Tuesday 16 May 2023

Surfing champ calls for sport to become more sustainable

Seven-time surfing champion Lucy Campbell has said the sport needs to become greener and stop producing high waste and emissions.

The British women’s champion has said that the key change needs to be in the manufacturing of surfboards and wetsuits for riders – which are commonly made from petrochemicals.

Explaining her decision to only work with sustainable companies within surfing, she said: “It's often hard to turn down a big pay check, if they're a brand that isn't sustainable but it's definitely more worthwhile in the long run.

“I think that they need to take the onus and make that difference. It may come at a higher price but I think eventually that price will come down as technology advances.”

Set to compete in Olympic qualifying later this May in El Salvador, Ms Campbell has said she will offset the carbon impact of the travel involved.

A study by the University of California, Berkeley estimated that the average surfboard from start to finish has a carbon footprint of 250kg – and that more than 8,000 tonnes of wetsuits are sent to landfill each year.

The wetsuits are commonly made with neoprene, a rubbery plastic material.