SAS Quiksilver Eco Grom Tour 2005 Croyde

		Update 2006 - new extended video now online with missing bits of Gary Elkerton and some more animations. Thanks to Sally Rogers for editing this one up in her spare time. Surfers Against Sewage were down at Croyde beach on the last bank holiday in May 2005, with the Quiksilver tour bus, as part of their beach guardian and Eco awareness education programme aimed at kids 9-14. SAS asked us to film the event for use on the web and as DVD extra features. We filmed the event in Croyde with collaboration from Matt Biggs of Artaura and got some great footage of the kids learning the environmental message from Andy Cummins of SAS and the surf tag contest with Quiksilver Pros Gary Elkerton, Nathan Phillips and Sarah Bently. We have recently (30th June 2005) posted out model release forms to all those who completed the SAS entry forms - but some kids are missing! If you or your kids were at the event and want to be in the short film then please download the model release form (pdf) , sign it and post it back to us ASAP. Thanks. We have loaded up a short movie which we made to play out at the Goldcoast Oceanfest in June 2005. We are currently working on a longer version - this will be available once we get all of the model release forms back from the Groms. Contact us if you want to get hold of a copy of the DVD.

Article from North Devon Journal 09 June 2005 reproduced by permission

High-profile surfing stars were in Croyde recently, bringing an important environmental message and some hot surfing tips for young people. Croyde was one of five stops nationwide for the Surfers Against Sewage Eco Groms Tour, an event sponsored by Quiksilver.

It aimed to give 'surf grommets' (young surfers, to the non-surfing community) the chance to learn how to protect their local beaches from pollution, and the opportunity to meet and surf with some of the best surfers in the world.

World Surfing Masters champion for three years running, Australian Gary Elkerton, worked with the youngsters, who were all between the ages of 10 and 14.

A beach clean led by the champion and two other Quiksilver pro surfers, Nathan Phillips and Sarah Bentley, brought shocking results, as seven large bags were filled in 15 minutes, with their contents including live ammunition and an electric hotplate, according to Mark Brindle, a Croyde-based film-maker who documented the event.

Gary said: "We had a great day here at Croyde - great turnout, the kids here were so enthusiastic... It made them aware about plastics and cigarette butts and the pipes, the overflow, storm drain pipes coming out both ends (of the beach.)"

Around 25 children and their families took part, with each child receiving an Eco Grom Certificate.

Andy Cummins, SAS campaigns assistant, talked to all the children on the beach. He said: "We did the litter analysis and told them about SAS, what we do and why, and then all the pros came on board, came down for the day and showed the kids how to rip??? The groms got to surf with the pros, got a bit of advice. They were all going 'how do you do an air? How do you do an air 360? What's it like beating Kelly Slater?' They asked them to sign this, that and the other... I think they all had a great day."

"It's really good for SAS to get out and to meet the kids, and if we can get to them at this age and we can explain to them the dangers that face their marine environment, and how long these dangers will go on for, then it's quite clear to them that they need to help out - and that's what the beach guardian and the SAS Quiksilver Eco Tour is all about."

Now in its sixth year, Andy said: "The tour is always so much fun. As well being a unique educational experience, it gives the groms a chance to learn how to protect what is most important to them - their beaches and their waves."

"It's great that SAS delivers vital environmental education needed to protect our oceans for future generations."