Environmental Responsibility

The Clean Green Sport of Surfing is Powered by the Natural Energy of Waves. We are honoured to be allowed to conduct the Kirra Longboard Klassic in an area recognised as being part of the World Listed Surfing Reserve, an area protected from development, that is preserved so that future generations may enjoy tomorrow what we cherish today, in an area recognised as being part of the World Listed Surfing Reserve. We believe that this environment is precious. We know the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling and we are prepared to step forward and take responsibility for our actions. To this end, we have taken the following steps to make the Kirra Longboard Klassic as sustainable as we can, protecting the beautiful Gold Coast surroundings so that we can all enjoy.

Provision Of Recycling Bins: Every year, we organise the provision of both waste and recycling bins, emptied daily throughout the event. We have a dedicated environmental officer involved in the setup and cleanup of the event site each day. We regularly encourage all attendees to be aware of their own trash, as well as that of the less considerate visitors to the venue asking that they leave behind only their footprints.

Efforts to Reduce Environmental Damage: We plan our event with significant consideration to the location, minimising the risk of natural areas, such as lawn and grassed areas, the shoreline, and the wooded areas. We arrange infrastructure to enhance this, diverting foot traffic to prevent these places from becoming damaged or used as thoroughfares. These measures drastically reduce the need for regeneration or rehabilitation after the event.

Promotion of Healthy Eating & Lifestyle: We believe surfing is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle for the whole family, and one that enhances environmental awareness. The Kirra Longboard Klassic encourages our visitors and competitors to get involved with daily yoga workshops, beach clean-ups and various activities that address personal health and wellbeing including programs for cleaner, more sustainable lifestyle fin regards to mental health issues, healthy cooking options and for awareness of too much exposure to the sun.

Sustainable Marketing: With such a huge amount of marketing and information to convey, the Kirra Longboard Klassic has gone to significant lengths to reduce the amount of paper used. Double-sided flyers, programs printed to be kept as souvenirs, and the use of electronic marketing and communication wherever possible. Encouraging Ethical PracticeWe work closely with our suppliers and sponsors in every aspect of the Australian Longboard Surfing Open's creation and development, always searching for new ways to increase sustainability and reduce environmental impact. We also encourage sponsors to take a more ecological approach, reducing the usage of single-use waste and utilising products that promote reuse or natural, less chemical-based options, such as sunscreens and reusable wax containers.
Minimising Power: There is a necessity for electricity consumption to allow the event to function efficiently and professionally. Sound systems, computers, monitors, digital scoreboards and timers are all essential for the judging alone, and our evening entertainment is also dependent on electricity. But in every area of the events infrastructure, we endeavour to be as efficient and limited on electricity consumption as possible, opting for reduced lighting ensuring that power is used only when absolutely necessary.

Summary: We know we’re not perfect, but we are always striving for better ways to improve and reduce our environmental footprint. Partnering with ecological causes and brands, looking for ways to minimise waste – such as limiting single-use products and utilising biodegradable packaging – and increasing the public awareness are just the beginning.
If you or our business would like to join the Kirra Longboard Klassic as an Ecological Partner, or if you have any good ideas of ways to create a more sustainable festival, please contact us.
It is the responsibility of us all to protect the environment. As they say "Don’t destroy what we come to enjoy"