Kai Lenny and Bettylou Sakura Johnson are among a handful of surfers speaking out for the ocean. Photos: WSL
Conservation International, a group dedicated to empowering societies around the world to live more sustainably, are on a mission: to double the number of protected surf areas around the world. Kai Lenny, Bettylou Sakura Johnson, Seth Moniz, and Miguel Pupo are stepping up to the plate to encourage other surfers and ocean lovers to take a stand.
With the help of the WSL’s One Ocean initiative, it launched Surf for the Ocean, a global fundraising campaign with the goal of creating “community-led, legally protected zones that safeguard surf breaks and coastal ecosystems, support local communities and help protect waves for generations to come.”
Obviously, one does not have to be a surfer to want to protect our precious playgrounds. Whether you’re surfing or just swimming, spending time on the beach, or you’re just someone who loves to watch surfing, you’ve got an interest in preserving some of nature’s most amazing places. Using the Surf for the Ocean platform is simple. All it really involves is creating a profile either as an individual or a team. then simply set a few goals for surfing and raising funds in support of the cause. There are prizes, too, if just doing a good deed wasn’t quite enough.
“Surfing has changed my life and the lives of so many others,” said Kai Lenny. “It’s important to me that we protect the natural ecosystems that make surfing possible so future generations can enjoy the same connection to the ocean. Surf for the Ocean allows us to do what we love while taking meaningful action to protect the biodiversity behind every great wave.”
The campaign went live on June 20th, which uncoincidentally is International Surfing Day. It was during the VIVO Rio Pro in Saquarema, Brazil, when fans were able to donate to support the cause via the pages of Bettylou Sakura Johnson, Seth Moniz, and Miguel Pupo. Not to be left out, the WSL’s One Ocean initiative is also contributing.
“Surfing has shaped my relationship with the ocean in the best way,” said Bettylou Sakura Johnson. “Being in the ocean has made me more aware of the presence of Mother Nature…I think surfers and ocean lovers have a role in protecting surf breaks and the ecosystems we depend on because we realize how incredible the ocean is and how lucky we are to experience it. The ocean brings us happiness, and we want to help protect it and see it thrive forever.”
It’s an important cause, but one that’s too often overlooked. Not just the fun part — the waves we’re riding — but all the ecosystems that surround them, from the coastal forests, mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes near surf breaks. Those things combined, according to Conservation International, store more than 950 million metric tons of carbon globally. That’s around 10 percent of global annual energy‑related emissions.
As of this writing, the program has established 40 Surf Protected Areas. Those areas have 120 established surf breaks, and span over 700 square miles. In the next four years, Conservation International hopes to double that, but that’s no small task.
