SHISEIDO BLUE PROJECT Respect Oceans,
Protect Beauty.

A Natural Love for the Ocean

It started early for BLUE PROJECT ambassador and pro surfer Kanoa Igarashi.

“Growing up in and around the ocean, I have always had a natural instinct to want to protect it,” Kanoa says.

At the age of six, he and his friends began picking up trash on Huntington Beach before and after surfing. Realizing there was nowhere to dispose of the trash they would find in the water, the would-be environmentalist successfully lobbied the Huntington City council to install trash cans closer to the water’s edge – an initiative that is still in place to this day.

What started out as something small among friends – “we just wanted our local beach to look nice” – soon progressed to something bigger.

As his surf career began to grow, so too did his audience. Kanoa saw this as an opportunity to spread the message of protecting and respecting the ocean and began using his platform to do so.

“It’s all about spreading the word,” Kanoa says. “Anybody can start picking up trash from the beach – it’s easy.
It doesn’t cost money, doesn’t take a lot of time, so the more we share that message, the more it will become engrained in people’s minds – and that’s when it becomes a way of life.”

As such, he urges everyone to follow in his footsteps, start small and do whatever they can: “I believe that if everyone in the world did just 1% more, the impact on our oceans would be huge.”

Paradise Found

The first thing that comes to mind when Kanoa discusses the theme of LOVING BLUE is – of course – the ocean, and when asked to share his most beautiful moment of blue, he describes with passion a recent surf trip:

“I was in the water off a remote island in Indonesia, and I remember looking around and all I saw was blue. There wasn’t one person to distract my view.” He continues, “I was having a hard time surfing because I was so amazed by how beautiful it was. All I could hear was the wind and the waves – other than that it was just pure silence.”

Asked what made it so special, he explains, “being out there in the water alone and experiencing Mother Nature at its best was paradise for me. Fish jumping all around me, perfect waves, and crystal-clear blue water. I couldn’t ask for more. It’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget.”

That was five months ago, before COVID-19 shook the world.

A Powerful Realization

Being kept out of the water due to the global pandemic forced Kanoa, like all of us, to adapt to a new way of life. It also gave him time to consider just how much the ocean means to him.

“There was one period where the world was on lockdown, and we weren’t allowed outside. I spent about two weeks just staring at the ocean from my window,” he recalls.
“I felt like I was getting drawn towards it, because for me, the ocean is where I wash away all my stress and all my anxiety. It’s where I get away from everything and take time for myself.”

He continues, “That time apart definitely made me realize just how powerful the ocean is.”

Looking Forward

Not one to dwell on the cancellation of what looked set to be the biggest year of his life, Kanoa is looking forward with positivity and determination.

“My goals remain the same as what I set out back in January: win a world title and win a gold medal.” He explains, “and whether that’s in three months or three years, I’ll be more prepared than ever”.

His fierce competitiveness is present in every aspect of his life – even his role as BLUE PROJECT Ambassador: “This too is a competition to me. I want to be a part of making the best, most eco-friendly sunscreen there is, and I want to share our message with as many people as we can. Alongside Shiseido, I think that’s a real possibility!”