Surfrider Foundation hosts screening of documentary ‘The Cigarette Surfboard’ on Oct. 22

The Surfrider Foundation Maui Chapter is proud to announce a special community screening of “The Cigarette Surfboard,” an acclaimed environmental documentary detailing the intersection of art, surf culture, and grassroots ocean activism.

The screening will take place on Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Maui Ocean Center Sphere Theater from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Check in will be at 5:30 p.m. and there will be a Surfrider Maui meet and greet prior to the film.

Directed by Ben Judkins, “The Cigarette Surfboard” follows industrial designer and surfer Taylor Lane as he constructs a fully functional, high-performance surfboard using 10,000 toxic cigarette butts collected directly from California’s coastlines. What started as a singular, eye-catching build for a Surfrider upcycling competition has evolved into a global symbol for plastic pollution awareness and a campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable for its non-biodegradable waste.

Cigarette filters — made from cellulose acetate, a type of plastic — persistently rank as the most littered item in the world and make up roughly one-quarter of all debris collected during beach cleanups. “The Cigarette Surfboard” highlights the gravity of this plastic crisis while celebrating local policy victories, such as the groundbreaking bans on single-use cigarette filters passed across Santa Cruz County.

“Surfers are intimately tied to the marine environment; we are the litmus test of society when our oceans are polluted,” said Judkins. “The film is designed to be optimistic, solution driven, and a catalyst for anyone wondering how they can protect their local coastlines.”

“We want to use this incredible surf film to mobilize our local community,” said Maureen Brock, Chair from the Surfrider Maui Chapter. “By looking at this problem through a creative lens, we can drive local action, pressure tobacco corporations, and push for ordinances that stop plastic pollution at the source.”

Event Details:

• What: Film Screening of The Cigarette Surfboard
• When: Thursday, Oct. 22 5:30 p.m.
• Where: Maui Ocean Center Sphere Theater
• Admission: Admission is free, seating is limited. RSVP at www.maui.surfrider.org/events

Any donations from this event will directly benefit the Surfrider Foundation Maui Chapter to fund ongoing beach cleanups, climate action programs, plastic reduction campaigns, and regional clean water initiatives.