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The Cigarette Surfboard

Play trailer 3:03 Poster for The Cigarette Surfboard 2024 1h 33m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 100% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
An impassioned surfer, Taylor Lane, creates a functional surfboard with 10,000 littered cigarette butts collected from California beaches. The Cigarette Surfboard takes Taylor around the world to learn from professional surfers who are working to protect and restore the health of the ocean through science, education, art, business and political activism. Inspired by this global cast of characters (including Jack Johnson, Cliff Kapono, Easkey Britton and Mikey February), Taylor returns home to California and uses the Ciggy Boards to generate uproar on the environmental, human health, and economic impacts of cigarette butts. The Ciggy Boards become the symbol of a grassroots campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable for their toxic, plastic 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. Surfing is the medium, but the message is universal.

Critics Reviews

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Terry Staunton Radio Times Sep 8, 2026
4/5
Judkins and Lane fashion a joy of a film with serious points to make. Go to Full Review Beth Accomando KPBS.org Feb 19, 2025
The film is a beautiful and inspiring portrait of activism. Go to Full Review Bill Arceneaux Moviegoing with Bill Oct 27, 2024
3/5
Incredibly engaging, very smart, and totally rad. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Josh F @joshmfreund 4 days ago I watched this film at a screening in San Francisco in October 2024. Not only is this film about an important topic, but it's incredibly well made. You'll actually enjoy the experience of watching this movie, both from a content perspective and a format perspective. Great subject and great filmmaking! Plus, you'll probably leave the movie feeling inspired to make the world a better place. See more Lil T @RT81978262 Sep 11, 2026 Having cleaned butts off the beach in Oceanside for years, we absolutely loved the thoughtfulness and enthusiasm behind this film. I know it has touched and inspired both young and old. I hope it will be shown in early education classrooms. Thanks for the memories, for telling this story and for all the butt collecting you have done and inspired others to do. See more Stephen M @RT00642509 Sep 11, 2026 My wife and I have seen this movie twice when it came through Bend OR. Inspiring both times. We lived by the beach and made picking up trash a priority while walking. It was sad the number of butts we collected. I truly feel everyone should c this film See more Brendan L @brendanvlange Aug 26, 2026 A beautiful, inspiring film - bravo! See more Jane S @gratefuljane Aug 15, 2026 I was captivated throughout the entire film and found it to be very inspirational and motivating in terms of what we can all do to help protect the ocean! I loved the innovative designs that they used to create a beautiful surfboard from … cigarette butts! How is that possible! I've been teaching marine conservation for over 40 years and this film shows a whole new way to get important conservation messaging out to a wide audience. Bravo!! Jane King Silberstein (on the board of Save Our Shores) See more Eric O @RT55037490 Aug 11, 2026 I saw this in San francisco in August of 2024 and loved it so much I saw it again in santa cruz in 2025. Inspiring and a pleasure to watch See more Read all reviews
The Cigarette Surfboard

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Cast & Crew

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Ben Judkins

Director

Taylor Lane

Self

Jack Johnson

Self

Cliff Kapono

Self

Easkey Britton

Self

Fergal Smith

Self

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The Cigarette Surfboard

The Cigarette Surfboard: Trailer 1 The Cigarette Surfboard: Trailer 1 3:03 Now Playing View more videos
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The Cigarette Surfboard

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Movie Info

Synopsis An impassioned surfer, Taylor Lane, creates a functional surfboard with 10,000 littered cigarette butts collected from California beaches. The Cigarette Surfboard takes Taylor around the world to learn from professional surfers who are working to protect and restore the health of the ocean through science, education, art, business and political activism. Inspired by this global cast of characters (including Jack Johnson, Cliff Kapono, Easkey Britton and Mikey February), Taylor returns home to California and uses the Ciggy Boards to generate uproar on the environmental, human health, and economic impacts of cigarette butts. The Ciggy Boards become the symbol of a grassroots campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable for their toxic, plastic 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. Surfing is the medium, but the message is universal.
Director
Ben Judkins
Producer
Taylor Lane, Ben Judkins
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 33m
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