From Ghost Nets to Surf Champions: The Story Behind the Saltrock Vintage Surf Classic Trophies

When we sponsored the Saltrock Vintage Surf Classic at the UK Surf Skate Expo 2026, we knew we wanted the winners to take home something special. Not just a trophy. A story.

That's why we partnered with North Devon-based sustainable design company Ecotribo to create a collection of bespoke trophies handcrafted from reclaimed ghost nets recovered from our coastline.

A Trophy with a Purpose

At first glance, the trophies looked like beautiful upright surfboards, engraved with the Saltrock logo and created exclusively for the event. But their story goes much deeper than their design.

The material used to create them came from discarded fishing nets, commonly known as "ghost nets", that had been recovered from local beaches and waters before being cleaned, processed and transformed into something meaningful. Ecotribo's entire approach is built around turning marine waste into durable products while helping remove harmful plastic from our coastline.

For us, that made these trophies far more valuable than something produced from virgin materials.

They represented the ocean we all love.

A Local Story Close to Home

What made this project even more special was discovering that the ghost nets used in these trophies came from Putsborough Beach. Just a few miles from Saltrock HO. 

Putsborough has long been a favourite destination for surfers, families and ocean lovers across North Devon. Knowing that waste collected from one of our local beaches could be transformed into trophies celebrating surf culture felt incredibly fitting.

As a brand that was born from a love of the coast, supporting initiatives that help protect our beaches and oceans is something we care deeply about.

The ocean has always been at the heart of Saltrock's story. It's inspired our designs, our lifestyle and our community for nearly four decades.

Meeting the People Behind Ecotribo

Ecotribo was founded by husband-and-wife team Tyrone and Carrie Probert, who are passionate about creating positive environmental impact through design.

Designed for Surf Culture

The Saltrock Vintage Surf Classic surfing competition celebrates everything we love about surfing: heritage, community, fun and respect for the ocean.

That's why a traditional trophy never felt quite right. The surfboard-shaped design captures the spirit of the event while the reclaimed material serves as a reminder that the future of our sport depends on protecting the environment that makes it possible.

Every trophy awarded at the competition carried a genuine piece of North Devon's coastline, transformed from waste into an object of pride.

Inspired by projects like the Saltrock Vintage Surf Classic, Ecotribo now offers a dedicated collection of sustainable trophies and medals crafted from reclaimed ghost nets and ocean plastics. If you're looking for a unique way to celebrate sporting achievements, business awards or community events, you can explore their full range of sustainable trophies and medals.

We're incredibly proud of what was created through this partnership and grateful to Tyrone, Carrie and the entire Ecotribo team for helping bring the vision to life.

By working together, we were able to celebrate surf culture, support a local business, remove waste from our coastline and create something genuinely memorable for the winners of the Saltrock Vintage Surf Classic.

That's the kind of impact we want to keep supporting.

"Knowing these trophies were made from ghost nets collected just a few miles from our head office made the project especially meaningful for the whole Saltrock team."