Oakley Pro 2011
April 1- 14, 2011
Canggu Beach, Bali – Indonesia
Leaving nothing but footprints…
With the assistance of the R.O.L.E. Foundation, Oakley is taking the first step towards improving the water environment of Canggu during the Oakley Pro 2011, Stop 1 of the 2011 Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championships and the new Asian Surfing Championship Tour.
Supporting the efforts of the Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championships to reduce the amount of waste produced by events on the tour, Oakley will be implementing a number of initiatives at the Oakley Pro 2011, based on the simple premise of Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.
This year’s event will see a significant reduction in the amount of non-organic waste through a movement away from items consumed in single-serve packaging and a reduction in the use of plastics.
Oakley will also be progressing beyond the daily beach clean ups that have been undertaken at past events with the implementation of formalized separation and the recycling of all possible waste materials coordinated by the R.O.L.E. Foundation and Eco Bali. The aim is to minimize the amount of refuse that finds its way to Bali’s landfills.
Beyond these short-term measures to clean the beach and handle the waste, during the contest period Oakley will be working with the R.O.L.E. Foundation to complete a number of pilot studies and initiatives with the goal of the implementation of a long term program to improve the health of the waterways leading to the surf break.
“You only need to spend a short time in Bali to understand that the majority of the waste and pollution that ends up on our beaches comes from the rivers,” stated Mike O’Leary, Founder and CEO of the R.O.L.E. Foundation when asked about the activities his team will undertake during the Oakley Pro 2011.
Mike continued, “Focusing solely on beach cleaning will not deal with the root cause; which is the pollution and poor health of the waterways leading to the ocean. The aim of this week is two-fold. The first is to raise awareness of the plight of key surfing areas such as Canggu, and the second is to get a better understanding of the problems faced in this area so with the support of Oakley we can put together a more formal plan to get long term improvements underway.”
Activities that will be undertaken during the Oakley Pro 2011 include:
· River mapping of the major tributaries leading to Canggu
· Canggu River waste accumulation and source research
· Investigation will be done by walking and wading up stream at least 5 kilometers to identify the type of waste, where it accumulates, and if possible it’s source.
· Netting of the Canggu River
· A net will be placed across the river to see how much solid waste is caught over the event period to get a rough estimate of how much waste is emptying out into the ocean from the river.
· Water Testing
· The water will be tested at three points up the Canggu River.
All results will be given to the local government agencies.
“We are really excited to work with a local organization such as the R.O.L.E. Foundation to see how we can make a long term difference to the waterways in Bali,” stated Gino Andreas, Oakley Sports Marketing Manager. “Let’s be honest…we have a real vested interest in helping to preserve and improve the water environment in Bali. A big part of our business depends on tourism, and crappy beaches equals no tourists, simple as that”.
“More importantly, this is our home. We take pride in Bali, so it is time to start acting – none of us can sit around and wait for someone else to do the heavy lifting, otherwise there will be nothing left for our kids,” he added
The Oakley Pro 2011 is a 6-Star Indonesian Surfing Championship event that will be held at Canggu Beach starting on the 1st of April with a 14-day waiting period, allowing the surfers to compete in only the best waves. A total prize purse of nearly Rp 60 million with Rp 15 million going to the winner of the Open Division, along with valuable championship points, will ensure the level of competition as well as the excitement factor will be going off the scale.
About R.O.L.E. Foundation
R.O.L.E.’s role…To educate, re-skill and create eco-friendly job and business opportunities for the poor and disadvantaged, enabling them to make a comfortable income without destroying the environment, taking the pressure off natural resources, while reviving the health of the environment through awareness and assistance.
For more information or to make donations, please visit: www.rolefoundation.org
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