Duotone #cleanbeachday

Our international team of riders has been doing beach cleans for years, getting together with friends, fellow kiteboarders and locals in destinations worldwide, making a tangible difference to the spot. Acknowledging the power of our platform, rider network and influential personalities, we decided to make something official.

Duotone Kiteboarding Clean Beach Day Aaron

On May 1st 2019, there was a unity of the global Duotone community in aid of #cleanbeachday. It was the first ever official event of this nature for us and it kickstarted an initiative that we hope will continue for years to come. The response was incredibly positive and a rewarding experience, igniting community spirit and providing an educational experience for all, including the next generation.

Check out the feedback across the globe from our international team riders.

Duotone Kiteboarding Clean Beach Day Long Beach California

California, USA

Colleen Carroll

“Our beach clean took place at Off The Hook Kiteboarding located in Belmont Shores of Long Beach California. We had a modest showing of seven local kiters, but that didn't stop us from collecting several containers full of trash. Of the items picked up we found shoes, large plastic bins, two coolers, and tons of single use plastic. Unfortunately our beach has never been known for its cleanliness, but after our efforts we would like to change this stigma. Starting on Saturday May 18^th, Off The Hook will run a beach clean on the second Saturday of every month this season. We believe this once a month effort will create a daily habit of cleaning amongst all of those who participate. Let's keep our oceans and beaches clean, so we can enjoy them for years to come!”

UK

Tom Court

“I hit the road and joined Duotone UK for a few days, connecting with the national community and numerous kiteboarding hubs across the country as they took action in supporting the international #cleanbeachday. Through the power of sport and community spirit we can make a difference. “

Tarifa, Spain

Jerome Cloetens

“There was 45knts of Levante wind on the day of the beach clean so the official gathering at the ION club was cancelled. Everyone was so eager to do it and got together later on in the afternoon at the town beach, Balneario. Tarifa has a huge kiteboarding community and it was great to have local legend Jaime Herraiz along with Aaron Hadlow and Lewis Crathern all there doing their bit.”

Le Jais, France

Val Garat

“The day started with the local kiteboarding community hitting the beach. It wasn’t long before passersby stopped to ask what we were doing, saying it was pretty cool and then joining in. It was actually really sad to see how much trash we picked up. It was mainly plastic bags, straws and beer bottles. This experience really highlighted how much plastic we throw away after one use. The best thing was all of the kids who joined us on the day. They were really into it and if we can do more of these kinds of events, then hopefully we can help educated them of the impact plastic waste has on our planet.”

Duotone Kiteboarding Clean Beach Day Le Jais France

Union Island, Grenadines

Jeremie Tronet

“We hosted the beach clean at the JT Pro Centre on Union Island. As the island is very quiet at the moment we were a small group but we collected around 7 bags of rubbish and some big items. We try to clean our beach every day, this is important to us, so what we found was no surprise. The main thing is plastics; bags, bottles, straws. We are always motivated to clean our local beach, so we went to the surrounding areas. When people saw us doing this, we were able to talk with the locals about the plastic problem. They thought it was great and now it’s in their minds, we are going to keep the message strong and be active together. We already try and set an example and work every month with local communities and organisations, this matters to us.”

Mar Menor, Spain

Claudia Leon

“I have realized that there's more trash on the beaches than I expected and most of the people don't care about the damage we are doing to the earth. We collected around 40kg of waste in 2 hours. It was mostly plastic bags and so much broken glass. Thanks to Duotone’s global platform we can share our efforts and help to raise awareness.”

Craig Cunningham:

"The #cleanbeachday coincided with the dealer meeting and there were lots of families with kids around too. This was really nice to see. The majority of waste we collected was just your standard plastics. Plastic water bottles, yogurt pots, bags etc. The Italian community really seemed to care about the spot and we had a really good turn out with good vibes all around. After this positive experience, I hope there will be more beach cleans in the future. Us riders at Duotone have been doing beach cleans unofficially for many years and we will continue to do so. Thanks to everyone involved and thanks to Duotone for supporting this."

URLA Surf House, Turkey

Julia Castro

“I wasn’t at an ‘official’ destination. I was shooting with Stance in Turkey and wanted to organize something there. Plans changed and half the team had to shoot. The rest of us just went for it. Surprisingly, a girl from the hostel saw us and joined in. Later on some locals and a family who were having a picnic joined us, it was awesome. Things like this can be spontaneous! The main culprits were fishing tools like nets and ropes, bottles of all kinds and a lot of micro plastics. I try to collect a bit of trash every time I go to the beach and if I go with friends or family I ask them to help me. The international Duotone #cleanbeachday was different, people saw us doing it so they joined us which highlights that we are all responsible to set an example, especially for the next generation.”

Western Australia

Gabi Steindl

“I wish I could have been part of such an epic initiative by joining an official spot on May 1st. It was incredible to see that positive response. I’m the ultimate garbage hunter. I stop my car when I see something along the road, on the beach... always. It's all about tiny, baby steps, but if we all did it, the world would be a much, much better and cleaner place with a brighter future.”