Surfers tackle global warming
11 October 2007A month after the inaugural Earthwave Global Surf Challenge ran in seven countries to showcase the worldwide surfing community and highlight global warming, the Cape Town event is continuing its efforts to raise funds for environmental projects.
On the first weekend in September, Earthwave Brazil scooped the Guinness World Record and Earthwave award for the most surfers riding one wave simultaneously, while Cape Town registered the highest number of participants by getting 310 to paddle out for their attempt at Muizenberg.
Donations to ecological causes
The frontrunner for the Earthwave award for the event that donates the most to ecological causes is Ticket to Ride, who presented £500 (about R7 000) to Surfers Against Sewage from Earthwave England.
"With all the bills for Cape Town now settled, we have less left in the kitty than England donated to worthwhile causes," said Dene Botha of the Kahuna Surfing Academy, the organisers of the Cape Town event, who also created and implemented the Earthwave concept.
"The costs of staging the 2007 event were higher, and despite distributing more than R25 000 in prizes on the day, we raised less than our Guinness World Record attempt last year.
Surfboards for auction
"But we still have four boards from the Surfboard Art Challenge donated by the country's top manufacturers and distributors that were not auctioned at the event. These are now on sale, so we can add to the funds that will be donated to our chosen recipients."
The boards include a Corky Carroll model wood laminated Surftech from Glen Darcy, a Gee Force shaped for Travis Logie, now beautifully decorated with a global warming theme that comes with three mounted photographs showing how the artwork was developed, a custom-built and spray-painted Dutchie quad, and a T&C from Geraghty Surfboards.
Bids on these boards are being taken for the next two weeks, until Monday 22 October, and the highest bid received for each at that stage will be accepted.
Anyone interested in owning one of these boards can contact Dene Botha at +27 (0) 21 783 4965 or send an e-mail to place a bid.
Donation of proceeds
All the proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Shark Spotters Program, the Supertubes Surfing Foundation, South Peninsula Unity and Loadtheshow, the designated beneficiaries of Earthwave Cape Town 2007.
See the South Africa page at Earthwave 2007 for further details and additional pictures of these boards.
Plans are already being implemented to increase the global scope and reach of the Earthwave project for 2008.
Organisations in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Portugal, Holland and Hawaii have already indicated that they will be joining the seven founding members of Earthwave in challenging for the World Record and drawing attention to environmental issues on the first weekend of September in 2008.
'We are happy'
"We are happy with the outcome of the first Earthwave Global Surf Challenge," said Botha.
"The event generated substantial publicity, with news footage and images beamed around the world and plenty of coverage in each country where an event was staged.
"We hope to expand the project to at least 30 countries next year and build on the message of how everyone can reduce their impact on the environment by adopting a more sustainable lifestyle."
Organisations on every coastline on the planet are invited to find out more about staging an Earthwave event at their beach by visiting the Earthwave 2007 website or Sending an e-mail.
SAinfo reporter
|
