On Tuesday, November 19th, hundreds of employees of Boardriders, representing the Quiksilver, ROXY, Billabong, DC Shoes, RVCA, Element, and Von Zipper brands came together for a first ever all-company volunteer day of action. In partnership with the Surfrider Foundation, the employees cleaned the beaches of Huntington Beach, the waterways and sidewalks of Balboa Island and two skateparks in Long Beach.
This day of action, named “Clean Up on Aisle Stoke”, was created and organized by the Boardriders Sustainability Committee, an employee led volunteer group formed 18 months ago that is focused on providing opportunities for employees to decrease their environmental impact. The group proposed the concept to CEO Dave Tanner and the executive leadership team who encouraged employees from both the Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa offices to spend a full day out of the office to volunteer their time to give back and care for the places we play.
The massive Huntington Beach effort cleaned up 200 pounds of trash, most of which consisted of small particles of plastic, Styrofoam and cigarette butts which had accumulated on the beaches. Surfrider Foundation was on hand to weigh, count and categorize all of the trash, and dispose of everything appropriately.
Another team of people simultaneously cleaned the waterways and sidewalks of Balboa Island from both land and water with boats donated by Duffy. A third team cruised up to Cherry Park in Long Beach and cleaned in and around two skateparks.
Beyond a large quantity of plastic, the teams found more unusual items such as zip ties, earplugs, sunglasses, lighter fluid, needles and even a snowboard that was buried in the sand—all of which were sadly polluting our local beaches. One employee found a wallet and was able to contact its owner and return it.
Post the cleanup, all volunteers gathered at an event in Costa Mesa, sponsored by the Boardriders Foundation, where special guest Surfrider CEO Dr. Chad Nelsen and Bob McKnight addressed the crowd and thanked everyone for their efforts. The Boardriders Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to improving quality of life through global and local community initiatives that share a focus on the environment, education, science, water, wellness and sustainability.
CEO Dave Tanner shared, “To have an energetic group of employees conceive, propose, organize and pull off a cleanup at this scale was really impressive. Without a doubt, today was a reflection of the internal culture of passionate people that work for our incredible brands. A big thank you to our employees and the Surfrider Foundation for making a difference today.”
Billabong Senior Women’s Textile Designer Alison Conners, a member of the Sustainability Committee, said: “Today there was a strong sense of pride that we work for a company that supports giving back. Everyone was grateful to have this kind of activity planned and are looking forward to the next opportunity.”
Surfrider CEO Chad Nelsen said, “Boardriders knows that clean water and healthy beaches are fundamental to their success as a business and their massive clean-up effort shows that the organization is committed to coastal protection at every level. Boardriders’ brands are also part of Surfrider’s Coastal Defenders program that funds clean ups, water testing, and plastic pollution reduction in Orange County and across the nation.”
