Shareboard / Awayco x Onewave

Since its inception on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the grassroots One Wave community has spread to beaches across the world. Espousing a simple recipe of saltwater therapy, openness and fluoro, they had cracked through the often-insular surf community, encouraging attendees to use bright colours as a vehicle to discuss serious mental health issues. OneWave became such a sensation that they were personally visited by Prince Harry and Megan Markle during their 2018 tour of Australia.

They now needed a new story to encourage people to participate in their largest ever activation, with an aim of reaching 100 beaches globally. The Free The Funk board concept came from my own personal experience. A big barrier for first time or learner surfers (like I was, at 25) is the cost and accessibility of boards. Even a terrible foamie is AUD $300+, and that skyrockets the better you get at it. This cost prohibition meant that many people who could benefit from the One Wave experience - or surfing in general - found themselves getting cold feet.

The answer came via Awayco, an innovative surf subscription service that allowed members to rent boards worldwide. This was an infrastructure solution to OneWave’s perennial problem; providing boards for new members. The pitch was simple; a softboard that you could rent for free through Awayco when you needed some headspace, but didn’t have anything to ride. The board was customised by local artist Cam Scott, to reflect the brightly-coloured leis OneWave crew often wear. We also partnered with Mick Fanning’s surfboard line, stocked at Awayco, giving our program a credibility boost from one of the world’s most recognisable sportsmen.  The Free The Funk board was a huge awareness booster for the One Wave charity. Their 6th Birthday event reached a record 110 beaches across 28 countries, with earned media across Australian and gloabl surf publications.

Charity x tech x celebrity. Call it the perfect set.