Surfing is self-expression through play in a wild environment.  Local surfers from San Bernardo del Viento, a fishing community situated along Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The idea to use surfing as a tool to engage youth to be positive change-makers wasn’t too far fetched as the kids are use to playing in the sea and often grab pieces of wood that wash to shore to use as bodyboards. Kids from Fundación Sinumar learn about ocean safety, marine conservation, plastic pollution, mangrove protection, and how to use surfing as a metaphor in and out of the water, in their daily lives.

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We ran a surf training course over one month with the local groms and organized a surf contest at the end where judges evaluated the participants foremost on their stewardship and sportsmanship as well as surfing abilities. Participants "paid" the registration fee with 100 pieces of garbage each found on the beach.