Recycled - 60 Days of Summer Day 34

Okay so another super gusty and flat day. I went out for a quick blast at Ho’okipa but others seemed to make more of it than me.

And I though that freestyle was banned at Ho'okipa, surely the life guards have a buzzer for that?

Not sure who this is but I love the shot.

Liz gets caught in Jimmie's Lens sporting the now trendy Mana foods beach bag, oops I mean re-usable shopping bag, the Whole Foods ones are actually better xx

Pascal, this is fav windsurf shot of the day.

Pascal, not sure I saw a wave like that. Nice work if you can get it!

I rigged too big and I am now officially banned from forwards for a while, I have been doing far too many and need to get out my comfort zone (and proect my board too!)

Bob adding some fun and laughter...

Off the water today was I day we had been waiting patiently for some time. The day we get to take all of our bottles and cans that we have carefully saved to the redemption centre. It is like getting money for nothing and today’s haul of thirteen dollars and forty cents wasn’t too shabby. We treated ourselves to a lovely Whole Foods takeout. I have been a critic (perhaps rather unfairly) of the new chain and still believe that they may be a classic example of a business trying to tell us that it is ethical while at the same time fleecing us for our hard earned dollars. I will say that their burritos are pretty good and they really have improved the availability of good food on the island, far better than the Star Markets which occupied the same lot for many years.

Bottles mean bucks!

I remember a presentation at work about recycling recently and we were shown a pair of Billabong board shorts made entirely out of plastic bottles. Then just the other day Liz bought a new pair of Volcom shorts which too were made out of plastic bottles and as if I needed a further reminder I read an article in Time magazine today which highlighted that Nike supported by Coca Cola have a range of sportswear made from plastic bottles and that 9 of the 2010 World Cup teams where wearing 100% recycled material strips. This has got me thinking and I wonder how bad windsurfing is for the environment and what can the industry as a whole do to reduce the impact of our actions?

The Billabong Recycler Series

One interesting development here on island is Team +H20 (check out their ideas at http://www.positive-h2o.com/ ) but I think that we need the industry to take more of a lead. What happens to all those trashed boards, sails, masts, booms and bits? I bet a large percentage of them actually end up in the local dump. All that polystyrene cannot be good, surely the board manufacturers could set up collection points, give you a few bucks as an incentive and dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way? What about using some recycled or environmentally friendly materials in boards, sails and accessories? Even if you cannot find suitable materials on the recycled market what about the Fair Trade movement http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/ ? I guess one question remains that being; Would the consumers (us) be happy to pay that little bit more for their gear if they knew that it’s impact on the environment that we enjoy is being taken care of? The fact that I see so many windsurfers and surfers alike in Mana Foods (Paia) and now Whole Foods suggests to me that they will. I think that maybe it is time for the windsurfing industry to do more for the environment which we so greatly enjoy. Yesterday I wrote about using my SuperFreak but what if it had actually been an EcoFreak; that would surely be great for the environment and not too bad for business! I encourage you as consumers to get out there and recycle your bottles then buy them back in the form of shorts or t-shirts. I hope that someone in the industry takes more of a stand and launches the first fully EcoLine that is produced in a sustainable way. I would love to hear what people think.

Looking ahead: I head heard mumblings about a few more waves on the horizon, the only thing is that I am not sure whether that was a rumour that I started a few days ago just making its way back to me! We got out bike back today so thinking of a trail ride at some point soon check out this website for some Maui trails http://www.islandbikermaui.com/bikingmaui.asp and hoping to wake up early enough tomorrow to pop over to the West side for some small breakers.

Picture of the day

Juan Ignacio Aguirre and Esteban Trevia here demonstrating the 60 Days of Summer Spirt...

Sailing record = 91% (30/33)


On Water record = 94% (31/33)

More to follow…