Wave of Environmental Awareness

They needed over 100 standing for a full five seconds on the same wave.

Surfers in three other locations on the planet last weekend were also poised to catch the wave that would bring them the world record for the most people riding a single swell simultaneously. It was the fifth of seven tries for the surfers advancing on the shores of Muizenberg, Cape Town that escorted 103 of them into the Guinness Book of World Records.

The swells for the third Global Earthwave competition were small, 0.5 to one metre but the crowds showed up in droves for the cause. A total of 443 surfers of all ages and abilities registered to bring the record back to Cape Town after Brazil won with 100 surfers in 2008.

Similar events were held the same day in Brazil, Argentina and Tahiti. The annual event is part of a larger festival aimed at promoting awareness of climate change and sustainable lifestyles by harnessing the huge interest in local surfing communities. 

Earthwave’s local organizer, Paul Botha, told the South African news service, IOL that the secret to success is to keep the the surfers from clumping together. “They need to stay in a line, spread out along the beach, so that when they turn and paddle, they don’t paddle into each other.”

The event was reportedly well organized and a great victory for environmental activism.

Photo courtesy of originalpete via Flickr.