SAN DIEGO — A San Diego surfer is hoping beachgoers will make the switch from foam to wooden boards for the good of the planet.
In this Zevely Zone, I paddled out for a test ride at La Jolla Shores. Anh Pham is the founder of Earth Fan Surf Company which makes eco-friendly wooden boards instead of using foam that's often found littering the beach.
"These are made of Bixby, Arcel, Surlyn, polystyrene, and all kinds of toxic dyes and chemicals," said Ahn. "In my 40-plus years surfing up and down this beautiful California coastline, I have yet to find a single beach that was not touched by our foam plastic pollution."
Ahn is a 50-year-old freshman in college and on the ride of his life. He says going to college for the first time was a rush.
"Kind of like Rodney Dangerfield at first but age doesn't matter, it's all up in your brain," said Ahn. He thanks the Regional Entrepreneurship Center also called the REC Innovation Lab at Miramar College.
"You can walk in there with your idea on a napkin and this incubator will help you build your company," said Ahn. The longtime surfer says without the support, his idea would not have become a business. "No, I wouldn't know where to start. Luckily with the resources like mentors, my teachers, my professor, they are all there to help you structure your business," said Ahn.
Instead of posing a threat to wildlife, Ahn hopes surfers will swim against the tide of pollution. "I actually saw a seagull pick up a piece of styrene fly up into the air and ate it and I couldn't do anything about it, and it broke my heart," said Ahn.
He estimates ancient people have been surfing on wooden boards since the dawn of civilization. "Australia, Hawaii, Japan, India, all over the country for thousands of years...for thousands of years people have been surfing on wood for fun," said Ahn. "Right here in San Diego, the Kumeyaay were fishing, surfing for 20,000 years."
But taking a board from the tree to the sea can often provoke edgy commentary from surfers. "I get some funny remarks like what is that a door? Yeah, how does that float?" said Ahn, who answers those questions in the water. "It feels amazing because I know this is the origin of bodyboarding," said Ahn. "When I am taking a wave, it just makes me feel like I am traveling back in time."
Helping Mother Earth is incredible there is no doubt about it, but every surfer and bodyboarder is going to want to know how it rides, so I took Ahn's board for a test spin. My first wave was so fun I can tell why bodyboarders might make the switch to wood for good.
Ahn hopes to capture two percent of the bodyboarding industry which would be six million dollars a year. If you'd like to learn more about the Earth Fan Surf Company, click here.