The iQFOiL class’s designers, Starboard, is a watersports company leading the world in both its innovative products and approach to environmental action. The new quickly growing windsurfing class is making its debut at the 2024 Paris. Working with the Worldview International Foundation, Starboard has combined elite sport and action for the planet, by planting enough mangroves/sea trees, to make iQFOiL the first and only 10X climate-positive sport concerning equipment and athlete’s travels. Over the last 4 years, Starboard has initiated a drawdown of 10x more CO2 than the production of the equipment, the athlete’s global event travels and the company’s own emissions.
The iQFOiL represents the forefront of watersport equipment design. The innovative setup enables athletes to harness the power of nature to fly across the water at high speed. Demonstrating their appreciation of the environment, Starboard has made sure that the iQFOiL is the first Olympic Class to give back to nature, in recognition of the fact that action must be taken to preserve the future of sport across the globe.
Starboard achieves this through, firstly, measuring the impact that the production of iQFOiL equipment has on the climate. Using industry-specific software, Starboard strives to calculate the carbon footprint of the iQFOiL as accurately as possible. Their methodologies factor in emissions from raw materials, manufacturing and transport of the kit, from the foil to the foot straps, to produce a fully comprehensive insight into the equipment’s impact. The latest calculations reveal the total carbon footprint of a full senior iQFOiL set up to be 721.31 kg CO2e.
Starboard is also showcasing reduction efforts with its experimental eQFOiL board concept, utilizing volcanic fibers, pine wood, and recycled nylon. They are however limited to only 60% renewable energy due to current restrictions within the industrial park in Thailand where their production is taking place.
Equipped with this information, Starboard then plants enough mangroves to absorb 10 times the amount of carbon dioxide associated with iQFOiL equipment – This equates to 22 mangroves planted per full senior setup.
In addition, Starboard recognizes the impact of running iQFOiL events across the globe. To remedy this, they collect travel information from every athlete and staff, as well as energy usage data on location, to quantify the total emissions resulting from each major event. Since 2021 Starboard and Worldview International Foundation have planted over 155,000 Mangroves with VERRA certification, on behalf of iQFOiL events.
For Starboard, the benefits of mangroves go far beyond just carbon sequestration. As a watersports company, Starboard is committed to protecting the oceans, for both their business and enjoyment. Known as ‘sea trees’, mangroves serve to safeguard ocean health, through their incredible ability to purify water and remove toxic pollutants. Research has even revealed their coral reef protection capabilities and their importance to the entire ecosystem is widely understood.
Starboard uses only 50% of the sequestrated carbon for their own calculations, allowing 40% to be offered as the highest quality Blue Carbon credits, creating millions of US$ in support towards sustainable development in the WIF climate parks, over a 20-year period.
Starboard’s Plastic Offset Team also picks up 11.4 kg beach ocean plastic per iQFOiL board manufactured, the same as the weight of the board. The team has collected over 900,000 kg of beach ocean plastic since 2017.
Overall, the collaboration between Worldview International Foundation, Starboard, and the iQFOiL class, is re-writing the status quo on the environmental impact of sports. Events, classes and athletes no longer have to be villainized for their negative impact, as the iQFOiL demonstrates a perfect case of how sport can instead make a significant positive impact. Hope exists that, in the near future, all sports can unite to turn the tide on climate change.
Quote from Starboard founder Svein Rasmussen:
“WIF and its founder Arne Fjoertoft, have enabled the iQFOiL class to pioneer ambitious goals and climate goals which also are closely linked to far-reaching livelihood projects. Now we are looking forward to how we can expand environmental action towards 2028, and possibly see the entire Games draw down 10x more emissions than it is creating. Sports is all about pushing the limits and the Olympics in Los Angeles are destined to become the greatest games ever.”
Photo Credit: iQFOiL Class
