"Dr. Beach" Releases 11th Annual Rating (May 2001) -- An environmental studies professor and self-proclaimed beach expert has once again named seven Florida beaches to his annual list of top-20 beaches in the United States. Stephen Leatherman, professor and director of the International Hurricane Center at Florida International University in Miami, has once again issued his report as "Dr. Beach" as he has done annually for the past 11 years. All seven are "best of the best" returnees from the 1999 list and the 2000 list. St. Joseph Peninsula State Park retained its second-place finish from 2000, which was up a notch from No. 3 in 1999. In 1997, the beach at St. Joseph's ranked No. 10. Siesta Key moved up two places from its 1999 and 2000 rankings to snag 13th place, while St. George Island State Park dropped to 16th, five places lower than it ranked in 1999 and 2000. Dropping to a 17th-place finish was Perdido Key, which had placed 14th on the 1999 and 2000 lists. The number one beach, Poipu Beach Park in Hawaii, first entered the list in 1998, when it was rated number 20. Poipu went to number 17 in 1999 and third in 2000. Leatherman has named a Hawaii beach to the number one spot in each of the past six years. Leatherman ranks the beaches using 50 criteria organized in three broad categories: Physical Factors, such as sand softness, wave size and current strength; Biological Factors, such as water color and quality, and presence of pests; and Human-Use Factors, such as lifeguard protection, visual obstructions and amenities. Beaches previously ranked as number one in the country are exluded from Leatherman's survey for 10 years (see table below for previous winners). The last time a Florida beach was ranked number one was in 1995, when St. Andrew's State Park beat out all others across the nation. The year before, Grayton Beach State Recreation Area was ranked first, and in 1992 Bahia Honda State Park was number one. The list, with 2000 rankings in parentheses:
1. (3) Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii 8. (10) Ocracoke Island, N.C. 9. (9) Cape Florida State Recreation Area, Key Biscayne 10. (12) East Hampton Beach, N.Y. 11. (13) Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 12. (new) Makena State Park, Hawaii 13. (15) Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Sarasota, Fla. 14. (18) Coast Guard Beach, Mass 15. (17) Hanauma Bay, Hawaii 16. (11). St. George Island State Park, East Point, Fla. 17. (14) Perdido Key State Park, Pensacola, Fla. 18. (16) Cape Hatteras, N.C. 19. (19) Carpinteria State Beach, Calif. 20. (20) Long Beach Island, New Jersey.
Poipu Beach, on the south side of Kauai, Hawaii, topped Dr. Beach's 2001 list. This is the sixth consecutive year a Hawaiian beach was ranked number one. "This coral beach is known for its light golden sand, which blends nicely with the crystal-blue water," Leatherman said during a press conference in Key Biscayne, Fla. "It is perfect for a range of activities because of its unique 'tombolo' shape, wherein flat water gradually grades into a pulsating surf."
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| PREVIOUS NATIONAL
WINNERS (excluded from the survey for 10 years) |
| 1991 Kapalua, Hawaii |
| 1992 Bahia Honda State Park,Fla. |
| 1993 Hapuna, Hawaii |
| 1994 Grayton Beach State Recreation Area, Fla. |
| 1995 St. Andrews State Park, Fla. |
| 1996 Lanikai Beach, Hawaii |
| 1997 Hulopoe, Hawaii |
| 1998 Kailua Beach Park, Hawaii |
| 1999 Wailea Beach, Hawaii |
| 2000 Kaunaoa Beach, Hawaii |
Click Here to see the 2004 Dr. Beach List
Click Here to see the 2003 Dr. Beach List
Click Here to see the 2002 Dr. Beach List
Click Here to see the 2001 Dr. Beach List
Click Here to see the 2000 Dr. Beach List
Click Here to see the 1999 Dr. Beach List
Click Here to see the 1998 Dr. Beach List
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