Sustainably Expanding Cultural Tourism Through DiscoverysurfEXPLORE

The Philippines

Mozambique

HaitiSao Tome Mauritania

IntroductionsurfEXPLORE is a global concept aimed at taking surf exploration to the next level through a regular series of expeditions to find and report on new surf locations worldwide whilst expanding cultural tourism frontiers and promoting sustainability and understanding.

We present a unique opportunity for national promotional tourism agencies to attract and reach a global audience of more than 5M engaged viewers via our established network of print and online media outlets and appeal to a surfing community of over 23M on every continent around the world.

Gabon

Ghana

Kenya

Haiti

ConceptAs of 2013, the global surfing population is estimated to be over 23M. The community is widespread and diverse and exhibits a significant shift in demographics with the average age moving to the upper 20s and more women surfing than ever before.

New surfing locations need to be found to accommodate this growth and provide opportunities for local development through cultural tourism.

surfEXPLORE aims to encourage others to travel to new areas by highlighting the wealth of unsurfed waves around the world and encourage a philosophy of discovery, tolerance and positive change. To ensure ethical and sustainable travel, we work with organisations such as Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation to connect with researchers around the world who need data and samples from our locations to further their studies.

Emiliano and Erwan on the beach with local children Anjouan Island, Comoros

SponsorshipWe are seeking national tourism bureau’s that wish to support the action sports and adventure travel markets, promote healthy travel and create a new spotlight in tourism development by encouraging, not only the 23M strong surfing community, but anyone interested adventure travel, to visit new areas.

We use our extensive experience in surf exploration to ensure successful projects in each new location and offer guaranteed exposure on social media platforms to thousands of followers and extensive distribution via online and print surf and travel publications worldwide.

Throwing the rope on a search for petrolNorth Maluku Province, Indonesia

What we offersurfEXPLORE offers direct involvement with the discovery of new surf territory that will revolutionise the surf industry whilst highlighting and supporting local issues and increasing tourism arrivals from around the world.

A successful project from our multinational surfEXPLORE group creates positive international visibility whilst supporting your local policy goals whether they be promoting healthy tourism or sports development to the creation of new spotlights in tourism development.

We are confident that, with your support and our experience, we can produce a plethora of positive coverage for your country that will enhance your international profile whilst stimulating the development of surfing and other high value, special interest tourism sectors. Please see the following pages for details of our other successful projects and associated media coverage.

Our proposal for surfEXPLORE includes an editorial fee, which varies based on the location, but is based on the cost price for airfares for up to six members of the team including surfers, photographers and videographers, vehicle hire for our time in the country (around two weeks) and a per diem allowance for accommodation, food, beverages, petrol and other daily expenses.

In return we are able to offer extensive social media coverage via both the surfEXPLORE and in-country guest surfers social media pages and those of our media partners. Our editiorial fee also enables us to distribute our materials, free of charge, to an established list of publishers worldwide, ensuring maximum exposure for our projects and your location. In addition, we hope to produce and distribute a video series for each location, based on additional funding streams.

Successful projects

HaitiArticles: 20Photos: 223

Western Sahara

Articles: 46Photos: 192

LiberiaArticles: 21Photos: 86

GhanaArticles: 24Photos: 91

MauritaniaArticles: 24Photos: 133

Successful surfEXPLORE projects and number of published materials by location:

Location Articles PhotosGabon 12 78Maldives 16 72Comoros 9 39India 10 80Madagascar 2 16Taiwan 4 8Algeria 12 65Italy 16 55Tunisia 3 19Mozambique 2 3Barbados 2 10Malaysia 6 30Panama 5 20Vietnam 4 20

Successfully completed projects

Future surfEXPLORE destinations

IndonesiaArticles: 46Photos: 192

Western Sahara

Articles: 46Photos: 192

KenyaArticles: 24Photos: 93

GhanaArticles: 24Photos: 91

South Korea

Articles: 36Photos: 134

OmanArticles: 30Photos: 128

ChinaArticles: 64Photos: 340

EXPOSURECountries: 25Articles: 431Photos: 2124

PhilippinesArticles: 18Photos: 80

Successfully completed projects

Future surfEXPLORE destinations

Media exposure

USASocial: 1.2M

Web: 2.3M

Print: 102k

UKSocial: 300k

Web: 100k

Print: 25k

EUSocial: 85k

Web: 43k

Print: 36k

BRASocial: 280k

Web: 700k

Print: 90k

SASocial: 18k

Web: 19k

Print: 9.6k

surfEXPLORE offers a multi-media marketing platform to promote your location globally including extensive social media coverage and access to over 20 established online and print surf and travel adventure outlets including Surfer, The Surfer’s Journal USA and theinertia.com; Hardcore and Revista Fluir Brazil; The Surfer’s Path, Carve UK and magicseaweed.com; Surfers Germany, Surf Sessions France, Surf News Italy and Surf Portugal; Surfing World Australia and swellnet.com; ZigZag South Africa; Nordic Surfers; Surf Trip Journal Japan and Lines Indonesia.

GLOBALSocial: 2.2MWeb: 3.3MPrint: 317k

NORDSocial: 7.8k

Web: 7k

Print: 4.5k

UKSocial: 300k

Web: 100k

Print: 25k

AUSSocial: 324k

Web: 150k

Print: 20k

SASocial: 18k

Web: 19k

Print: 9.6k

ASIASocial: 2.7k

Web: 30k

Print: 30k

15.7%

surfEXPLORE social reach

North America

19%

Europe 44%

Since the launch of our Facebook page in September 2010 we have grown to over 3k fans in every continent around the world. Our growth has been entirely organic and based on an average of 11 posts per month, yielding on average 60 new followers per month.

For all future surfEXPLORE projects, we will provide regular updates to all our social media profiles linked back to local agencies for improved social media exposure.

South America

7%

15.7%

Europe 44%

Asia Pacific15.7%

Africa 4.5%

Asia 9%

FollowersFacebook: 3,177Instagram: 754Twitter: 163

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Why surfEXPLORE?We are experienced: Our team has researched, produced and photographed projects to find new waves in more than 40 locations and have already completed 30 successful surfEXPLORE projects including Algeria, Western Sahara, Liberia, Ghana, Angola, Japan, China and Haiti.

We understand what it takes to deliver our projects and are experienced in all aspects of travel exploration including dealing with local politics, obtaining visas and permits and the intricacies of local customs and cultures.

Between us we have published over 5000 pages of editorial material, 100+ international cover images, 6 authored and illustrated books and created 4 surf travel documentaries in Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados and LIberia.

We are global:We offer an unparalleled opportunity for media exposure across multiple platforms including print, digital and social media.

We maintain contributor relationships with more than 50 surf and travel publications and websites worldwide and submit editorial in English, Español, Français, Italiano, Deutsch, Português, Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Bahasa Indonesian and have access to over 3M followers through our social media network.

We are sustainable:When researching new locations, we give priority to places that have a strong cultural, historical or social context, places whose appeal goes beyond the perfect wave. We feel it is essential to give back to the communities we visit and whenever possible, showcase local areas in our stories.

We participate in projects via local NGO’s or other recognised organisations. For example, in Haiti we joined a project to plant mango trees along hillsides previously stripped for charcoal. Sustaining charcoal use by replacing tree for tree is essential in reducing erosion and subsequent damage risk to coral in the sea nearby.

For future explorations, we are working with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation to connect with researchers requiring data collection and samples for projects in each of our locations and will partner with organisations such as the Marine Environmental Research Institute (MERI) to assist on studies looking at the extent of marine microplastic contamination in our oceans and the health of our marine habitats.

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Hainan Island, China

Manda Island, Kenya

Anjouan Island, Comoros

The surfEXPLORE team consists of world renowned editor and surf photographer John Callahan, sponsored rider, writer and photographer Emiliano Cataldi, professional surfer, explorer and researcher Erwan Simon and professional surfer, writer, author, presenter and lecturer Sam Bleakley.

Where possible we utilise the local expertise of guest surfers at each location including Holly Beck (USA), Chen Lin ‘Baybay’ Niu (TWN). Kassia Meador (USA), Tamara Benitez (PHL), Taylor Claire Miller (AUS), Easkey Britton (IRL), Phil Goodrich (USA), Icah Wilmot (JAM), Luke Landrigan (PHL), Zed Layson (BRB), Beto Castro (BRA), Randy Rarick (USA), Fred d’Orey (BRA), Hayato Maki (JPN), Marco Giorgi (URY), Mike Lim (SGP)

Team

Career Highlights:• 1992 - landmark surf travel project to Siargao Island in The Philippines where

John named the wave at Cloud 9, now regarded as one of the best surfing locations in Asia.

• 1998 - Planned, photographed and produced the first surfing expedition to the Andaman Islands of India by boat from Phuket Island in Thailand.

• 2003 - First surfEXPLORE project in the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia.• 2010 - Publication of Surfing Brilliant Corners with author Sam Bleakley.• 2013 - Placing the most images (33) of any photographer in the Stormrider Surf

Guide to Tropical Islands, most of which are from surfEXPLORE projects.

Illustrator for the following books, authored by Sam Bleakley: • Surfing Brilliant Corners, Alison Hodge Publishers UK 2009• Surfing Tropical Beats Mandarin Chinese version Hainan Publishing House 2011• Surfing Tropical Beats Alison Hodge Publishers UK, 2011

DOB: 07/05/1961From: Honolulu, HawaiiLives: SingaporeLanguages: English & Spanish

surfEXPLORE Contribution# of expeditions: 40# published articles: 240# published photos: 5,000 with over 100 international cover images

John is a founding member of surfEXPLORE and world renowned editor and surf photographer. Since 1988 he has contributed to more than 25 surfing and travel publications worldwide and his images feature in Getty Images, Alamy and iStockPhoto image libraries.

Prior to establishing surfEXPLORE, John worked as staff photographer with Surfing and Surfer Magazines, USA with more than 100 international book and magazine cover images.

John Callahan

Career Highlights:• 1999 - 2003 – 3 x European Longboard Champion• 2001 – BA (later MA) Geography University of Cambridge • 2003 – First surfEXPLORE trip with JS Callahan to Indonesia• 2010 – first authored book, Surfing Brilliant Corners• 2012 – second book, Surfing Tropical Beats, become the first surf travel

book translated into simplified Mandarin Chinese, published by the Hainan Publishing House

Books: • Editor - The Surfing Tribe: A history of Surfing in Britain, 2009• Author - Surfing Brilliant Corners, 2009• Author - Surfing Tropical Beats Mandarin Chinese version, 2011• Author - Surfing Tropical Beats, 2011• Pending Author - The Longboard Travel Guide: A Guide to the World’s 100 Best

Longboard Waves, 2013• Pending Author 2014 Longboard, The Writers Practice

DOB: 23/10/1978From: Cornwall, UKLives: Cornwall, UKLanguages: EnglishMA GeographyPhD Surf Travel Writing

surfEXPLORE Contribution# of expeditions: 29# published articles: 164# published photos: 820

Sam is a founding member of surfEXPLORE, travel writer, academic, author, presenter and Senior Lecturer in Cultural Tourism Management at Falmouth University. He has won multiple European and British Longboard Championships and competed at the annual World Longboard Championships since 1998. Sam has been a regular contributor to over 20 international surf and travel publications, both as writer and featured surfer, since 1996. He has written and/or appeared in over 70 different publications internationally with articles translated in to 11 different languages in surf, travel, adventure and newspaper publications. He has also featured in over 20 action sport DVD’s and documentaries and appeared in television programmes about surfing and travel on BBC, Channel 4 (UK) and ITV (UK) and presented 4 surf travel documentaries in Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados and

Sam Bleakley

Career Highlights:• 2004 – First surfEXPLORE trip with John Seaton Callahan to Indonesia.• 2006 – First double page spread picture published in the prestigious The

Surfer’s Journal (vol.15 n°3), an image soon to become iconic of Indonesian surf travel and published 15+ times over in international books and magazines.

• 2010 - Invited (as part of the surfEXPLORE team) by the Chinese Government and U1st management to research and document the surfing potential of the east coast of Hainan island leading up to the implementation of The Wanning International Surfing Festival. Following the surfEXPLORE’s hugely successful missions to Hainan, the island now hosts two ASP-sanctioned World Tour events and one ISA-sanctioned event yearly and has become the epicenter of surfing in China and a popular surfing hotspot in South East Asia.

• 2011 – Director of surfEXPLORE’s seminal surf documentary Mayumba, filmed in Gabon and screened at Surf Film Festivals in Europe (premiered at the San Sebastian Surf Film Festival in Spain) and the USA.

• 2011 – Featured in The Surfer’s Journal (vol.20 n°5) surfEXPLORE retrospective “The Internationalists” by Kimball Taylor.

DOB: 23/01/1976From: Rome, ItalyLives: Byron Bay, AustraliaLanguages: Italian, English, French, Spanish and basic Portuguese and Bahasa Indonesia.

surfEXPLORE Contribution# of expeditions: 28# published articles: 58# published photos: 337

Emiliano is a founding member of surfEXPLORE and sponsored surfer. He has been a regular contributor to over 20 international surf and travel publications both as writer and photographer since 1997. He is the Assistant Editor, Staff Writer and Staff Photographer for SurfNews Magazine (ITA) and previously worked as surf and travel consultant for Sipping Jetstreams Media. He has directed two surf documentaries, Statale 106 (2008) and Mayumba (2011) and has featured in over 50 international publications in 11 different languages.

Emiliano Cataldi

DOB: 02/10/1981From: Brittany, FranceLives: Brittany, FranceLanguages: English & French

surfEXPLORE Contribution# of expeditions: 15# published articles: 30# published photos: 285

Erwan is a founding member of surfEXPLORE and sponsored professional freesurfer. He has been researcher and photo and video coordinator for multiple expeditions and is a highly successful explorer. He has contributed to over 20 international surf and travel publications as a featured surfer from 2001 to present and written articles for all French-language surfing publications, The Surfer’s Journal (USA), Ocean Indien and many other travel magazines. He has also featured in sport documentaries and appeared in television programmes about surfing and travel on France TV, TV5, Al Jazeera, Ty Télé.Career Highlights:• 2007 – First surfEXPLORE trip with JS Callahan to Comoros.• 2007 - First ride of the Silver Dragon tidal bore in China (featured in French TV

prime time program Thalassa).• 2009 - Co-organiser of a video project in Haiti for a television documentary,

currently being shown on several long-haul routes by Air France.• 2010 - Invited (as part of the surfEXPLORE team) by the Chinese Government

and U1st management to research and document the surfing potential of the east coast of Hainan island leading up to the implementation of The Wanning International Surfing Festival. Following the surfEXPLORE’s hugely successful missions to Hainan, the island now hosts two ASP-sanctioned World Tour events and one ISA-sanctioned event yearly and has become the epicenter of surfing in China and a popular surfing hotspot in South East Asia.

Erwan Simon

surfEXPLORE on the White Dune in Western Sahara where the sands of the Sahara Desert meet the Atlantic Ocean

surfEXPLORE