Nobody is going to ask for better materials if we as shapers don't make it a point to tell everyone that they are available.
I just launched a fundraiser via Kickstarter.com to raise money to build a collection of boards using plant-sap based resin and recycled foam in place of the extremely toxic industry standards. At the moment, I’m coordinating an art show and benefit to show the boards and educate everyone on the materials.
Nobody is going to ask for better materials if we as shapers don’t make it a point to tell everyone that they are available. We can create great boards in both form and function. The resin is amazing in flex and durability; I can’t wait to show it off!
And the kick? The profits from the art show (that will also feature many collaborations and works from other local artists) will be donated to the Save Naples Coalition.
More about the Project:
My project is all about environmental and community responsibility. I’m a custom surfboard builder who wants to help make a change in our toxic industry while also taking action to help protect a rare California coastal habitat.
I want to build a line of environmentally friendlier surf craft to offer at an upcoming art show and auction, then pay it forward by donating the profit from the show to a great local organization. The boards will bring attention to environmentally conscious surfboard building materials while allowing me to expand my horizons as a small business and at the same time donate a lump of cash to a worthy cause…I can’t think of anything better!
The funding of the campaign will allow me to use plant-sap based resins and recycled foam products to build a collection of beautiful surfboards. Once my work is finished I’m going to hold an art show/silent auction and donate the profit from the line’s sales to the Save Naples Coalition, a small group of people helping to protect one of the last areas of privately owned coastline on the Gaviota coast from major development.
Large-scale change is always spurred on by grass roots efforts that raise consumers’ expectations. I want to be part of the challenge and help change the demands that customers put on our industry.
As surfers, we rely completely on our environment for our pleasure, and we tax it heavily in the process. The act of building a surfboard has been known for a long time to be very toxic, yet the industry has turned a blind eye towards the effect that it has on our surroundings as well as the effect it has on the people who build them. The chemicals contained in polyester resins and polyurethane foams are extremely high in VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) and are widely known to cause cancer and serious health problems. Not only does using better materials turn a surfboard more environmentally sound, it creates a healthier environment for the builder.
The resins that I want to use, in place of VOC-rich polyester, are a plant-sap based resin which is extremely strong and readily available. Not only do they put less strain on the environment in production, they have the potential to outlast traditional products, making the demand for new surfboards far less.
The technologies required to make a better surfboard are no longer experimental, they’re high quality and available for those willing the invest the time and money necessary. The materials are new and cost more than traditional ones but create a valuable and conscious product.
I’m excited for the possibilities ahead and the projects that will come from your support!
For more info on Entropy’s unreal Sap-based resins check out entropyresins.com.
And if you want to learn more about my obsession, check out my work in and around surf craft at www.RLovelace.com, or check my blog for near-daily updates (over three years of ’em now!) at pcProgress.blogspot.com.
Thank you SO much for your time and donation if you choose, I’m humbled and honored to be able to do what I do for a living with or without this campaign. I’d like to do my part to make it healthier for all of us and our ocean as I find my way through it!
To make a donation and/or learn more about the materials visit ryanlovelace.com.
