The new Olympic sport turning heads on and off the water.
In less than 100 days, you can expect fast-paced action coming from Marseille Marina. But for iQFOiL, it doesn’t stop there. The new Olympic class is also leading the sporting world with its innovative approach to environmental action.
What is iQFOiL?
iQFOiL is the new windsurfing class being introduced for the Olympic Games this July. It will be replacing the previous RS:X class and aims to bring more speed and excitement to the Games. With the introduction of a hydrofoil beneath the board the riders are able to ‘fly’ above the water. With this reduced water resistance, iQFOiL can reach speeds of a staggering 38 knots.
What is iQFOiL Doing Differently?
Undoubtedly, sport is good for people, but it should be good for the planet too. The iQFOiL class is on a mission to show that sport can make a positive impact. Together with Starboard (the iQFOiL equipment producers) the class is planting mangroves, cleaning up beaches and supporting communities. In addition, the class is working closely with World Sailing and the wider marine industry to improve sustainability in sailing events and equipment.
10X Climate Positive
While you may have heard phrases like ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘net-zero’ from companies offsetting their emissions, iQFOiL takes things ten steps further. For every tonne of CO2e emitted during the production of iQFOiL equipment, enough mangroves are planted to absorb this amount 10 times over. That’s approximately 22 mangroves planted for every Senior iQFOiL Set up – you can check out the full 2023 calculation methodology here.
It’s not only iQFOiL equipment that is striving to be 10X climate positive, since 2021 iQFOiL have worked to calculate travel and fuel emissions from major iQFOiL and offset these 10X over as well.
Mangroves are the class’s means of turning negatives into positives, in more ways than one. The miraculous trees not only have 5 times the carbon sequestration ability of average terrestrial trees, but as they grow together into vast Blue Carbon ecosystems, mangrove forests serve to protect coastlines, support fisheries, purify water and are home to over 1500 species. iQFOiL’s Mangroves are planted by the Worldview International Foundation in Myanmar, an NGO who are working to regenerate millions of acres of deforested land while supporting and empowering the communities around them.
Cleaning up beaches and supporting communities
Globally, ocean plastic-pollution is a worsening problem that is hard to avoid in the world of windsurfing. Recognising this, iQFOiL is supporting the removal of 11.4kg of shoreline plastic per iQFOiL board. That’s the equivalent to the weight of the board in plastic waste removed from the environment.
This plastic is collected by the Starboard Plastic Offset Program. A social and environmental initiative that employs local teams in Thailand and Myanmar to collect, sort and responsibly dispose of any plastic found within 50 metres of the ocean. Crucially, the program also provides environmental education to local schools and villages to educate on the problem of plastic and preventing pollution.
The Plastic Offset Program also supports sustainable development for vulnerable communities in Myanmar, by providing livelihood training to upskill individuals and empower them to develop their own businesses. Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has faced ongoing conflict and civil unrest, which has made the support even more vital.
Elite Sport as a Launchpad for Eco Innovation
In the pursuit of equipment which ultimately generates minimal environmental impact, Starboard is showcasing the latest industry developments in sustainable materials and processes in their upcoming eQFOiL concept board.
Introducing the ‘e’ for ‘eco’, the concept board aims to demonstrate the possibilities for sporting equipment, both in the marine sphere and across the games. One key feature being the replacement of energy-intensive carbon fibre, with basalt fibres as a significantly lower-emission alternative.
Through sharing knowledge, Starboard and iQFOiL hope to use this project to inspire and unify the sports industry to work together towards a greener future.
“This project really highlights the R&D work Starboard is doing behind the scenes to improve the impact of its products. The eQFOiL is only one board, but represents the continuous development Starboard is doing on novel and innovative ways of making sports equipment.”
Quick Facts
- iQFOiL is one of the new disciplines being introduced for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and LA 2028.
- It is the first Olympic Class to have prioritised environmental impact since its conception.
- In iQFOiL ‘i’ stands for innovation and ‘Q’ stands for quality.
- The design is innovative as the entire setup can take-flight in as little as 6 knots of wind and can achieve record-breaking speeds of 38 knots.
- 22 Mangroves planted and 11.4kg of shoreline plastic collected for every Starboard Setup.
- It is the only 10X climate positive sport at the Olympics… so far!
Photo Credit: iQFOiL Class
