SIMA postpones Surf Summit because of swine flu

SIMA said today that next week's Surf Summit has been postponed because of concerns about swine flu.

The U.S. government has recommended all non-essential trips to Mexico be canceled because of the virus.

SIMA said new dates will be announced soon, possibly by the end of the week.

We wrote yesterday that the U.S. government has joined other nations in issuing a travel warning, calling on residents to cancel all non-essential travel to Mexico.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is updating the flu epidemic on a special page on its web site.

Stories in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and others note that flu-related deaths in Mexico have likely reached 159, and make it clear that government officials around the globe are taking the spreading illness seriously. The Orange County Register reports no cases, yet, in the U.S. home of the action sports industry.

We'll update the situation for the Surf Summit as we learn more.