Surfboards made of cigarettes? Documentary on trashy boards shines light for Coastal Cleanup Day

At first glance, the surfboards looked like the others set out on the beach where the world’s best surfers are competing this week at Lower Trestles.

Read more Dramatic videos capture the moment 2 officers were wounded in a deadly Minneapolis shooting

But these are no ordinary boards. They were made using thousands of cigarette butts, trash so often plucked off beaches across California.

“Cigarette butts are kind of the icon of trash,” said Ben Judkins, sitting at a booth set up during the World Surf League’s Lexus Trestles Pro on Wednesday to showcase the decade-old educational project, “The Cigarette Surfboard.” “They are the most littered item in the world, filled with toxic chemicals that leach into waterways and have an impact on wildlife.”

A film of the same name telling the story of the boards is being released online this week in conjunction with California Coastal Cleanup Day and International Coastal Cleanup Day, both on Saturday, Sept. 19, when plenty more cigarette butts are likely to be among the tons of trash picked up by volunteers.

Judkins and surfboard shaper Taylor Lane, both from Santa Cruz, first came up with the cigarette surfboard idea in 2017 for the “Creators & Innovators Upcycle Contest” at the Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, a way to raise environmental awareness and promote ocean conservation.

From there, the duo made the film, which has been making rounds on the festival circuit, earning several awards in the past few years. The documentary features professional surfers Caitlin Simmers and Rob Machado, both of San Diego, as well as others, riding the odd board while using it as a conversation starter about how to solve the seemingly never-ending trash issue.

The recycled cigarette butts are encased in a layer of resin that keeps them in place and laid out in designs such as a pelican and a sand dollar.

“They are a conversation starter,” Judkins said. “It really takes that juxtaposition of what surfing is — the beauty of the ocean with this really kind of ugly piece of trash that should not be on our beaches.  When you put those two together, it’s just this great contrast that really draws people in. It’s very visual.”

The cigarette surfboards have been making appearances at city halls and the state capitol as lawmakers decide on solutions to pollution problems, Judkins added.

“We figure that these surfboards could be the beginning of the conversation, to talk about not only the issue, but about some solutions to this problem,” he said.

Santa Cruz, the hometown of the two surfers behind the project, recently banned the sale of single-use cigarette filters, a law that goes into effect in 2027, he said.

“To see this policy actually coming into effect in Santa Cruz is just a huge win for the ocean,” Judkins said. “We, as surfers, really have this voice that collectively, when we all stand together and speak up for something, we can actually create change. That’s really empowering.”

The film is entertaining and has a lot of great surfing, but more importantly it’s meant to inspire and excite people about taking action in their own lives, he said. “So we really are excited to release the film over International Coastal Cleanup Day as an activation point for people to take that first step and be environmental stewards.”

The film, a 90-minute environmental surf documentary, was released for online viewing on Sept. 15 and will be available to watch through Sept. 27; online tickets are $10. Watch it at: watch.eventive.org/thecigarettesurfboard

Want to help clean?

California Coastal Cleanup Day marks its 42nd year on Saturday. The collective volunteer effort brings together tens of thousands of people from 9 a.m. to noon at cleanup locations across the region, both inland and at beaches.

Read more Palestinian Authority objects to US decision on visas, and other Mideast developments

It is the state’s largest annual volunteer event and is expected to draw more than 50,000 people at more than 700 cleanup sites across the state.

This year, participation is extra important due to the potentially historic El Niño set to take aim at the state this winter, organizers said.

Rainfall washes trash and pollution from streets and channels, creeks and streams into the ocean, organizers said, and Coastal Cleanup Day is an opportunity to pick up the trash before the flush to prevent even greater harm to the coast and the wildlife that calls it home.

The massive statewide cleanup is organized by the California Coastal Commission, with the help of local nonprofit and environmental groups, and happens each year on the third Saturday of September.

The cleanup, which also includes inland waterways such as rivers, creeks and lakes, has grown to include all 58 California counties. Volunteer crews will also be out at parks and along roadsides and highways.

Among the largest of the cleanups planned is a gathering at Huntington State Beach, where more than 400 volunteers are expected to pick up trash, connect with local nonprofits, shop sustainable vendors, and win prizes at the OC Coastkeeper-sponsored event.  Meet at Tower 7.

Orange County Coastkeeper serves as the regional coordinator for OC, helping to tally results and coordinate with more than 30 simultaneous cleanup events.

Coastkeeper events have removed more than 200,000 pounds of trash since 2011 and 30,000 pounds in 2025 alone.

In Los Angeles, Heal the Bay is leading the charge with an estimated 6,000 volunteers signing up. Last year, nearly 20,000 pounds of trash were removed, a record the nonprofit organization hopes to break.

State Parks will have an estimated 60 locations, along with the Division of Boating and Waterways, where volunteers can sign up to participate.

“California’s coast and waterways belong to all of us, and Coastal Cleanup Day is a great way to give them a little love,” California State Parks Deputy Director of Boating and Waterways Ramona Fernandez said. “It’s also a fun way to get outside, connect with your community and make a difference, one piece of trash at a time.”

The Boating and Waterways Division also partnered with 44 boating facilities and groups last year, with more than 2,000 volunteers collecting more than 14,000 pounds of trash and recyclables on land and from kayaks, canoes and dinghies.

Volunteers are encouraged to take reusable gloves, buckets and refillable water bottles. Wear comfortable clothing and sturdy footwear, and check with your local cleanup site for registration details and information about supplies.

Read more ‘We’ve seen this before’: Japanese American incarceration echoes through Trump’s immigration crackdown

To find a local cleanup site, visit coastalcleanupday.org.