Nomads Helps Make the Caraïbos Lacanau Pro a Greener Event

Based in nearby Bordeaux, Nomads is a recent company founded by three friends, whose surfing passion and travel experience compelled to try to bring to life a greener lifestyle for surfers.

"We were really shocked by the impact of pollution and plastic pollution in particular traveling through Southeast Asia where two of us were based for work," Nicolas Thyebaut, co-founder stated. "As surfers we're obviously part of the problem and that's how the idea came up to try to create products that are more responsible for our community that lives and enjoys our oceans."

Roughly 18 months in, Nomads' products are collaborations with other eco-minded brands that push for cleaner alternatives to traditional surfboard, surf accessories and surf clothing items.

Nomads - WSL / Laurent Masurel

Their flagship products include fins produced with Marlin fins (Portugal), entirely made of recycled plastics, or how automobile-industry waste is recycled, enriched with fiber and turned into plastic fins suited for most surfers.

"We have single fins, tri-fin sets, FCS and Future bases etc," he continued. "We don't all need super high-performance carbon fins and these designs work really well for surfers of all level."

They also make traction pads entirely made of cork.

"Our cork-pads are made entirely by hand, our friend at ecoPro produces one pad per day out of his garage in a very sensible way and that's exactly the way we like our products to be made. Cork is a great material to work with, it's regenerated very quickly and available in quantity in Portugal where they're based."

"For boards, our thinking is that 100% eco boards barely exist and when they do they're not really affordable for everyday surfers," he added. "Our boards are labeled ‘Ecoboard', using EPS blanks recycled at 25%, with no stringer and the traditional fiber is replaced by a flax and basalt fiber, laminated with an epoxy resin which is 40% vegetal based."

Nomads - WSL / Laurent Masurel

They also give away 5% of their profits to environmental NGOs, and help those who work towards cleaner oceans. The official eco partner of the Caraïbos Lacanau Pro this year, Nomads involvement included the ban of all single-use plastics on the event village, recycling options throughout the site and cigarette-buts collecting stations to keep the beach and promenade pristine during the busy month of August in Lacanau. Water-refill stations spread around the site are also here to encourage the public to carry reusable bottles and stay away from plastic.

They also organized beach cleaning sessions with their partner ‘Project Rescue Ocean' where they collect waste and educate the public about alternative products.

"We also collect broken surfboards, delaminate them and break down the foam before sending the final product to Recup'R, a social and job integration workshop based in Bordeaux as well, the final product comes out as bean bags."

Check out all of Nomads products and initiatives at nomads-surfing.com or come meet Nicolas and his co-founders on site at the Caraïbos Lacanau Pro this week! They're also showing a documentary tonight on site at 7 p.m about a trip to the Philippines with another partner who works to regenerate parts of coral reefs in the ocean.

Competition in Lacanau will resume Thursday with a 7:15 a.m call for both men and women QS events.

Tune in from August 13-18, 2019 and check out all the photos, videos and updates right here!