SAS/QUIKSILVER ECO GROM TOUR ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Young surfers (groms!) are to be taught key environmental protection messages by some of the World’s best surfers at a week-long SAS/Quiksilver Eco Grom UK road show which starts on Sunday 29th May.

The ECO Grom Tour seeks to ensure surfing groms across the country know the key steps in protecting their beach from pollution. This includes how to spot pollution, organizing beach litter cleans and who to contact if they witness a pollution incident.

Groms will also be given the chance to surf with and against some of the best surfers in the world during a fun tag team surf contest where they team up with some of their surfing heroes.

3 times world masters champion Gary Elkerton will lead a distinguished Quiksilver team that also includes Welsh ripper Nathan Phillips, Senior British Champ Gabe Davies, the UK’s hottest junior surfer Tom Butler and Roxy ripper Sarah Bentley. The Quiksilver team will pass on their knowledge and experience in wave riding to the next generation but their core message of the day will be all about the need to protect their watery playgrounds for the future.

SAS campaigners and the Quiksilver pro surfers will be cruising around the country in style with the new Quiksilver bus. The SAS/Quiksilver Eco Grom Tour will be stopping off at:

St Ives 29th May

Croyde 30th May

Brighton (campaign stop only) 31st May

Jersey 1st June

Llangennith 2nd June

Bundoran (plus Quiksilver grom series) 4th & 5th June

Each day will start with SAS teaching groms (aged 10-14) why their local beaches are so important and how best to protect them. Then a beach clean, with analysis of the litter and its’ potential impacts. Groms will be shown what they can do when a pollution incident occurs and the power they have to bring about change. As with previous SAS tours, this year’s tour will be enjoyable as well as educational. All groms will receive an SAS Eco Grom Certificate and a Quiksilver goodie bag.

The afternoon will see groms divided into teams captained by Quiksilver pros to take part in a fun surf tag team event. Prizes will then be awarded before the team speeds off in the Quiksilver bus to the next beach. The days will start at 8.30am and finish at around 4pm depending on the surf!! If it goes flat then the Quiksilver team will be treating the groms to an insight into their training regime, so fun and education is guaranteed whatever the waves are like.

Andy Cummins, SAS Campaigns Assistant says: “On this tour we have a load of new venues and we are hoping for loads of new groms to become beach guardians. SAS’s message will continue to travel across the UK from the grass roots upwards! Quiksilver are making this possible both with sponsoring SAS and providing some of the best surfers in the world for the tour.”

Nathan Phillips, Quiksilver pro surfer says: “Everyone on the tour is really looking forward to this year’s tour. We have all been on SAS tours in the past and we know how important they are for the groms. Learning about how to protect their waves is something they can draw on for the rest of their surfing lives!”

For further information please contact Andy Cummins or Richard Hardy on 01872 553001 / 07711 767548 or [email protected]