For those lucky enough to live near large bodies of water (with the exception of the Gulf of Mexico), surfing is one of many great ways to enjoy the summer. It’s great to watch, fun to do, and let’s be honest, riding the waves is still considered to be one of the coolest things to do (yes I have had my fair share of surfer boy crushes).
Because surfing is a multi-billion dollar industry that relies heavily on the natural environment, it makes sense that surfers would want to protect and sustain it. Erosion, pollution, sewage and oil spills are just some examples of what can wreak environmental havoc on surfers’ livelihood.
Enter project BLUE, an initiative of six leading brands in the surf industry that have joined forces to support the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Environmental Fund. The six brands involved in project BLUE are Billabong, DAKINE, Electric Visual, Famous Wax, Nixon, and O’Neill.
What is really nice to see is the collaborative effort of these major brands. Considering they are all competitors, they have taken off their rivalry hats, and have come together to create a co-branded product line with a portion of proceeds going to twenty environmental non-profits including the Alaskan Wilderness League, Heal the Bay and Save the Waves.
The coolest item in the product line is by far the board shorts, made from 100 percent recycled PET bottles, branded as an Eco-Supreme Suede fabric. Other products in the BLUE product line include a range of organic cotton t-shirts (for men and women), polarized sunglasses, surf watches, wetsuits and backpacks – all made from recycled materials.
According to founder Vipe Desai, the goal of project BLUE isn’t to encourage consumerism, but rather, to help consumers support a charity that’s important to them in a fairly easy manner. Vipe believes philanthropy is a mature subject and organizing charity fundraisers or otherwise soliciting donations is a difficult task for many to participate in. The project BLUE initiative gives beach lovers an easy way to plug into an environmental cause the next time they find themselves in need of a new backpack or t-shirt.
We’d like to give you an opportunity to try out the Dakine, Project Blue backpack featured above. Are you game? Well then, leave a comment below!
(Legalese: contest rules and FTC compliance.)