Surfing And Sustainability - Student Presentation -Will Cane

DISCUSS THE CONTENTION THAT SURFING IN THE 21ST CENTURY CAN BE SUSTAINABLE.BY WILL CANE

CONTENTS

• What is sustainability

• Three pillars of sustainability

• Transformation of the surfing industry

• Sustainable surf

• Deep Blue Surf

• ECOBoard

• Surfing and academia

• Surfing cullture

• Conclusion

• References

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?

-The most commonly accepted definition is drawn from the

Brundtland report “is that Sustainable development is

development that meets the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their

own needs.”

THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Many people are at least familiar with a term surrounding one of the pillars of sustainability. The concept of environmental sustainability has been taught in schools for some time now.

Sustainability needs to consider the economic and social as well as the environmental,

Surfing seems to focus mainly on the environmental side of the three pillars only in recent years has their been a change in this ethos.

(Bourne and Ponting 2015)

SURFING HISTORY

• The Museum of British Surfing is the national Registered Charity established to preserve our surfing heritage, celebrate current achievements and help to shape the future of surfing in Great Britain the museum itself is located in North Devon what many consider to be the home of UK surfing

• Their aim is to inspire, educate and encourage debate about our surfing culture and our second home, the sea.

• In recent years organisations, such as Sustainable Surf, have attempted to combine surfing and sustainability with the emergence of strategies and concepts for surfing industry to become more aware about its impact on the environment and society itself

(British Museum of Surfing 2015)

SURFING CULTURE

• Surfing culture what does it mean?

• The culture around surfing world is different all over the world.

- Papa New Guinea

- Hawaii

- California

- Gold Coast

SUSTAINABLE SURF

• Sustainable Surf is a California-based non-profit charity organization founded by social entrepreneurs.

• Their Mission is to be the catalyst that transforms surf culture and industry into a powerful community that protects the ocean playground.

• They take an integrated “systems thinking” approach with innovative programs and campaigns, which engage both individuals and businesses together in partnership to solve the most pressing environmental issues facing our oceans, caused most significantly by the impacts of climate change.

• ASP North America and Sustainable Surf’s goal is to provide a useful framework for looking at event operations that can help reduce the environmental impacts of all contests, regardless of size and budget, and that will provide a common platform for ensuring greener events this year.

Sustainable Surf (2015)

DEEP BLUE LIFE

• Is not a list of things to do it a 6 point strategy of reducing your

personal impact on the environment, they are:

-Health Management

-Waste Management

-Renewable energy

-Cleaner transportation

-Community outreach

-Climate Impact

(Sustainable Surf 2015)

ECOBOARD

• The ECOBOARD Project helps consumers choose a high-

performance sustainable surfboard made with a reduced

environmental and toxic impact.

• The ECOBOARD Project label is the first, independent 3rd party,

consumer facing “eco-label” for surfboards. It verifies the use

of more sustainable materials in surfboards, made with the

latest advancements in green chemistry, recycled and

renewable materials.

(Sustainable surf 2015)

ECOBOARD

• A surfboard that carries the ECOBOARD Project “verified” logo is defined by these three concepts:

- Performance: ECOBOARDs should have equivalent or better performance than boards made from industry standard materials.

- Ease of Manufacturing: ECOBOARDs should ideally require minimal changes in current manufacturing techniques, so that early adoption by the industry is possible.

-Environmental Benefits: ECOBOARDs must have a significant and meaningful reduction in environmental impact as measured by factors such as lifecycle CO2 emissions and toxic chemical/VOC emissions.

(Sustainable surf 2015)

ECOBOARD, WILL PEOPLE BUY IT?

• Although the ECOBoard in theory is a great idea you really need

the stars of surfing to endorse and use them but the issue is

that the majority of top surfers still don’t use ECOBoard's.

• With recent endorsement from SIMA in 2013 you would expect

them to be flying of the stacks but the real issue is the cost of

the boards which make it a harder sale with an ECOBoard being

a lot more expensive than normal non eco friendly boards, this

is where education needs to be provided.

(Bourne and Ponting 2015)

EDUCATION AND SURFING

• Education is an important part of being sustainable

• In recent years the emergence of degrees relating to the surfing industry have had high interest, one case in Plymouth University where the Introduction of the BSc Surf Science and technology program began in September 1999 was brought about by Malcolm Findlay

• Cornwall college adopted it and media began to spread with the program receiving some good reviews,

• The Gold coast was also offering a similar degree showing the growing trend o surfing education, finally we have some education about surfing that was getting out there

• Although the program at Plymouth Universsity has since been stopped at one point it made the university a considerable amount of money, but lack of academic support ultimately stopped the course in its tracks.

(Bourne and Ponting 2015)

CONCLUSION

• Surfing industry has transformed a lot over the years with the establishment of Sustainable Surf and other organisations

• The culture of surfing is something which many try to understand but can mean different things to different people

• ECOBoard is a good idea, but sales are not what they should be…

• Deep blue life is a great strategy for the personal damage created by surfers on the environment

• There is a lack of academic recognition for surfing as a degree

• Although surfing has come along way there is still alot to be done to protect our greatest resources

REFERENCES

• Bourne, G and Ponting, J (2015) Sustainable stoke: transitions to sustainability in the surfing world, Plymouth, University of plymouth press

• Museum Of British surfing (2015 , Our Mission, Online access http://www.museumofbritishsurfing.org.uk/about/mission/ Accessed 19/03/15

• Sustainable Surf, ECOBoard (2015), Online access http://www.sustainablesurf.org/ecoboard/ Accessed 19/03/15

• Sustainable Surf, Deep Blue Life, Online access, http://sustainablesurf.org/deepbluelife/ Accessed 19/03/15

• United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Our Common Future (Brundtland Report). Oxford: Oxford University Press.