Pro surfer, surf photographer, Kona Brewing to make beach cleanup stop in Juno Beach

Eddie Ritz, Palm Beach Post
·2 min read
Surfers wait to catch a wave in Juno Beach, Florida on June 8, 2022.
Surfers wait to catch a wave in Juno Beach, Florida on June 8, 2022.

A beautiful beach combined with glassy waves and gentle offshore breezes is the dream of most surfers.

Surf photographer Sarah Lee (left) and professional surfer Anna Gudauskas, enjoy a couple cold Kona beers following their beach cleanup in Rockaway Beach, N.Y.
Surf photographer Sarah Lee (left) and professional surfer Anna Gudauskas, enjoy a couple cold Kona beers following their beach cleanup in Rockaway Beach, N.Y.

But the reality is, that even when that dream is reality, it's more than likely tainted by plastic bags, bottles, cigarette butts, old shoes and worse.

Though dirty beaches are nothing new and, thankfully, are not usually enough to ruin a good day, what can be done to curb this scourge?

Surfer Anna Gudauskas and surf photographer Sarah Lee, in a partnership with Kona Brewing Company, are on a mission this summer to tackle the problem.

During the second stop on their 'Catch a Clean Wave' tour in Rockaway Beach, N.Y., Anna Gudauskas (center), Sarah Lee (taking picture) and dozens of volunteers cleaned the beach.
During the second stop on their 'Catch a Clean Wave' tour in Rockaway Beach, N.Y., Anna Gudauskas (center), Sarah Lee (taking picture) and dozens of volunteers cleaned the beach.

Called the 'Catch a Clean Wave' tour, they have launched an eight-stop tour down the East Coast that stops in Juno Beach next week. At each stop, the pair surf with locals, drink a beer or two and pick up garbage off of the beaches.

Though the waves were glassy and fun in Maine for Anna Gudauskas and surf photographer Sarah Lee, the water was a wee bit nippy at 52 degrees.
Though the waves were glassy and fun in Maine for Anna Gudauskas and surf photographer Sarah Lee, the water was a wee bit nippy at 52 degrees.

More than  a talk or a social media campaign to raise awareness, Gudauskas and Lee are rolling up their sleeves, picking up trash and getting things done.

This campaign is in its second year, with the inaugural tour traveling down the west coast from Washington State to Southern California in 2021.

During that tour, their teams picked up nearly 250 pounds of trash.

Gudauskas and Lee said they were approached by Kona Brewing Co. about the idea, then hammered out the details and took action.

Their eight stops on the East Coast include York, Maine; Boston, Mass.; Rockaway, N.Y.; Asbury Park, N.J.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Tybee Island, Ga.; Juno Beach and Cocoa Beach.

During most of the stops they said they'll go for surf with the locals in the morning and then get busy organizing the day's cleanup, working with reps from Kona Brewing Co.

Kona Brewing Co. makes bags and gloves available to everyone participating.

During their first stop in Maine on June 6, Gudauskas said they surfed some fun waves at two spots but the water was a bit chilly at 52 degrees.

Working their way down the coast over the next week, they will be stopping in Juno Beach on Wednesday.

Professional surfer Anna Gudauskus picks up trash as part of a series of beach cleanups to raise awareness about the threats of pollution.
Professional surfer Anna Gudauskus picks up trash as part of a series of beach cleanups to raise awareness about the threats of pollution.

In Juno, the beach cleanup begins at 4 p.m. with a meet up after at The Thirsty Turtle for libations, story and good times.

For more information about the campaign, please visit https://konabrewingco.com/.  To register for the Juno Beach event, check out clean up.

Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Juno beach cleanup with pro surfer, surf photographer, Kona Brewing