't surprised by early news of the No. 1 ranking.
“Every time I see it, it's like the first time,” said Shelley Harman of Dayton, Ohio. “The sand is like powdered sugar under your feet. And it's clean and the water's clean. It's just awesome.”
A dozen tourists from Buffalo raved about Siesta, too. They're staying at a beach hotel in Clearwater, but still made the drive down to Sarasota.
“We told our friends, we're going down to Siesta Beach,” said Dennis Walczak. “That's the top of the line.”
GENTLE SURF
In this year's survey by Leatherman, San Diego's Coronado Beach was runner-up. No. 3 was Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. Rounding out the Top 10 were No. 4, Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.; No. 5, Cape Hatteras in North Carolina; No. 6, St. George Island State Park, Florida Panhandle; No. 7, Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.; No. 8, Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.; No. 9, Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii, and No. 10, Cape Florida State Park near Miami.
Previous winners include Caladesi Island and Fort DeSoto State Park, both in Pinellas County. Once a beach reaches the top of the list, it is retired from future rankings.
Leatherman ranks beaches on 50 criteria, including water quality, weather, facilities and crowds. A top score is 250.
Siesta Beach came in in the 230s, losing minor points because the view is heavy on condominiums to the north and south. It got credit for free parking, along with shallow water and gentle surf.
“Most days you measure waves over there in inches, not feet,” Leatherman said.
Scott Montgomery, interim lifeguard manager for Sarasota County, spent more than 20 years at Siesta Beach.
He always knew it was special. The No. 1 ranking just confirms that fact.
“It's about time,” Montgomery joked. “I've seen a lot of beaches, even beaches in Hawaii, and they just don't compare.”
The 40-acre park at Siesta offers everything from tennis to beach volleyball courts, along with a snack bar and gift shop. The beach at Siesta is more than 100 yards deep — far wider than most beaches in Florida or anywhere else.
Thousands of people can spend the day without feeling crowded.
In 2010, according the county estimates, 2.2 million people visited Siesta Beach. Four lifeguard stands at the beach are painted different colors to help beachgoers remember where they are.
“They can say, Oh, we're over by the yellow lifeguard stand,” Montgomery said. “That's unique to us.”
At the Sarasota tourism bureau, Haley praised the county for maintaining the beach and sponsoring everything from daily yoga classes to weekly beach runs. She looks forward to bragging about the No. 1 ranking.
“Our work will begin tomorrow,” Haley said Thursday evening. “We'll be working very hard to help everybody get the news.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Leave A Comment