Ben Allen from The Art Of Surfing kickstarter-a film about the process of producing hand-crafted surf boards.
With the crowdfunding revolution in full swing, an overwhelming number of cool surf projects have been popping up. From sand-proof towels to eco-friendly clothing lines to stabilizing cameras, entrepreneurs from around the world are discovering new ways to tackle the surf industry. Here are six you might find interesting.
1. Ridebro: The makers behind this shoe brand believe in the power of living a simple life and have used this philosophy as their inspiration. As explained on the kickstarter site, “We are not only a brand, but a group of individuals longing to bring peace to the hectic world we live in.” Ridebro shoes are made with organic canvas with no use of animal products. Even the packaging is made with recycled material so you don’t have to feel guilty about throwing it away.
2. The Sandusa (San-doo-sah): Sandusa is a sand-resistant, waterproof, and patent-protected beach towel. It has a waterproof backing layer which prevents sand from sticking to it. After many long summer days at the beach, the makers got sick of sand on their towels and in their cars. Lucky for us, they did something about it. You can also use the Sandusa to wrap up wet clothes or swimwear and protect your car seat if you are still wet after surfing.
3. STABiLGO: STABiLGO is a handheld, motorized GoPro stabilizer that keeps the camera level. Watching well-produced GoPro footage makes it clear that there is basically nothing cooler than first-person action shots. With STABiLGO, you can keep the camera steady while you skate down a half pipe or snowboard down a mountain.
4. The Art Of Surfing: The idea behind The Art Of Surfing is pretty simple but extremely cool. The makers behind the project want to show, through film, the process of creating and hand-crafting beautiful boards which are works of art in their own right. The film would show the whole creative process from the first conversations and negotiations to the completed board being surfed by team riders. By making this film, the makers hope to involve as many people as possible to help promote handmade work and local talent.
5. Purakai Clothing: As eco-minded entrepreneurs, the makers behind Purakai feel that there is a better way to make clothing. They are producing a line made without synthetic herbicides, toxic pesticides, GMOs, or harmful dyes. This clothing line will also be produced without toxic runoff from cotton fields polluting our water, ruining our beaches, and destroying our fragile coastal eco-systems. They are hoping to produce a line that a surfer, stand up paddler, kayaker or anyone that cares for the environment can wear proudly. This is not only a clothing line, but a movement and transition to sustainability.
6. WAYFARER Magazine: This magazine, established by Salt Surf–a Brooklyn based company, focuses less on performance and more on experience. They believe that surfing is made out of a collection of experiences, both in and out of the water, and these experiences should be reflected in what we read about the sport. Various writers and photographers are contributing to the magazine from around the world including Ryan Tatar, Julien Roubinet, and Paul Hanger.
