Text by Chris Hines








The Eden-inspired Eco Board is being taken to California to spur the surfing world towards a greener future.



Eden's Sustainability Director Chris Hines will present the board at
the commissioning of UK-based surfboard blank manufacturer Homeblown's
new factory in San Diego.



The Eco Board started life after a giant balsa tree fell to earth in Eden's Humid Tropics Biome. www.edenproject.com



Chris Hines and colleague Pat Hudson worked with Cornwall-based
companies to make a "blank" - a surfboard core - from the timber and
more environmentally friendly materials than those used in conventional
board protection.



The result is a collaboration between Eden and Homeblown and two
other companies, Sustainable Composites and Hillzee Surfboards, all of
which are based in Cornwall.



The latest prototype is made of a 40% plant-based blank, laminated
in hemp cloth and a bio-resin. Eden hopes that the new greener
technology will win over the Californian surfing industry recently
shaken by the closure of Clark Foam.



This giant comapny manufactured 65% of the world's surfboard blanks
but went out of business following stringent new environmental
regulations.



Chris Hines said, "Showing a prototype surfboard to the Californians
may seem like taking coals to Newcastle but we believe that the new
version of the Eco Board represents a hugely exciting leap forward for
the industry and sport."



"For manufacturers and surfers to be won over by them, Eco Boards
must be as good, if not better, in terms of performance, and cost
competitive. Ultimately we believe all surfboards will be made from
sustaible materials sourced from the indigenous plant base."



Chris Hines, whof ounded the pressure group Surfers Against Sewage
and was recently awarded the Surfer's Path Green Wave Award, is to
present the latest prototype to a senior member of thee US surfing
community. Glenn Hening of the USA and founder of Surfrider Foundation
and the Groundswell Society was joint recipient of the Green Wave Award.



Chris added: "The Eco Board project is a natural fit with Eden's core values of plants, people and sustainable futures."



Homeblown Managing Director Tris Cokes said, "I've been making
boards for 40 years and in that time surfing has become a huge global
industry with global environmental and social impacts.



"When Clark Foam announced their shut down in December last year, we
immediately saw the opportunity and this opening is a great landmark.
We are pleased that the chemistry and processes used in Homeblown
production comply with the US Environmental Protection Agency's tough
regulations. Our unique delivery system also means highly efficient use
of materials and energy and reduced waste streams."



THe San Diego factory will be Homeblown's third, following their
Redruth, Cornwall outlet and one in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa.



Tris said, "We believe it is vitally important to reduce 'surfboard miles' by manufacturing close to the market.



"By following this policy we reduce the carbon footprint and global
warming impact of the sport. It is a form of madness to transport
surfboard blanks halfway round the world. Big volume and low weight
being transported long distances equals a big negative environmental
footprint."



On the importance of the green prototype, Tris is clear: "The Eco
Board is the real future. This is one in a series of prototypes, but we
are moving rapidly and hope to progress the foam and get to market in
the near future.



"We will continue working with Eden and our other partners in
pursuit of the ultimate goal, a 100% natural surfboard that can be used
by everyone."



The party from Cornwall, UK are protecting the planet by offsetting
the carbon generated by their flights through climatecare.org.



For further information, please contact:




David Rowe - drowe@edenproject.com - +44 (0) 1726 811 901


Chris Hines - chines@edenproject.com - +44 (0) 1726 818 735, +44 (0) 7850 561 171


Tris Cokes - tris@homeblown.co.uk - +44 (0) 1209 314 446




Homeblown USA - info@homeblownus.com - +1 587 2163





Notes to Editors:




  • Eden Project Limited is owned by Eden Trust, which is a fully registered UK Charity (No. 1093070).


  • Eden is home to the two biggest greenhouses in the world - the Humid Tropics Biome and Warm Temperature Biome.


  • Around 1.2 million visitors come to Eden per year and it has generated 700 million for the local economy.


  • So far capital funding of
    135 million to develop Eden has been raised from a combination of 58
    million from the Millennium Commission Lottery Fund, 50 million in
    regional grants from the South West Regional Development Agency and
    Objective One European Regional Development Fund, and 27 million in
    the form of loans, lease finance and Eden's own revenue generation.