ISD 2011
Back in 2005, the very first International Surfing Day consisted of 16 events in the United States and one event in Venezuela. Seven years later, International Surfing Day has grown into a worldwide event, boasting over 200 different event locations around the globe.
We caught up with Matt McClain, Director of Marketing for the Surfrider Foundation and one of the founders of International Surfing Day, to get his perspective on the state of surfing, and the future of ISD.
International Surfing Day is now celebrated in over 26 countries worldwide. Did you think it was going to be this big when you started?
Actually I did. I remember talking with Ross (Garrett, then-Publisher of Surfing Magazine) and both of us saying that we wanted ISD to be like Earth Day for the surf community. So no, I’m not terribly surprised by much it has grown – only how fast it has taken us to get here. I would have thought that it would have taken more time to get to where we are now.
Anything surprise you along the way?
I’ve been really surprised by the diversity of locations in which celebration events have taken place. I totally expected there to be buy in from places like Costa Rica, Australia, Brazil and France. Those are all surf destinations. What I didn’t expect to see were people organizing events in places like Iceland, Ghana, Korea and Utah. It’s so awesome to see the level of stoke that comes out of some of these off-the-beaten-track locations. To me that is what International Surfing Day is all about.
Where do you see ISD ten years from now?
I would love to see International Surfing Day recognized by the U.N. someday. I know it’s a longshot, but the message and the vibe of ISD is so what the world needs right now. In the meantime, we just want to focus on bringing more and more people into the fold, organizing events, and of course celebrating the sport of surfing!
What can we expect from this year’s celebration events?
Oh man, they are all over the place. On the environmental side, a lot of our Surfrider Foundation chapters are organizaing beach clean-ups, which is awesome. A few of them are doing habitat restorations as well. On the surf side, some locations are hosting paddle out events. Others are hosting surf movie nights. I believe our Texas chapter is hosting a grom surf clinic., which is really rad.
Can anyone host an ISD event?
Absolutely! Grassroots all the way… If people want to organize an ISD event in their community they should absolutely go for it. If they want to have it listed on our site all they have to do is email Kyle, our ISD Coordinator, at klishok@surfrider.org. We also have some links to some downloadable ISD posters and other promotional assets on the site as well.
Is there anything new in store for this year?
This year we are excited to be working with Barefoot Wine, who will be canvassing the globe on International Surfing Day to collect footage for their “One Beach” film project. The film tells the story of five individuals who are working to address issues such as plastic debris and macro-waste through art and activism. In turn, these stories are set within the larger story of International Surfing Day, which is pretty neat. We’re working with Jason Baffa, who directed two of my favorite surf films, Single Fin Yellow and One California Day, so I’m super stoked to see how it turns out!
What are your plans for International Surfing Day?
Since we have so many Surfrider chapters and surf companies here in Southern California, there are a lot of events to choose from. I try and hit as many as I can – usually around four or five. I will probably be up early – say 3:00 or 3:30 am – to do the morning shows up in Los Angeles. From there I just slowly make my way down the coast, hitting different events along the way. Obviously I need to fit a surf in there as well!
I’m excited to take part in my first ISD. See you at the beach!
Hello from Alaska! We’re celebrating the 3rd Annual Harborside Pizza Surfing trip on International Surfing Day!!! We’re going remote, at Hook Point Cabin, on Hinchinbrook Island, near Cordova, Alaska where we make the best pizza in Alaska…(check yelp review) We’ve had some great waves in the past and look forward to a great experience this year, with a beach clean up as part of our adventure. 100% grassroots, all the way. We’ll take lots of photos and encourage anyone with the means to get to Cordova, Alaska to participate. The more people we have the cheaper it gets for the bushplane to land us on the remote location!! The local paper and KCHU radio are doing a little story on our plans for celebrating International Surfing Day, which is exciting for us. thanks for starting this great event worldwide! Alaska has an awesome surfing community, and I was at Child’s Glacier when Garret and crew were out ther filming the tow in sesh at the calving glacier…amazing.