Protect Blue - Noli
Svein Rasmussen- Chief Innovator, Starboard
Much of our work over the last 12 months has focused on growing the SUPKids community and helping SUP schools all over the world integrate environmental education into their kids programs. We’ve gained some real insight into how the SUP industry is operating in regards to sustainability. The harsh reality ? As an industry that relies upon nature for its playground, we’re definitely not fulfilling our potential to become leaders in sustainability.
So when the founders of the Green Surf Festival in Noli, Italy asked us to partner with them, we realised that there was an opportunity to switch things up. We had two big goals; bring together key players within the stand up paddle industry to create a space for conversations about sustainability and find a way to deliver an event in a non-traditional format that would actually leave people inspired & ready to make a change.
It has never made sense to us to gather a bunch of ocean loving people and make them sit in a hotel conference room, drink coffee and listen to endless speakers. So we planned something totally different.
No presentations, no slide shows, no hand outs. Instead : SUP adventures, swims, hikes & exploring the beautiful Ligurian Coast. Hanging out with a bunch of like-minded folk, industry leaders & sustainability experts.
We added an extra day on to the Green Surf Festival to kick start Protect Blue, and built the schedule around the main racing events, so that athletes can take part in both events. The Protect Blue experience is based around six core themes :
Connect to nature & explore how we can protect it - Each of our Green Talks is hosted by one of our partners. Think early morning hikes, SUP adventures, beach cleans & slow food dinners.
Learn from each other - The concept of Protect Blue is built around collaboration. Learning from each other. Leaning into our collective experience & strengths.
Walk the talk - We worked alongside Sustainable Surf to ensure the Green Surf Festival was a truly sustainable event. The Deep Blue Event certification means eco contracts for all partners, local, seasonal food, carbon offsets, water stations, zero plastic, green travel initiatives, community engagement & environmental education.
Micro adventures - As part of our Protect Blue ethos, all participants were given a DIY pack for five awesome micro-adventures they could go on whilst hanging out in Noli.
Keep it playful - We know that so often, at these kinds of events, it’s the conversations you have in between talks or over dinner where the magic happens. So at sunset every day, we met for drinks at the beach. A place to regroup & connect. Hosted by SUP Racer, Beers for good.
Protect Blue is partnered with Starboard who are leading the way with their commitment to sustainability. Starboard recently launched their new micro site dedicated to all their eco endeavours. Their team joined us in Noli to share more about the work they are doing as a company to lower their carbon footprint.