SURF HITS TURF
HOW SAN CLEMENTE-BASED SUSTAINABLE SURF IS MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE , ONE WAVE AT A TIME .
BY JESSIE DAX-SETKUS
n There is one stereotype everyone living outside of Orange County believes about Southern Californians : We all surf . Although that might not be true , surfing has always been a big part of our culture , traversing beyond being just a sport to serving as a catalyst for nonprofits and philanthropy with Orange County-based organizations such as Surfrider ( which fights for the protection of oceans , waves and beaches through a powerful activist network ), Mauli Ola ( which hosts events that use surfing as a natural therapy for people with cystic fibrosis ) and the San Clemente-based nonprofit Sustainable Surf , which “ seeks to help transform the surf industry and community from its current unsustainable operating model to a global model of sustainability in action .” Through this eco-friendly company , plastic waste can be recycled to become surfboards and surfers help to reduce the carbon footprint by restoring ecosystems .
Pacific Coast Magazine caught up with Sustainable Surf co-founder and Executive Director Kevin Whilden to ask for more insight into how surf enthusiasts can help the environment while hanging 10 on their recycled surfboards .
A large male sheephead swims through an underwater kelp forest in the Channel
Islands
Pacific Coast Magazine : What are the humble beginnings of Sustainable Surf ? Kevin Whilden : Sustainable Surf began in 2011 , when I , with co-founder Michael Stewart , realized there was a need for sustainability leadership in surf culture . We were surfers working in the sustainable business field , and we couldn ’ t understand why surf companies weren ’ t more engaged with sustainability . So we launched Sustainable Surf to provide leadership in key areas of surf culture .
PCM : Tell us about some of your programs . KW : The Ecoboard Project created the standard for how sustainable surfboards can be made with renewable or recycled materials and a lower carbon footprint , without affecting performance or price . Deep Blue Events created the standard for sustainable surf contests and Waste to Waves showed how plastic waste can be recycled into cool new products like surfboards . Our most recent program , SeaTrees , helps individuals and companies “ wipe out ” their carbon footprint by protecting
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