+ Surf for the planet: An interview with Reef's Mike Gass

Reef is one of the world's most long-lived, authentic, and beloved surf brands, with deep roots in the action sports culture for decades. What's really exciting to see is that they're not resting on their laurels, but continuing to progress and push the industry in new directions. Their latest initiative is Reef Redemption, led by Mike Gass, who was kind enough to tell us all about it.

First of all, can you just tell us a little bit about Reef Redemption? What kind of reaction has the project gotten, both from consumers and the industry?
Reef Redemption is a three-phase approach to being a more socially responsible Reef.

1. Reef Redemption Product Series
A product line consisting of sandals, shoes and men’s apparel for SP2008 and expanding to include other product lines for SP09. These products are made with what we believe to be sustainable, recycled or organic products where possible. With this series we aim to build more environmentally friendly product that does not sacrifice any of the famous Reef style, comfort, fit or quality. 1% of the sales of these products goes into the Reef Redemption Fund.

2. Culture of Giving
Reef has always been supportive of organizations that are fighting to preserve our waves and beaches and the communities based around them. With our culture of giving we have a financial contribution piece with the reef Redemption Fund and a volunteer piece through the Reef Redemption Committee.
-Reef Redemption Fund- monies used by Reef to partner with non-profit organizations working to preserve waves and beaches. Also supports humanitarian organizations working around the globe. We partnered with
-Reef Redemption Committee-
More than half of the employees are regularly volunteering to participate in beach clean ups and are looking for ways to give back to the community.

3. In-House Effort
- This is the part where we try to be more responsible in our workplace by reduction in energy and material use. There is a lot of low hanging fruit in this area and we have begun by adding sensor switches to lighting, using less carpeting, maximizing the natural light in the building, incorporating recycled barn board into the building. We are recycling our irrigation water and working on the process of getting our building L.E.E.D. certified. We have also eliminated the use of paper cups in the kitchen. There are a lot of little things that surprisingly add up to a lot when all is said and done. We are by no means perfect, but we are taking a look at ourselves and making a concerted effort to raise our game.

The response has been really positive so far. The tradeshows went great and the product sold in very well. Spring 2008 is the first season so we will see shortly how the customers react to the product. We have gotten a lot of positive feedback regarding the three facets and the fact that Reef Redemption represents so much more than just an ecologically minded product extension.

Now that there is a proliferation of ecologically minded product offerings we have seen the supply side really expand. I think the relationships should get easier to create as the competition spurs the market.

On the Reef Redemption website, it says that "More than half of the company has volunteered to be a part of this initiative of evaluating Reef’s day-to-day business activities." Can you tell me more about what that involves? Where do you see that program going from here?
We have set out to break our workplace into teams that will help us evaluate our footprint and look for ways to reduce our energy and material use. This coming year we have engaged the help of a sustainability group to aid us in this process. 2008 is going to be a busy year as we examine all of our systems and set our goals for the future. I hope that the team concept will allow each group to feel some ownership of the Reef Redemption initiative. It needs to be built from the ground up and not directed from the top down.

You've clearly put a lot of effort into finding materials that are innovative, cool, and yet also sustainable. What was the process like for selecting those materials? As demand grows for these products, do you see scaling up those sourcing relationships being a challenge?
It is a difficult process that is slowly getting easier as the green marketplace expands. A couple years ago it was a different story as there was not a lot to choose from. Now that there is a proliferation of ecologically minded product offerings we have seen the supply side really expand. I think the relationships should get easier to create as the competition spurs the market.


With the product safety scares in pet food and toys recently, it seems like consumers are becoming more and more concerned with product sourcing. How will affect consumers and the products they buy in the future? Will people be willing to pay a premium for sourcing?
It is really hard to predict just how much of an impact all the current scares will have. It does seem to me that the companies are angling toward being more transparent with their entire processes and with that I think there will be more people looking for the equivalent of fair trade product etc. in the future. It remains to be seen if the average consumer will pay a premium for sourcing. There are always the concerned citizens who will look for what they believe is the best product from an environmental standpoint and they will pay the premium. Look at the success of Patagonia. Right now, it seems companies are working to educate the consumers hoping to create an informed base who will demand this type of product from certified sources.

It is really important to us that we communicate the truth to our customers. We have said from the outset that we are using what we believe are the best materials or processes that we can for this series. If we learn that there is a better material or that something we are doing is not as good as we once believed, we will change the product or process.

Sustainability is approaching critical mass, and it seems like everybody is launching some sort of sustainability initiative. One of the biggest challenges for consumers is to sort through all the bogus initiatives and find the ones that are real. How can authentic companies help consumers find out the truth? What role does authenticity play in Reef Redemption?
It is really important to us that we communicate the truth to our customers. We have said from the outset that we are using what we believe are the best materials or processes that we can for this series. If we learn that there is a better material or that something we are doing is not as good as we once believed, we will change the product or process. We try to educate the consumers as to why we have chosen certain materials etc. through our web site and catalogs. I do think the customer should dig a bit to try and find the real deal and make their decisions based on what they can find out. That being said, it is certainly the responsibility of these companies to be honest with their potential customers. It seems that currently the industry is fairly unregulated so companies need to be honorable in the way they conduct their business.

Having the right public face can be crucial to a program like this, and it looks like you've got your bases covered there with your Team Ambassadors. How did you get huge names like Rob Machado and Ben Bourgeois involved? How important is it to have them on board?
The great part about this is that these guys are fired up on the program and the movement in general. We are not telling them that they need to pretend to be environmentally conscious; instead they are coming to us and are asking for these materials to be used, as they want their name to be associated with them.

One of the things that I really liked about the Reef Redemption product statement is that you made it clear that you're not asking consumers to make any sacrifices. No matter what, the products are still going to fit great, look cool, and perform well it seems like that's a common thread in the new generation of sustainability products. Can you talk a little more about that?
Early on we said that it would be paramount that our Reef Redemption Product Series not stick out like a green thumb. We believe that we can and must keep all the same attributes of the product that have defined Reef for the past 20 plus years. Sometimes it is a challenge to create product that does not look too hippy, but with the rapid expansion of the marketplace we are seeing many more material options that will make that mission a bit easier for everyone.

That's it for me. Is there anything you'd like to add or mention? Thanks again for your time, and good luck!
Just want to thank you for the opportunity to share our program with you and your readers. Pray for Surf.