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  • Ben Judkins, Director
  • Taylor Lane, Producer

The tail of a surfboard made out of cigarette butts floats on water, the text "The Cigarette Surfboard: A Film by Ben Judkins" is written in the bottom right corner in white

About the Project

Small decisions and actions, like littering a cigarette butt, cumulatively can have a large impact, for better or for worse. After young designer Taylor Lane realizes that a surfboard – which he crafted from thousands of littered cigarette butts picked up off California beaches – could captivate the eyes of millions across the globe, he decides to use it as the impetus to do something remarkable. The Cigarette Surfboard takes us on a journey around the world to meet with professional surfers who are protecting and restoring the health of the ocean – through the multifaceted spectrum of science, education, farming, business, and legislative advocacy. Inspired by this global cast of characters, Taylor returns home to Santa Cruz and uses the Cigarette Surfboard as the symbol of a grassroots campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable for their toxic, plastic cigarette butt waste. This immersive documentary provides viewers an up close experience of the ocean through surfers' eyes, to amplify a message of urgency and possibility regarding the ocean's wellbeing.