Last week, hundreds of employees of Boardriders— including representatives from Quiksilver, ROXY, Billabong, DC Shoes, RVCA, Element, and Von Zipper brands— came together for a first ever all-company volunteer day in their backyard in Huntington Beach, California. In collaboration with the Surfrider Foundation's Huntington/ Seal Beach Chapter, Boardriders employees cleaned a vast stretch of their local beach, helping to bring greater awareness to the severity of the plastic pollution that is afflicting our ocean and coasts.
This day of action, named “Clean Up on Aisle Stoke”, was created and organized by the Boardriders Sustainability Committee, an employee-led volunteer group formed 18 months ago, focused on providing opportunities for employees to reduce their environmental impact. The group proposed the concept to Boardriders leadership, who encouraged employees from both the Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa offices to spend a full day out of the office to volunteer their time to give back and care for the places we play alongside the Surfrider Foundation.
The massive Huntington Beach effort cleaned up 200 pounds of trash, most of which consisted of small particles of plastic, styrofoam and cigarette butts that had accumulated on the sand and along the boardwalk. Apart from the large quantity of plastic pieces large and small, the teams found more unusual items such as zip ties, earplugs, sunglasses, lighter fluid, needles and even a snowboard that was buried in the sand—all of which were sadly polluting our local beaches.
Beyond the immediate impact of the litter removal from the natural environment was the deepened understanding among participants of just how pervasive beach litter is, and the severity of the threat it poses to the lifestyles and ocean recreation opportunities we all cherish. “Boardriders knows that clean water and healthy beaches are fundamental to their success as a business and their massive clean-up effort shows that the organization is committed to coastal protection at every level,” said Surfrider CEO, Dr. Chad Nelsen, “Boardriders’ brands are also part of Surfrider’s Coastal Defenders program that funds clean ups, water testing, and plastic pollution reduction in Orange County and across the nation.”
Boardriders CEO Dave Tanner said, “Without a doubt, [this event] was a reflection of the internal culture of passionate people that work for our incredible brands,” and we are grateful for their shared passion for protecting our coasts.
Thanks to the Boardriders family for their continued support as Surf Industry Coastal Defenders and activists for clean water and healthy beaches!
As part of Boardriders' support for our mission, Quiksilver is a proud supporter of the Blue Water Task Force in Orange County, California.