Eco-Friendly Surfing

Eco-Friendly Surfing

Recent news reports point to a depressing future for surfers because of global climate change. Climatologists are forecasting smaller waves in about 25% of the ocean, including some of the world’s most epic surfing spots. Beaches are shrinking as well, causing damage to coastal habitats on which some sea-life depends. The good news is that the world is waking up to the need for drastic ecological changes and, while some damage is irreversible, things can and are changing for the better of the environment. People have become more concerned about recycling and using products made from low-pollution and recyclable materials. Of course, the surfing community is leading the way and has become more eco-friendly with the use of green materials to make surfboards.

Surfboards were originally made of wood. Hundreds of years ago, Polynesians carved boards by hand from trees indigenous to their habitat. Surfboards with wood blanks are still made, and some surfers prefer them. They key to making an eco-friendly wood surfboard is to use wood from sustainable or farm grown trees; like balsa. Balsa is a strong, hard wood and the trees grow very quickly.

Surfboards are also being made with materials such as at least 40% recycled or biological based foam known as foam blanks. Using foam blanks is better for the environment because the recycled foam used didn’t end up in our landfills or watersheds. It’s also healthier for surfboard makers, reducing their exposure to toxic chemicals otherwise used in traditional polyurethane boards.

Each of us must do our part in diminishing the impact of global warming by reducing our carbon footprint. Every choice we make, from the surfboard we ride to the snacks we eat can make a difference. At Whale Tails Tortilla Chips we employ environmentally sound business practices such as using organic ingredients and degradable packaging. Contact us for more information about our mission and to find our products. Remember, if we all make small changes we can make a big and lasting impact for the better.

Pig Makes Big Splash For Marine Life

Sunshine, beach, waves, a board, and....a pig??  Yes, a surfing pig has become the latest online viral hit. Matthew Bell posted a video, captured with a board-mounted GoPro camera, on Youtube last month, showing himself hitting the waves with his two-month-old pet pig Zorro.

"We've had a couple of pigs and I always thought it would be fun to surf with one," Bell told the New Zealand Herald. 

Figuring it "could be a fun idea" to teach a pig how to ride his longboard, he soon realized that Zorro took to it..well, like a pig takes to water.  Of course, their first appearance on the beach was exactly what one would expect, beachgoers looked at them like they were crazy. Matthew found himself fielding such questions as whether pigs can swim (apparently they stick their snouts up in the air and go for it!).

It wasn't long before the piglet became a hit on Mt Maunganui's Main Beach.

Since the video posted, 27-year-old Matthew and Zorro have been featured in newspapers, TV shows, and websites around the world. However, going viral isn't the focus of this innovative surfer and his porcine companion. They're utilizing all of this new found media exposure to draw attention to the group Kiwis Against Seabed Mining (KASM), hoping to increase awareness of Maui's marine life, especially the critically endangered dolphin.

So, the next time you're at the beach, watching the surfers catching waves,enjoying your Whale Tails Chips and salsa, and think you see a pig on a longboard...you could be right!

To share your great Whale Tails experience, contact us!

Of Gray Oceans and Red-Orange Salsa

Winter is a beautiful time to be near the ocean. Gray skies blend seamlessly into the horizon, making it difficult to discern where sky meets sea. Northern Pacific storms create epic surfing conditions up and down the west coast, washing natural treasures onto sandy beaches. The shoreline is pristine and quiet; sometimes the only footprints left behind are those made by flocks of Rock Sandpipers and California Gulls.
But still.
In the depths of winter (albeit a California one), we here at Whale Tails yearn for the heat of the sun and a little color to brighten our days. Even the hearty soups and stews that are a mainstay this time of year are beginning to feel a little heavy and overdone. But with the relief of spring feeling like an eternity from now, what's a sun-starved soul to do?
Make winter salsa, of course. A spicy, citrusy salsa that warms the belly, clears the sinuses and brightens any table, even on the darkest of days.
Dog Days of Winter Salsaadapted from Gourmet magazine
1 28-oz. can whole or chopped tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 dried chiles japones*
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped small
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 navel orange
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup olive oil
1 T fresh lime juice
1/2 t. salt
In a skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is hot, add chiles japones. Turn until all sides of chiles have blackened. Remove from pan. Turn up heat to medium. Add onions and yellow bell pepper, sauteeing until vegetables are soft, about five minutes.
Grate 1/2 tsp. of zest from orange and reserve. Squeeze juice from orange. Add orange juice to onion mixture and cook 1 minute. Set aside.
In small food processor, add remaining olive oil and blackened chiles; puree. Dice tomato and in a medium bowl, add reserved zest, onion mixture, garlic, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Add oil/chile mixture. Stir until well mixed. Salsa keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week.

* available at Hispanic markets
contact us

Tummy Growling? Look for Healthy Vending Options

I am sure you have been there. You have spent the day surfing or on the beach with your family. All the snacks were eaten on the beach, or perhaps they were eaten in the car on the way to your next destination. You are trying to eat as healthy as possible, but your schedule sometimes gets tight, which causes you to eat on the run occasionally. Whether you are at work on an empty stomach or at the hospital visiting a loved one, you will find healthy vending options in your nearest snack machines.

One of those healthy vending options is Whale Tail's Blue Corn Tortilla Chips infused with Chia. Chia seed is a super food that contains omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-3's are known to lower cholesterol. 

They are also a good source of fiber, protein, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. For hundreds of years, this tiny seed was used by the Aztecs as their main energy source. Plant Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Cleveland Clinic

Not only is it healthy to eat our chips, it is incredibly fun too. The tortilla chips are shaped like a whale's tail. 

Having the Chia infused into the Corn Chips is not the only reason that the chips are healthy for you. All varieties of Whales Tail's Chips are made with Organic Corn that is grown in the USA. Our chips are naturally gluten free. They do not contain any genetically modified organisms or Trans Fat, and they are kosher.

Next time your tummy is growling, and you are far from a carrot stick but near a vending machine, look for our organic tortilla chips. We have 3 varieties.

• Original Yellow Corn Chips with “Alaea” Red Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salt
• Hawaiian Barbeque Flavor Chip
• Blue Tor"Chia" Chips

Contact us if you have any questions, or to find a distributor near you.

The MOF (Mauli Ola Foundation) COOL DUDE Tour 2012 rolls into La Jolla Shores

The MOF (Mauli Ola Foundation) COOL DUDE Tour2012 rolls into La Jolla Shores.

On Sunday June 17 the Mauli Ola Foundation 2012 COOL DUDE Tour made it's fifth stop in it's nationwide tour at La Jolla Shores California. The Mauli Ola Foundation exists to introduce surfing as a natural treatment to people with genetic disorders. Since 2007 MOF has concentrated on the amazing connection between Surfing and Cystic Fibrosis.

With a backdrop of ideal sunny weather and good sized surf, young Cystic Fibrosis patients and their families enjoyed top notch surfing instruction from local and international surf stars. Among those helping out with the lessons were Shawn "Barney" Barron of Mavericks fame, big wave rider David Langer and  Kalani Robb  from Hawaii's North Shore. Representing the local instructors was Kara Kraszewski of Menehune Surf School in La Jolla

"A big mahalo to the community of La Jolla Shores for granting  permission to hold an event on their beach. There’s a lot of private homes, but the HOA and the community were very supportive of our cause, and they granted us the use of their beach."said MOF Surf Experience Director, Bobby Serna.

The MOF Surf Experience Days impart the message of natural saline therapy.  Serna is passionate about Mauli Ola Foundation’s partnering with hospitals, explaining that these ongoing hospital partnerships are crucial in “leading families to understand that it is a medical treatment we are providing.”

The CF patients down at La Jolla Shores ranged in age from 5 years old to young adults. For MOF Surf Experience Director, Bobby Serna, watching these kids build self-esteem through surfing is one of the most rewarding aspects of his job. “Most of these kids, no matter how athletic they are, they’ll eventually have a CF episode where they lack stamina and become out of breath.”  Though feeling different while participating in athletic activities can take a toll on their self-esteem, Mauli Ola, which  means "Breath of Life" in Hawaiian, provides a safe and encouraging environment where these kids can just be kids and feel like they are succeeding out there on the waves.

“Anything to put a smile on their faces and to help these kids live a longer and happier life” said Bobby Serna

The events and the Cool Dude tour is made possible by numerous sponsors including etnies, Skull Candy, Ambry Genetics, Hybrid, Flexfit, Screen Candy, and Vitamin Water. Organic Snack provider at the La Jolla Shores event was Whale Tails Tortilla Chips.

The Mauli Ola La Jolla CF Surf day continues the "Cool Dude" tour that kicked off May 5 at Churches State Beach in San Clemente, California. with professional surfers embarking on a National Tour introducing surfing as a natural treatment for Cystic Fibrosis in HI, CA, TX, FL, SC, NC, VA, MD, NJ, NY, MA and RI. 

To Learn More about MOF visit : www.mauliola.org