Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has been selected as the official UK environmental partner for International Surfing Day (ISD) 2011.

On Sunday, June 19, thousands of people will celebrate International Surfing Day all around the world. As part of this celebration of surfing, waves, oceans and beaches, SAS will be hosting various activities at the Goldcoast Oceanfest Surf & Music Festival in North Devon, and via its network of Regional Reps right across the UK.

SAS Reps & youth volunteers will be on site for the duration of Goldcoast Oceanfest Festival from 17th – 19th June, distributing campaign literature, membership information, Butt Bins, mini campaign action stickers and organising events to tackle marine litter.

We’ll be encouraging everyone to collect a few pieces of rubbish from around them to keep the beach free of unwanted marine litter.

Trash Mob beach clean

1pm-3pm — Saturday 18th June — SAS will be staging a Motivocean Trash Mob, a mass-participation beach clean event to demonstrate how much a lot of people can achieve in a little time. We’ll be encouraging all festival-goers, surfers and beach lovers to spend a few minutes during this time to help collect a few pieces of rubbish from around them or as they have a wonder, doing their bit to keep the beach free of unwanted marine litter and aid the recycling targets of the festival.

Participants can collect gloves and bin bags from the SAS stand and bring rubbish items back for disposal or recycling. Easily recycled items (plastic bottles, glass bottles, cans, newspapers) should be given back separately.

Rewards will be available to participants returning litter during this period. The most successful beach cleaner, as judged by SAS Reps, will receive a special prize courtesy of SAS! And we’ll have a limited number of surf lesson vouchers available for youth volunteers (16 – 25 years old) taking part in the Trash Mob.

To date SAS has attracted almost 2000 youth volunteers to Motivocean events all generously volunteering a few hours of their time to help make a positive difference to beautiful beaches, rivers and waterways around the UK. As a result, SAS has already removed hundreds of bags marine litter – totalling many tonnes of unsightly and dangerous waste – from our beautiful and unique coastline.

Motivocean campaign action stickers, Butt Bins & Regional Reps booklets

SAS’s Motivocean ‘Think Before You Flush‘ mini-campaign action stickers and ‘No Butts on the Beach‘ cigarette tins will be distributed over the weekend so people can take away activities that will help reduce the volume litter ending up in the sea and on our coastline. Please visit SAS in the trade village to pick these items up and renew your SAS membership. SAS Reps will also be distributing Regional Reps booklets detailing SAS activists nationwide.

SAS Reps will be giving out Butt Bins to festival-goers from 6pm – 7pm on Saturday evening around the music stage and. SAS Butt Bins will help people keep cigarette butts off the beach and festival site.

SAS will also be encouraging its members to organize their own events to celebrate surfing and the protection of our coastal environment. So why not take to your local beach to celebrate on 19th June? Get in touch with the SAS Regional Rep near you to let them know what you’re planning!

International Surfing Day 2011

Organised by EuroSIMA (European Boardsports Industry Manufacturers Association) in partnership with Surfers Against Sewage, The Surfrider Foundation Europe and the ESF (European Surfing Federation) the event aims to engage the whole surfing community across the globe.