As a surf school, we’re all about immersing ourselves in the ocean. Our connection to the Natural World is a strong one. We love our waves and know how they nurture and sustain us. When you love something with that passion, you really want to protect it. That’s why, when we heard Wavelength Media were organising a Blue Earth Summit, we knew we had to go. Defining the Business Of Life The Blue Earth Summit was the brainchild of Wavelength Media founders Will Hayler, Dan Hayler and Linley Lewis. During lockdown they realised that never before in the history of man/womankind, had the health of humans and the planet been so high on the global agenda. Thinking of ways they could make a positive difference, they came up with the idea of creating an immersive, environmental event. Blue Earth Summit was born. The collective focus of the summit would be around finding ways humanity could thrive whilst reducing it’s impact on the environment. Core themes would be:- Living and working sustainably Protecting our playgrounds Inspiring a healthier outlook for life. The team sprung into action cognisant that this was their opportunity to create a unique platform for global change. The Inaugural Blue Earth Summit, October 2021 Day one of the summit was held at the Marble Factory in Bristol, a City acclaimed for it’s green initiatives. An eclectic mix of businesses, outdoor adventurers, environmental mavericks, creatives and sustainable living experts, were drawn together to define positive action for the future world. Every room became a hive of “Little Blue Planet” activity. Sir Tim Smit The first speaker at the event certainly set the tone. Sir Tim Smit is the founder of the Eden Project, Cornwall and considered a environmental juggernaut. He spoke about the wisdom of the indigenous peoples he’s working with and the huge environmental difficulties they face. In a mighty tangent, Tim then regaled us with a robust diatribe about faux-environmentalism and the low bar being set by politicians and brands. Having finished his self-professed rant, Tim extolled the virtues of the visionary engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Where would we have been, he pontificated, had Brunel listened to his detractors who claimed Clifton Suspension Bridge was an impossible feat. As Tim reminded us, we must replace our negativity with a ‘can do’ attitude. Because, anything is possible. Blue Earth Summit Highlights There were many other high spots to the summit experience. These included talks by:- Hugo Tagholm of Surfers Against Sewage on Ocean Activism Breitling Explorer and Squad Member, Bertrand Piccard on Pioneering For Inventing The Future City To Sea’s Jo Morley talk on Plastic Pirates: A Voyage Of Exploration Around the UK For us it was particularly great to see local Croyde faces amongst the speakers. These included founder of Surfers Not Street Children, Tom Hewitt MBE. Tom comments, “I really enjoyed being on a panel with such a fascinating crew of ocean/surf related people doing awesome things. I’m a great believer in the global surf community having the power to do so much for people and planet.” Our very own Laura Crane. Former Pro Surfer and Love Island contestant Laura, will be holding her STRYVE Wellbeing yoga and surf retreats here with us again in 2022. Oh and lest we forget, Croyde’s big wave rider Andrew Cotton was also present, holding centre place at the film festival Q&A. Day 2 – Fun At The Wave The second day of the event was based at The Wave, Bristol where Nick Hounsfield’s team did a fantastic job of hosting. The day was centred around networking and a plethora of activities. This included a 7k trail run and an early morning swim, cycle and litter pick. Of course, lots and perfect waves were also in evidence. Showing us how were the Breathing Surf Showcase crew of Andrew Cotton, Lucy Campbell, Peony Knight and Emily Currie to name but a few. Blue Earth Summit 2022 – Forging A Closer Connection To The Natural World. Such was the success of last year’s event, in 2022 the Blue Earth Summit will be returning bigger and better. Two days of environmental dynamism will now be centred at the Marble Factory with the final day back at The Wave. If you’d like to know more, tickets and info are available now on the Blue Earth Summit website. The Spring Classic, Woolacombe 27-30 May Can’t wait till October? If you want a good eco event closer to home don’t forget Wavelength’s Spring Classic. Ok, so it’s a slightly different flavour but it’s looking interesting. Surf, skate, food, music, stalls, entertainment … and all on our doorstep. What’s not to love?