International Surfing Day Is Official In California: Celebrate At These Surfing Spots (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

It's official! California has just become the gnarliest state in the union.

Thanks to the help of the Surfrider Foundation, California's state assembly voted Monday to officially recognize June 20 as International Surfing Day.

The commemorative day, now in its eighth year, was established by Surfrider to celebrate the sport itself, surfing lifestyle and the effort to keep oceans clean and beautiful.

Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) introduced the resolution to the State Assembly. In a statement celebrating the assembly's official recognition of the holiday, he recalled that surfing at a young age helped him realize that in the ocean, no one's more or less important than anyone else.

“At that time in my life is when I began to see the beach and our beautiful coastline as the great equalizer in the community," said Assemblymember Williams. "We can all enjoy it. That helped sure up my passion to fight to protect that equalizer."

The House Resolution [PDF] contains some interesting facts about the importance of surfing (and a good wave) to the Golden state:

• California's coastline spans 1,100 miles
• California has the largest ocean economy in the nation, providing 408,000 jobs in a42.9 billion industry
• California's beaches generate 1.15 trillion in economic activity annually
• The surf industry, which generated 6.24 billion in U.S. retail sales in 2010, is based almost exclusively in California

Oh, and there's one more thing: California has some of the best surfing spots in the world! Check out our top picks for the best surfing spots throughout the Golden State, and suggest your own favorite places in the comments below -- unless you want to keep your little alcove a secret.

And just in case you need help getting time off from work to celebrate the holiday this Wednesday, Surfrider CEO Jim Moriarty penned a surfing sick note for you to give to your boss.