Photo: Mickey Smith

Rip Curl Europe’s flagship store in Newquay, UK, has announced it will be launching a national ‘Wetsuit Amnesty’ to support the brands global commitment to protecting the environment, and also has plans for a global SEARCH WCT event location announcement in-store on Saturday 2nd May 2009. In order to build such a flagship store, professionals like that minnesota business agent may have been a key piece to the puzzle.

Renowned for developing and producing the worlds leading wetsuits, Rip Curl are now pioneering wetsuit recycling through their Project Resurrection, giving old unused wetsuits a new lease of life. As part of an ongoing promotion showcasing the Rip Curl Planet Foundation initiatives throughout April the Newquay store is calling on all surfers and wetsuit owners to search their garages and basements for their old neoprene and bring them into the store to be crushed into Resurrection Rubber and reused in manufacturing new products, helping to cut down on the waste going into landfill sites and the materials produced to create new products.

Rip Curl will be offering pairs of Project Resurrection sandals in return for all wetsuits brought into the Newquay store between 10am to 6pm on Saturday 2nd May 2009. Commenting on the initiative Rip Curl’s Marketing Manager James Hendy said, “Our Newquay store is a great launch pad for the wetsuit amnesty, people can bring in their old suits on the day and walk out with the finished result on their feet, experiencing first hand the benefits of recycling their waste and investing in recycled products for the future”. He went on to say, “Rip Curl are extremely proud to have the largest range of ecological products available in the surf sports industry and being able to engage the public with our commitment to more sustainable products through our stores is really exciting”.

As part of Rip Curl’s ongoing Planet Foundation, which has environmental projects running across the world, including their acclaimed ‘Coral Guard’, the Newquay store will be giving away travel journals with in-store purchases throughout April and offering 2 people the chance to win a trip to Tahiti where the last Coral Guard action took place.

In addition to the Rip Curl Planet activity on Saturday 2nd May, there will also be a screening of the new surf film from Relentless Energy: “Relentless Revolution – Powers of Three” which features Rip Curl surfer, and Eco Ambassador, Tom Lowe, a live band in-store, a free Rip Curl Planet Pack giveaway with every in-store purchase, a chance to meet the pro team, and a very special Rip Curl SEARCH WCT event announcement direct from Rip Curl headquarters in Australia. “It’s going to be a really exciting day”, said Hendy, “especially with the variety of old suits we’re expecting to receive, but the Search WCT event location announcement will be the icing on the cake, it’s a real privilege to have Newquay shouting The SEARCH event location to the rest of the world”.

Speculation has been rising to the whereabouts of the next Rip Curl WCT Search event, but following world-class events held in Mexico, Indonesia and Reunion Island in previous years The Search event in 2009 is sure to be at a dream destination.

Come along to the store on Saturday May 2nd from 6pm to be a part of Rip Curl’s leading initiatives to protect the environment, and bring your old wetsuits with you!
For more information on Project Resurrection, Rip Curl Planet Foundation, and SEARCH WCT event visit www.ripcurl.com