Inspired by the 71% of the planet covered by water, Blackburn Design has created WATER CYCLE, an ongoing documentary film project.

In the second chapter, OCEAN, we follow Ashley Llyod Thompson, a surf shaper from Santa Cruz, California. Ashley took time away from her shaping studio to travel with her husband and son to Mexico in search of quiet surf breaks. Many of the best breaks are tough to access and aren’t on any map. Fat bikes made the most sense to enjoy these secret places. Along the way, she found some beautiful quiet moments with the ocean and with her family. These are the simple joys that life on a bike can bring.

Ashley has been an avid surfer since she was a child, eventually turning her passion into a career shaping surfboards and teaching new riders. As she became closer to her craft and the ocean around her, she adopted an emphasis on sustainable building practices that respected both her ability to ride huge waves, and desire to do as little harm as possible to the planet.

Our fragile oceans sustain life on our planet, but increasingly, they are polluted with plastic waste. This waste can range from single use plastic products like cup lids, and take out bags, to microscopic particulates that kill fish and foul beaches. Protecting our oceans is important to Blackburn and so for this project we’ve partnered with Sustainable Surf to bring attention to the continued need to be stewards of our oceans. If this is something that resonates with you, consider becoming involved with one of Sustainable Surfs initiatives. sustainablesurf.org/

“Vence is where I grew up and learned mountain biking, so for me, it was very special to take the film crew on my childhood trails. Vence is a beautiful spot, rocky and technical the trails are awesome and the possibilities are endless. The Hei Hei was really good in this environment, agile and dynamic. The bike was awesome on the climbs and the sketchy switchbacks, making it a great companion for adventures and long rides!

From alpine to the coast the bike was sick, we rode a bunch of different terrain and I had a lot of fun putting the bike into speed, railing the loam or grey dirt! In this terrain, where all the trails are hiking trails you have to pick the best line to make the turns and keep momentum, I love to adapt my lines with the bike type and find the best vibe on the trail.” -Tito Tomasi