The Surfrider Foundation is always excited to partner with companies making an impact and working with intention, and our new official partnership with Outerknown is no exception. Outerknown was founded in 2015 by renowned pro surfer Kelly Slater and Creative Director John Moore as an apparel company with the goal of making responsible choices for the Earth, no matter what challenges may lie ahead.
Outerknown sets themselves apart as an environmentally-minded apparel company by creating clothing that is built to last, with setting forth stringent environmental guidelines and initiatives. Ninety-five percent of their apparel line is made with organic, Regenerative Organic Certified®, recycled, or regenerated fibers. With transparency as a core value, Outerknown has made it a priority to map 100% of their supply chain. Considering a 'closed loop' system, the company hosts a resell platform Outerworn to repurpose clothes and materials that otherwise would end up in landfills.
This spring, Outerknown celebrated the launch of their newest product — the APEX Evolution boardshort — made using Bureo’s NetPlus® material and engineered for high performance. NetPlus® is sourced and created from recycled fishing nets, aiding in Outerknown’s goal to increase recycled materials.
Outerknown and Surfrider kicked off our first community beach cleanup a surfboard demo hosted by Firewire and Slater Designs. The community of over 150 volunteers led by the local Surfrider South Bay Chapter picked up 226 pounds of trash — a great haul considering that most of the waste collected consisted of hundreds of small and lightweight, yet highly detrimental pieces of plastic waste. Much of what was collected was plastic that could have stayed in our marine environment for decades, if not generations. Additionally, thanks to the data collected, Surfrider's policy advocates will be able to identify problem products and support important coastal advocacy work, campaigns, and legislative initiatives to reduce them before they find their way into our ocean.
After our first successful community cleanup, Outerknown continued the good vibes with a get-together at their flagship retail store. Artist Ethan Estess was in house creating one-of-a-kind shirts screen-printed with recycled fish nets, and Todd Hannigan and friends set the atmosphere with live music. It was a beautiful day of community, waves, and uplifting our natural environment.
Stay tuned to join us for upcoming collaborative beach cleanup events in San Diego, Ventura, and Marin!
To learn more about Outerknown and shop the Apex short, visit their website here.
To get involved with Surfrider's Plastic Pollution Initiative, read on here!