Rip Curl Planet Day celebrates 20 years

Rip Curl staff enjoying a pleasant day out of the office. Photo: RIP CURL

LAST week marked 20 years of Rip Curl Planet Day, a day where staff from the surf brand leave the office and head to the coast to help rejuvenate the environment.

The day sees about 170 staff members involved each year. Rip Curl estimates that over the 20 years, its staff have contributed a combined total of about 3,400 working days to maintain the local oceans and beaches.

Rip Curl chief marketing officer Neil Ridgway said the experience is both fruitful and rewarding.

“Over the past 20 years, as a group of committed surfers and local community members, we have collectively planted over 100,000 native flora along the Surf Coast.

“It’s a really big investment by both the company and the people, and the best part about it is that we all love it – we love being away from our desks and making a difference in the local community.”

This year Rip Curl and Ozmosis spent Planet Day working with the council and coastal action groups to plant indigenous shrubbery, and also do some weeding and mulching.

Later in the year Rip Curl will celebrate its 50th anniversary, with the Torquay-founded surf brand having recently been sold to Kathmandu.