Art for the Oceans

Surfrider Foundation launches charity auction

The Surfrider foundation is celebrating 25 years of marine and coastal protection with an art auction featuring some of the world’s most renowned contemporary artists.

It is the 3rd anniversary of the foundation's “Art for the Oceans” series, the brainchild of Surfrider board member and former world champion surfer Shaun Tomson. Tomson, one of the leading lights of the '70s “Free Ride” generation, has hand-picked 25 of world’s most iconic surf breaks, many of which are facing substantial environmental threat, to be represented on canvas.

His selections, which include such storied breaks as Jaws, Pipeline, Rincon and Kirra, have been matched with 25 artists by The Surfer’s Journal editor Scott Hulet. Among the list of creative minds include Shepard Fairey, the man behind the iconic red and blue Obama images, as well as Raymond Pettibon and Barry McGee.

“Art For The Oceans III captures the essence of twenty-five iconic waves,” says Surfrider Foundation’s CEO Jim Moriarty. “Never before has such a collection of one of the world’s most ephemeral natural wonders come together in re-creations through the eyes of twenty-five renowned artists.”

Also at the event, hosted by Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Surfrider will be honouring its 2009 Keeper of the Coast inductees; Pearl Jam, Incubus and David Chokachi.

Since its inception in 1984, Surfrider has grown from a small band of Malibu surfers coming together to protect their local beach, to an organisation with over 50,000 members worldwide.

For more information, visit www.surfrider.org