To celebrate Earth Day—not to mention, eos‘ release of its limited-edition Marine Collection lip balm twin pack ($11 at Walmart, London Drugs, Jean Coutu, Pharmaprix, Indigo Chapters and Lawtons), of which a portion of proceeds will go toward supporting non-profit organization Sustainable Surf‘s mission of ocean conservation—we’re giving away an exclusive eos x Sustainable Surf eco-conscious surf board created by renowned surf-board shaper Ashley Lloyd Thompson. Below, read our interview with Ashley to discover her take on sustainability when it comes to the sea (plus, where in Canadas she’d like to surf most), then find out how you can enter to win here! —Noa Nichol
Hi Ashley! Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your lifelong love of surfing … and the sea.
I have been surfing most of my life. My mom loved taking my older brother and I down to the beach, so the beach has always been a part of me, from playing in the sand and collecting beach treasures to jumping in the ocean. When my brother started surfing I naturally followed him with a surfboard of my own. There are countless lessons the ocean teaches you. I have met my best friends in the ocean. I have been comforted and humbled by the sea, and I am reminded of who my pure self is when in solitude on a surfboard. Surfing is a huge part of my life still today. I once travelled the world for pro surf contests and now I have a career in shaping surfboards and teaching surf lessons. I love sharing the knowledge I’ve gained from surfing and it continues to keep me excited about my journey as a lifelong surfer.
When did you make the jump from riding waves to making surfboards?
I first transitioned from riding waves professionally to making surfboards in 2002.
What does the surfboard-making process involve?
It starts with shaping and sculpting a piece of foam into a surfboard design. From there the board goes through many steps of fiberglassing it for strength and waterproofing. The whole process requires many power tools, hand tools, templates, measuring devices and an artistic eye.
When and why did you start making sustainability a part of your production process?
Like many modern products in this world, surfboards are traditionally produced through a toxic process. Most boards are made from Poly-Urathane foam, fiberglass and polyester resin. These materials and the process of using them contains high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and can be harmful to the health of surfboard makers and the environment. A small percentage of the surf industry has started using alternative materials that have less of an environmental footprint. Over the course of my search to make a greener surfboard, which started in 2008, I have experimented with many different alternative materials. When I became pregnant I was extremely aware of how things affected my body. I would hold my breath while walking through the glassing factories in town to avoid breathing in VOCs. That was the moment when I decided to make a change. It was a struggle to get my boards glassed with the plant-based Entropy resins so my husband and I decided to build our own glassing facility, using only extremely low VOC Entropy resins to glass our boards. I continue to look for ways to lessen our environmental footprint while maintaining strength and performance. Last year, we were proudly Green Certified by the Sustainable Surf organization!
How did your partnership with eos come about, and what made it a natural fit?
The first-ever 3-D printed surfboard, the “Dolphin Board of Awesome,” was glassed in our factory. This was a groundbreaking achievement, especially because the board was made from algae and recycled plastic. It was a creative use of upcycling plastics. I am an ambassador for Sustainable Surf, and when they partnered with eos I was asked to join them in this creative project. I love eos, especially their lip balm, so I was thrilled to design a board to represent their brand. We utilized recycled plastic from their lip balm packaging and 3-D printed it into a surfboard that I designed!
In terms of the surfboard we are going to be giving away to one lucky winner, what is unique/special about it?
The board I designed was inspired by the eos lip balm spheres. The board is a friendly shape that can accommodate different levels of surfing ability and size range. The most special trait is that it is that it is made of upcycled eps foam and lip balm packaging and glassed with the entropy plant-based resin. It is a unique and creative way to turn waste into a functional piece of art that can be surfed or displayed in your home!
If you could give people one reason why they should care about protecting the ocean and keeping it clean for generations to come, what would it be?
I would say think about how much the ocean has given to us. Beyond being the most enjoyable playground imaginable and beautiful to look at, we depend on the ocean for the survival of our species.
And, if you could give people one tip or piece of advice on how they can help protect the ocean and keep it clean for generations to come, what would it be?
Simply, be a conscious and responsible consumer.
Patriotic question: have you ever surfed in Canada?! If so, when, where and what did you think?
I have not yet surfed in Canada, although I would love to! I made many surfboards for folks in the Tofino area and would love to visit some time.
Personal question: what does your natural beauty routine look like?
My natural beauty routine is just to love myself. I eat healthy food, exercise, try to keep up with my almost-four-year-old, laugh a lot and keep up with my almost-four-year-old, laugh a lot and keep my lips happy with my Organic eos Marine Collection lip balms, of course!
share:
Be the first to comment