What did we do this year? We protected coastlines with our World Surfing Reserve program, fostering stewardship plans and waste water treatment projects in Brazil’s Guarda do Embaú. We approved Borinquen, Puerto Rico as the next WSR and helped introduce a successful bill for a plastic-free Ensenada through the Bahía de Todos Santos WSR. We launched a pilot project in Northern Indonesia with our partners at Conservation International and defended surf breaks in New Zealand and Tasmania. We inspired and mobilized more people to become coastal stewards through the Endangered Waves App.
All of this matters. In the surf, where the land meets the sea, people find their deepest connection to the ocean. Consider the importance of your local surf spot in your life and in your community. When we protect these surf ecosystems, we are protecting so much more than a wave. We preserve the biodiversity and environmental characteristics of a place and safeguard the local economy and cultural heritage. At Save The Waves, we recognize all of this and it’s why we’ve made it our mission to protect surf ecosystems around the world.
We’re just getting started. Next year, we’re going to protect hundreds of surf spots and thousands of miles of coastlines with our Surf Protected Area Networks (SPANs) in Indonesia, Mexico and Chile. We’ll continue to manage and grow World Surfing Reserves in Brazil, Australia and Puerto Rico. We’ll tackle marine debris, sea level rise and water pollution with our mobile app and your help.
Our Top Ten Accomplishments of 2018
- Hosted over 300 surf luminaries at the 5th Global Wave Conference in Santa Cruz, CA.
- Launched the #DirtyWaveChallenge with WSL and XPrize, with over 2,200 users on the Endangered Waves App.
- Approved Borinquen, Puerto Rico as the 11th World Surfing Reserve.
- Launched our new pilot project – Surf Protected Area Networks (SPANs) – in Northern Indonesia with Conservation International and A Liquid Future.
- Hosted the 10th Annual Save The Waves Film Festival in Rapa Nui, Portugal, UK, Mexico, Chile, U.S., and Australi
- Created new partnerships with UGGs, Salesforce and WSL PURE.
- Defended New Zealand’s Mangamaunu and Tasmania’s Martha Lavinia with Surfbreak Protection Society and Surfrider AUS.
- Began a new Surfonomics study and waste water treatment in Guarda do Embaú World Surfing Reserve.
- Awarded Dr. Cliff Kapono, ‘Aulani Wilhelm and Sunski as Wave Savers of the Year at Life Is A Wave.
- Created a new short film about #NatureTrumpsWalls campaign with our Irish partners — coming January 2019!