Paddling out into the ocean, entirely surrounded by nature, one may never think that surfing is actually not particularly environmentally friendly or conscious. How is this? Wetsuits and surf boards. Until recently, surfboards were created using foam blanks, or cores, which produced extremely toxic waste when disposed. To add insult to injury, wetsuits also consist of a material that is extremely hazardous when discarded. Luckily, San Clemente based business partners and surf industry veterans, Joey Santley and Steve Cox recently introduced Green Foam Blanks and ReSurf Recycling which features the first ever high performance recycled polyurethane surfboard blank. This also includes an environmentally sound means of recycling the toxic waste produced by discarded surfboards as well as the neoprene wetsuit scraps from the cutting floor. After these hazardous materials are recycled they are then transformed into a number of products such as asphalt for paving roads using a proprietary, patent-pending cryogenic methodology. Additionally, wetsuit companies such as O’Neill and Quiksilver have agreed to hand over all unused wetsuit materials to be rendered into 100% recycled yoga mats.
Producing eco-friendly foam blanks that are as durable and high performance as all modern day shapes and materials, Green Foam Blanks has already
provided blanks to some of the industry’s top surfboard manufactures, including Matt Biolos, Channel Islands, Rusty, Doc, Timmy Patterson and Pat Rawson. Green Foam Blanks are now manufactured at Just Foam in Oceanside, Calif.
This is an astonishing solution for the surf industry, particularly in California, as it has been calculated that between Los Angeles and the Mexico border nearly 1,000 surfboards are produced every day. Additionally, about 20% of the foam used to create these boards ends up in landfills along with the toxic materials used to finish each board, resulting in an enormous amount of waste produced by the surf industry, an industry that profits off of surfers which ironically enjoy a natural relationship with the ocean and nature.
It’s great to see the board companies jumping on board. It’s only a matter of time before surfboards that perform just as good as the highly toxic boards being produced today. The surf industry has made great strides in the wetsuit and accessories departments, so it’s only natural for boards to follow.
For all who are interested in the types of eco-friendly surf gear available, check out http://www.envirosurfer.com
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I like this place! I love the idea and wish there was a place like this in Astoria, Queens. I am a surfer and found a “real surfer bar” in Point Break NYC. I am kinda jealous ;0PIts filled with surfers, people who like surfers, people who like the beach and people who don’t want to live close to town. I really like this place. You know what they have these real Proctor and Channel One surfboards on the wall. It’s nice for coming any day of the week and eating a late brunch. The food was outstanding. The brunch and sides were prefect and tasty. It is a perfect “escape” from city living.
Hey great post!
ECO SURFING ROCKS! I got a board in a Santa Barbara intro event last year and wouldn’t ride anything else. One with the water and efficient, brilliance!
I love this. I’m in the Surfrider Foundation and helping protect our beaches is what we do. Finding another way to assist the Green movement is a dream come true, especially when it’s a change within the surf community.
This is a great idea! It is exciting to know that there are alternatives to creating surf gear that is environmentally friendly.