This surfer is taking on the fossil fuel industry to safeguard Australia's beaches

Just over 30 years ago, three surfers from Malibu in the United States began a movement that captivated ocean lovers worldwide. Realising that their local surf break was in jeopardy due to runoff from nearby developments, they created Surfrider Foundation to protect the environment. “It started in the ‘80s and it was just a ragtag bunch of surfers who stepped up in opposition to these catastrophes that were really happening,” Damien Cole says. He’s a surfer and activist upholding their legacy in his home country by leading Surfrider Foundation Australia. From protesting invasive mining to rallying against gas companies, Cole is diving in the deep end to bring meaningful change.

As the foundation’s National Campaign Director, Cole defends his nation's beaches along with swimmers, kiteboarders, and windsurfers. “Mother ocean has given us everything we’ve ever known or wanted. She provides even the very air we breathe,” he says. “It’s our moral obligation to step up and show the love that she’s shown us and protect her.” In 2019, Cole fought against oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight by bringing together over 50 communities to paddle out into the waters over a series of days in protest. He’s also tackling vertical seawalls which damage beaches, while advocating against the fossil fuel industry expanding across the country’s southern seas. To date, the Surfrider Foundation has won over 700 campaigns worldwide, including plastic bans and safeguarding clean water rights in countries across Europe and Asia.

Whether challenging corporations or engaging communities, Cole is empowering people to preserve their coastlines. “One of the bigger challenges is to really get people’s heads around that it’s not about us today,” he says. “It’s realising that we need to leave a legacy for future generations.” 

Footage by Surfrider Foundation was used in the creation of this film.