Riding the wave of environmental concern, an Encinitas woman is planning to open a new surf school that she says will be friendly to the ocean and eye-opening for surfers. Torrey Trust, the woman behind the new school, Surf eCo., says she’ll use environmentally sensitive materials and approaches throughout her surf classes. For instance, students will use surfboards made from a special soybean-based foam instead of fiberglass and the wax used on the boards will be organic instead of being made from petroleum. Trust even takes it to a whole new level by using towels made from bamboo (sounds soft, huh?), and sunscreen that contains minerals and organic ingredients instead of synthetic chemicals.

The inspiration for this eco-friendly surf school came after Trust visited Costa Rica and discovered much of the rain forest she had seen on a previous trip had been destroyed by illegal logging. And since making a living from these classes and lessons isn’t her motivation or concern, for every participant that signs up she will even be purchasing one-half acre of rainforest through the Nature Conservancy Rainforest Program with a goal of protecting 1000 acres of forest by the year 2010.

I may be wrong, but I don’t think the simple fact that they are going ‘green’ will by itself get people signed up for classes and lessons. I did, however, notice that their prices are fairly affordable when compared to those of other surf schools in the area and with the school shooting to keep class sizes smaller, it may be a solid opportunity for those wanting to learn to surf a chance to do so while hooking up our one sweet world in the process.

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Posted by Cameron on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 in Surfing.

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