Fantastic response as surf culture fights plastic scourge

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Last year, the World Surf League made inroads into running events with a minimal carbon footprint, and no single-use plastics.

At the Corona JBay Open last year, bottled water was available only in glass, while those horrible items that end up in the sea (and invariably in the tummy of a sea creature), such as straws and plastic forks, were absent.

This weekend, up in Lamberts Bay, even the GB Surf SA Longboard Championships have made major inroads.

Thanks to a partnership between NGO Ocean’s Pledge and eco retailer Faithful to Nature, there will be no plastic straws, coffee cup lids, bottles or cutlery, among other things, like polystyrene

With epiphany comes innovation. Remember in 2013 when Dutch student Boyan Slat, then 19, proposed the 65-mile floating array to clean up the Garbage Patch?

It was revolutionary, but an isolated drop in the innovation ocean.

Now we are getting all sorts of designs as development money passes hands, and a vigorously competitive environment develops to rid the world of plastic.

Now there are plastic harvesting vessels or “trash skimmers”, such as theoceancleaner. org.

As one of the first adopters, Slat has also improved the array, due for rollout in mid-2018.

Check out www. theoceancleanup.com – not bad for an old ballie ... now all of 22.

Of course, much of the change comes from a shift in mindset – to stop the scourge at its source, either by replacing plastic with bio-degradable material or committing to circular economies around waste.

There is hope, but we all need to chip in.

Most Cape Town surfers will know Paris Basson, who charges in waves of consequence. Many don’t know that he also charges those giant static waves we call mountains.

Paris is lying 8th at the Old Mutual joberg2c with partner Nico Pfitzenmaier, and first in the Veteran Men’s, after seven days of racing, and two to go.

Paris, 42, partnered with veteran cyclist Nic Lamond, 40, in the ABSA Cape Epic where they finished fifth in the Masters after three third-place podiums over the eight days. It was a brave effort, at times fuelled by brute willpower and stamina, with a typically stoic Paris covered in blood, sweat and dust when they finished the race.

The 2018 South African Surf Tour (SAST) got off to a great start last weekend when more than 70 surf- ers enjoyed 4-5’ autumn surf in the Reef Wetsuits Vic Bay Gromcomp presented by Sea Harvest. The next event is the Reef Wetsuits Sea Harvest Nahoon Junior Open presented by Twizza at Nahoon Beach in East London on May 12 to 13. Entries at www. surfingsouthafrica.co.za New swell arrives today – solid 6ft sets in clean SE offshores. Muizenberg looks onshore and a messy 2-3’ .

Tomorrow dawns calm, with clean 4-5’ surf, but light to moderate SW to S later.

Muizenberg looks fun 2’ early, but mild onshore later.

WSL/CHISHOLM BIG WATER ABOVE: Australia’sTyler Hollmer-Cross has been nominated for the WSL Big Wave Awards Tube of the Year for this wave.