Want to know what makes us smile?

The planet. Our planet. Planet Earth. You know, that big blue/green blob we live on? That big, spherical, wonderball all of us happyhumans meander around on….Ringing any bells? We thought so.

Chances are, if you’re like us, meandering always feels better when you’ve got a cushy pair of sandals under your toes. It makes trekking near and far a much more pleasant endeavor– and it’s something to be thankful for. So thankful in fact, that Sanuk wants to give Mother Earth a little love.

Recently, with the inception of The R.A.S.T.A Project and its line of signature sandals, Sanuk has devoted much of its focus to reducing its footprint–no matter how comfy it is. The R.A.S.T.A. Project which stands for Recyled And Sustainable Trade Alliance is a sub division of Sanuk Footwear.

The R.A.S.T.A. Project aims to reduce its impacton the world by providing footwear that is truly impact  free. Everything from the sandals’ materials (including: recycled-tired outsoles, jute, hemp natural latex and recycled plastic bottles) to the packaging as been chosen in a effort to be more environmentally friendly.

Now’s where the real fun begins. In an effort to make going green even more groovy….

This is your chance to hunker down in your Sanuks and help out planet little by little. Sometimes making a bigger initiative happen comes via baby steps. Here’s how you can help (and score some free Sanuk swag in the process)

Step 1: Do something GREEN –(taking out the recycle, conserving water, changing light bulb, riding your skateboard, bike, or dog to work- Anything to help our planet smile. If you’re stumped, try web searching “easy ways to go green”. It’s easier than you think— Get creative!

Step 2: Take a photo of yourself in the act as evidence! You’ll need a camera for this one, Ace.

Send 3: EMAIL your photo to Social@Sanuk.com. Provide your name and a little caption.

The deadline to submit photos is: Tuesday, October 5th at 10:00am PST (1:00pm ET). Once the entries are in, the Sanuk Team will compile your photos into a sharable “Show Us Your Green” Photo Album. Our team of warm-blooded, self-propelled amoebas will hand pick the winner(s)!

Winners will receive overstuffed SANUK MYSTERY BOXES!

For more information on The RASTA Project and Sanuk’s eco-friendly line of sandals, visit :

www.rastaproject.org or www.sanuk.com

Dave Rastovich knows a thing or two about nurturing a “Zen relationship with the sea”. When he’s not carving powerful frontside hacks or clockin’ solid time in the green room, Rasta focuses his efforts on increasing awareness about the predicaments plaguing our oceans.

Forget Waldo. Where’s Rasta? Currently, Rasta is kickin’ it in Florida resting a bum foot he sustained while trekking in Indonesia. During the downtime, Rasta admits he’s “pretty nervous about the huge oil spill in the Gulf”. An interview in Huck Magazine describes Rasta as “spiritual guy whose hippie mentality doesn’t stop him surfing with more style and power than most of his macho counterparts”. We couldn’t agree more. Rasta not only wields power through his arcing turns but he’s equally formidable with his conservation efforts.

His latest voyage entitled TransparentSea, was an “effective whistle blowing adventure down the east coast of Australia”. Rasta and his crew originally set out with aims to rid beaches riddled with unsightly rubbish. As the trip grew, so did the missions. Rasta and fellow soul-wombat Chris Del Moro also set out to celebrate the comeback of Australia’s east coast humpback whale. As for the most memorable part of the trip, Rasta is quoted saying, “Being side by side with humpback whales, having them surf swells with us out in the open ocean…made us feel very privileged”.

During the 36-day voyage, Rasta and friends flexed some might with the Surfrider Foundation and Tanaroa Blue’s Marine Debris Initiative. Teams made it a priority to clean and catalog trash-infested beaches. By taking the clean-up one step further and recording data, it becomes possible to see the roots of the problems. Long story short, if we know where trash come from, we can stop it at the source. Prevention is half the battle.

“Surf more, consume less, give back to that which any true surfer can’t live without: the sea.” – Dave “Rasta” Rastovich

Want more? Of course you do. For the full interview peep Huck Magazine. Get involved- Rasta Style: Sea Shepherd, Surfers Against Sewage, Save The Waves

(note: all photos above are from TransparentSea Voyage)

Hoot! Hoot! No, that’s not the guy you dropped in on calling you off the wave…It’s the night owl and he’s bigger than ever! Nightwalkers, it’s time to grab your infrared goggles, neon wax and a whole lot of caffeine because Project Save Our Surf is about to take night-surfing to a whole new level.

Can you say “24-hour surf-a-thon”?

Photo via: Project Save Our Surf

Project Save Our Surf has been on a mission to recruit nocturnal gnar-shredding surf squads for great cause. Founder, Tanna Frederick understands there are “a lot of people who think that night-time surfing is sacred”.

As a Santa Monica native and avid ocean-enthusiast, Tanna began to see just how much havoc pollution has been reeking at her home break. With Project Save Our Surf, her goal is to “bring people together, celebrating our oceans, and figure out what are our steps going to be from a positive standpoint”.

Project SOS’s newest and biggest mission to date will happen this weekend in Huntington Beach, California. That’s right, Surf City USA will host Project Save Our Surf’s newest event called, SURF 24, a full-fledged mash-up of professional and celebrity surfers all battling it out in a 24hr surf-a-thon. The end goal is to increase public awareness on the perils of ocean pollution.

Tanna collaborated with surf legend Pete “PT” Townend to make a surf event truly off the beaten path. Project SOS is a festival and entertainment event all wrapped into a big fundraiser. Tanna says, the event “isn’t just about competition. It’s about preserving our oceans”. Huzzah!

Photo via: OrangeCounty.com

SURF 24 will run through Saturday night and into the wee hours of Sunday morning (which just happens to be International Surfing Day). Fear not creepy-crawlies, the midnight water will be lit with huge stadium lights.

On top of the contest, Surf 24 will have nearly 40 eco-village booths, six bands crankin’ tunes, and even a grassy knoll showing of 80’s surf classic North Shore. Project Save Our Surf will be donating Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, and Inside the Outdoors Foundation. Many members from the Sanuk team will be there. So come get weird! Even if you cannot make it down, you can help raise money either by making donations at the event or skipping over to the Project Save Our Surf webby.

Make note surfnauts and friends of the environment, SURF 24 definitely has some magic up its sleeves. For full the 411 pop on over to their site…

Last Sunday Sanuk partnered with Sun Diego, Transworld Surf magazine, and Earl Warren Middle School for the beach clean up at Powerhouse Park in Del Mar. Over 60 kids showed up to clean the beach and surrounding areas, that place was spotless when we left (big smiles for Mother Earth).

(more…)

Sanuk Rasta Walkabout

 LA Times :

Clothing makers expand recycling efforts

Companies are reclaiming discarded materials and turning them into threads that are made into new clothing.

Jeff Kelly : “Instead of ending up in landfills,they end up on the bottoms of people’s feet.”

Click here to see the full article: Awesome!