Professional surfer Kyle Thiermann, will lead a talk focused on marine debris clogging the oceans at the “Surfing for a Change” event on April 10, put on by the Office of Sustainability.
Thiermann professionally surfs for the clothing brand Patagonia, hosts his own weekly podcast and founded the organization Surfing For Change.
During his time as a competitive surfer, Thiermann traveled all around the world for different events. During this time he witnessed an ever looming problem. There was a stark contrast between the popular tourist destinations and the remote areas that he often found himself surfing in. Using his unique platform, he created the YouTube web series Surfing for Change and focussed on important environmental and social issues around the globe.
“Thiermann has been on our [URI’s] radar for a while now, we heard of him, a 29 year old making a difference around the world, and knew he could make a difference,” said Amy Cabaniss, the outreach coordinator for the office of sustainability.
For college students, it can be inspiring to see such a young person make such a difference in the world doing something he loves. Thiermann saw a problem and talked it head on, and surfing has been an important platform in communicating his message.
“Surfing has been an important platform in two ways – it brought him to remote or heavily polluted places for surfing and it also helps him keep meeting people,” Cabaniss said.
As a documentary filmmaker and host, Thiermann has created numerous films on issues that the average person may not notice or understand. For example, one of his most prominent films is about global banks funneling money into destructive projects all over the world. This sparked users to pull their money and invest in local banks, hence supporting local interests.
Thierman, in an interview with Megan Collamati, a journalist intern at the Office of Sustainability said, “I never planned to be an activist, but I grew up with a surfboard in one hand and a camera in the other filming friends and surfing. At one point I realized that a lot of important ocean stories weren’t being covered by the media, so I pointed me camera in that direction and that eventually led to the Surfing For a Change Series.”“
One thing that makes Kyle successful is how he reaches out across the generations and uses modern media to do it. Besides his YouTube series, he also has a popular podcast called “The Kyle Thiermann Show” where he discusses important societal issues with experts in the field.
The talk will be held April 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the Edwards Auditorium.