OUR HISTORY
AWARENESS
The origin of the project is the result of a conjuncture of three circumstances:
In 2020, as co-president of the YSTOPIA association in Douarnenez, I participated in highlighting initiatives acting directly or indirectly in favor of the preservation of biodiversity and the ocean. At the same time, as co-director of a design office, part of our activities consisted of creating various objects using 3D printing for our customers. Whether it's simple decorative objects, model parts or replacements for parts that are rare on the market, making this part of our business profitable has proven to be complex due to the time-consuming nature of bespoke. At the time, my objective was to refocus exclusively on objects whose design we mastered upstream (Item 1).
One day, when delivering an order to one of our customers, she asked me about the material used in our 3D prints. I explained to him that it was a plant-based, petroleum-free plastic made from corn starch (PLA). Having an in-depth knowledge of the subject, she pointed out to us that the PLA we used came from the United States (the largest producer in the world), that it was genetically modified, caused enormous damage to biodiversity areas and that the corn cultivation required a significant amount of water... in short, a material that was anything but ecological! This is how I got the idea to locally create our own eco-designed material for 3D printing (Item 2).
A few days later, during a surf session on Ris beach in Douarnenez, I noticed that the beach was temporarily closed to swimming due to the proliferation of green algae and potential health risks (a phenomenon recurring in Douarnenez). Despite the abundant presence of algae, I decided to surf this spot. However, I came out of it completely in bad shape, bedridden for two days. This episode raised in me an environmental awareness and encouraged me to act on my scale in the face of the problem of green algae.stranding routes
(Item 3).
And then,eureka! The idea: to use washed up green algae (Item 3) to create a thermoformable material in 3D printing (Item 2) in order to manufacture an object with a previously mastered design (Item 1) – an algae surfboard!
This is how the project was bornPARADOXAL SURFBOARDS.
Jeremy Lucas
Founder
OUR MISSION
Eco-design
Limit waste in production by using biosourced materials,locally made.
Federate a local network for the use of seaweed resources (upcycling seaweed from strandings).
Reduction in the use of foam bars imported from abroad (carbon gain).
Structural efficiency forbetter durability of the material.
Recycleability
Internal recycling management.
Reintroduction of "losses" in the process of fmanufacture by the use of a bgrinder/extruder.
The “waste-losses” can be transformed back into spools of 3D prints.
Promotion of the local Breton economy
Stranding algae is harmful for tourism, by its massive proliferation, its visual and olfactory pollution, its dangerousness for health in the state of putrefaction with hydrogen sulphide…
Breton companies are interested in these issues and intend to participate in the recovery of this unwanted waste by collaborating with ParadoxalSurfboards.
Our goal is to move from a linear economy to a circular economy by federating a Breton ecosystem around the development of our boards. What happenedgisse du sourcing of maalgo-sourced materials, fiber and resin suppliers, service providers for lamination ordesign office forefficiency of the mechanical resistance of the boards, absolutely all these actors are Breton.
Behind the idyllic image of the green surfer hides a much less glamorous reality: nearly 95% of the materials that make up a surfboard come from the petrochemical industry.
On average, the manufacture of a surfboard generates nearly 6 kg of toxic waste, in addition to the thousands of kilometers traveled before even reaching the ocean for the first time.
This production has a significant environmental impact in terms of carbon footprint. In fact, the foam core alone contributes around 26% of a surfboard's total environmental impact. Added to this is the waste of foam scraps, which are often thrown away without being reused, or very little.
OUR ENGAGEMENTS
Participate in the economic and ecological transition of the surf industry
Enable responsible sports practice
Promote industrialization that is sustainable and resilient.
Avoid polluting plastic materials that come from abroad.
Offer boards whose main material is recyclable and compostable, mades locally near his place of practice.
Show our commitment to ecology by integrating a "responsible surfing" network.
Offer eco-efficient boards
Minimize our impact environmental by offering tailor-made boards adapted to everyone's level and therefore easy to surf.
The possibility of acquiring multiple custom models by 3D printing.
Allowing practice in all wave conditions.
Guarantee quality service
Being able to make/repair your board simply.
Ensure quality and therefore keep your board in good condition for the long term.
Paradoxal Surfboards is positioned as the Breton surfboard brand that offers a 100% biosourced, high-performance and 100% Breton product.
OUR PARTNERS
