SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – After more than two years of collaboration with wave technology providers and wave pool developers and operators, the STOKE Surf Parks standard and sustainability SaaS tool is available to surf parks everywhere.
STOKE (Sustainable Tourism and Outdoors Kit for Evaluation) is the sustainability certification built for the adventure travel and outdoor recreation industries. The STOKE Platform and sector-specific criteria guide this growing industry toward best practices that align with Project Drawdown climate solutions, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s criteria.
Emerge Surf Park, Surf Lakes Yeppoon, Areal Sul Surf Resort, Peak Surf Park, and the Cove Resort are among the first surf parks to be working towards STOKE certification. Wave generation technology providers Surf Lakes and Endless Surf have included STOKE membership with each of their licensee packages so every project can prioritize sustainability from the ground up.
Chief Research Officer and Co-Founder of STOKE, Dr. Jess Ponting, said “We are deeply grateful to Wavegarden, SurfLoch, Surf Lakes, Endless Surf, and the Kelly Slater Wave Company for helping refine the criteria. Their knowledge and insights were immensely valuable in creating sustainability metrics for energy, water, filtration, and construction.”
The STOKE standard also encourages surf parks to give back to surf culture by incorporating surfing heritage, ocean conservation, and philanthropy into the guest experience. STOKE is honored to team up with SurfAid, an NGO dedicated to improving the well-being of remote surfing communities, to strengthen the connection between surf parks and international surf tourism for a new generation of wave riders. Doug Less, SurfAid CEO, stated “SurfAid is proud to partner with STOKE. Whether it’s a world-class wave park or a remote break, we believe in our search for waves there is an opportunity to improve the health and resilience of people in the places we love to surf. This partnership allows us to extend our reach to communities in the heartlands of surfing.”
Carl Kish, CEO and co-founder of STOKE, added “While we take great pride in creating environmental metrics such as the Surf Seconds Efficiency Factor, we are just as excited about the potential for surf parks to become valuable assets in their communities as well as global stewards of surfing and our oceans through education, inclusion, and stoke.”
For more information, please visit https://www.stokecertified.com/ or watch the Surf Park Central Insiders episode for an interview with STOKE co-founder, Carl Kish, and a demo of the STOKE Platform (https://insiders.surfparkcentral.com/).
About STOKESTOKE (Sustainable Tourism & Outdoors Kit for Evaluation), a California Social Purpose Corporation, is the world’s first sustainability certification body with standards built specifically for the adventure travel and outdoor recreation industries. Through its software and association of independent evaluators, STOKE enables businesses to reach their sustainability goals before verifying and sharing their impact stories. Since 2013, STOKE’s network has grown to 11 countries so the outdoor community can find #sustainablestoke wherever the pursuit of adventure takes them. For more information on STOKE’s members, sustainability SaaS solution, and certification process, go to http://www.stokecertified.com/.
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