It seems to go without saying that surfers are eco-friendly. Indeed, since nature is their playground, it would seem logical that environmental preservation should be at the heart of a surfer’s concerns.
The big surf brands had already understood this in their boom years, when they could claim to be “green” while continuing to produce mediocre quality t-shirts in Bangladesh. Then, as soon as the crisis began to show its face, they started laying off their employees in the Landes and the Basque Country.
But consumers are more enlightened than in the 90s, and want to consume sustainably. As a result, small, emerging companies are beginning to offer eco-responsible surf products, and are driving an entire market upwards in terms of quality. Today, a company can no longer simply capitalize on its surf image if it wants to remain competitive; it must invest in sustainable development.
So I’m going to take a closer look at some of the surf brands that are committed to the search for less polluting equipment. I’m not saying that everything is perfect, far from it, but progress is being made and should be welcomed and encouraged. This is how, at Ki Surf School and via the Eco-Safe Surfing network, my students are equipped with quality products that last over time or are eco-sourced.
Surf wetsuits
Here, the pioneer of petrochemical-industry-free wetsuits is Patagonia, a brand that reinvests part of its profits in protecting the environment and supporting civic action in many countries. Patagonia operates rubber plantations in Guatemala to produce the natural rubber used in its suits, and these plantations are themselves governed by an eco-responsible label, the Forest Stewardship Council. In many countries, the monoculture of rubber trees is synonymous with deforestation and polyphosphate pollution, so the exploitation of this raw material must also be supervised.
Soorüz is a French brand, a pioneer in natural neoprene derived from the recovery and processing of oyster shell powder from oyster farms in Asia. Recycled materials such as polyester and limestone neoprene are also used in the composition of its wetsuits.
Another French brand, Picture Organic, is also a pioneer in the search for innovative materials derived from recycling (plastic bottles, fishing nets) or the organic sector, and offers high-quality textile or neoprene items.
Surfboards
We’re still a long way from an organic board. Remember that a wooden board is heavy, whereas foam and polyester resin have lightweight properties that have revolutionized the way we surf. Skateboarding’s aerial tricks are the best illustration of this.
Anglet-based Notox manufactures its Korko range of boards entirely covered in cork, instead of polluting fiberglass and polyester resin. The adhesive properties of cork mean that surfers don’t need to spread wax on their boards, and the material also absorbs shocks more easily than a conventional hardboard, limiting the risk of injury. This is the aspect that interested me when Notox had me test the material in the early days of the board.
It’s not 100% bio-sourced, but it’s still a big step forward in the search for more environmentally-friendly boards.
Notox boards are also covered with French flax fiber instead of fiberglass, 50% recycled foam is used in the composition of the boards and 56% plant-based resin is used. It’s fair to say that the brand is a leader in research and development in the eco-responsible surfing sector.
Other French surf brands offer boards made from recycled and bio-sourced materials: Nomads-Surfing and Yuyo, which reduces the amount of material used through the use of 3D printing.
Recycled plastic accessories
Leachs first of all, with the Kuntiqi brand, based in Spain. In its wake, other brands in the eco-responsible sector also offer leachs made from recycled materials.
Daggerboards made from fishing nets by Nomads-Surfing, daggerboards made from recycled plastic by Adaoz Wave, manufactured in the Netherlands.
Organic wax
Simon makes Simwax, a handcrafted, eco-friendly wax made from beeswax and Landes pine resin. He is the pioneer of this technology. Made in Les Landes, in Saint-Julien-en-Born!
Greenfix also uses beeswax in the composition of its wax loaves produced in the 64 and is beginning to diversify its range of eco-responsible products.
Temperatures of 42 degrees in June in Hossegor, followed by hail the size of golf balls in Gironde, a weekend at the beach in a tshirt in February – people are less and less inclined to consume disposables and pollutants.
We realize that green energies aren’t always as green as we think – electric batteries come to mind – but there are alternatives in the surf to equip ourselves in a more responsible way, and that includes the social impact. Indeed, a sustainable approach is concerned with the environmental as well as the social impact of its production and distribution chain.
Not everything is produced here, far from it, but encouraging these companies in their efforts may well enable production infrastructures to be built in France or Europe in the future.
