Cigarette Surfboard Sells For $21,000 USD After Being Ridden By Jack Johnson's Bubble Toes

You probably remember the Cigarette Surfboard from previous stories on this portal.

Like the time that we tested the 10,000-butt, 17-pound, Ciggy Board v1 after it won Vissla's 2017 Creators And Innovators Upcycle Contest.

Or when the Fijian tube god, Tevita Gukilau, threaded an upgraded, single-fin Ciggy through a heroic Cloudbreak cave. 

But for those who don't know, the Ciggy Board boys, which includes master-craftsman Taylor Lane and filmmaker Ben Judkins, have decided to make a full-length film around their trash-based creation, using the board as a symbol for the cigarette flick, and how that act can be seen as a larger metaphor for humans' mistreatment of the earth. 

In the past two years, Taylor and Ben have created five Cigarette Boards (each one encapsulating thousands of cigarette butts removed from California beaches) and traveled to Ireland, England, Hawaii, Fiji, Costa Rica, etc., speaking with environmental experts and surfing with local characters along the way.

Last year, while on Oahu's North Shore, the boys met up with Jack Johnson, who was gracious enough to ride the Ciggy twin 3.0 and provide some thoughtful commentary. You can watch that video above.

The real story, however, is that through some series of film-born connections, the Ciggy Board boys were invited to display their creation at Oceana's 2019 Sea Change auction, where wealthy environmentalists (see: Leo Dicaprio) go each year to bid on unique products and experiences, with half of the proceeds going to charity (Oceana is the largest international organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation). 

But the Ciggy boys were unsure about this opportunity.

Auctioning off a Cigarette Surfboard felt like selling a child, so to speak, as they'd spent countless hours shaping, constructing, and lugging each of the unique designs around the globe.

But here's the thing about making a full-length documentary—it costs a lot of money. And despite sizable donations from friends, family, and GoFunders at the beginning of their journey, the Ciggy Boys were now completely dry, indebted even, thanks to their prolific travels and other costs associated with the project. 

And that's not to mention the hundreds upon hundreds of unpaid hours they'd both personally invested in the project. 

So, they accepted the offer and chose the Ciggy twin 3.0 (the one ridden by Jack Johnson) as their recuperation vessel, for the mere fact that Jack's previous caressing, riding, and endorsement of the board would up its perceived value. 

Last Saturday evening, the boys attended the Sea Change auction and presented their creation to Orange County's 1%. 

Plenty of rich passersby showed interest in the Ciggy Board and reveled in the story behind it, leading the boys to wonder if they were about to be million-, nay, billionaires.

Then, a text:

My husband surfed with Eddie Aikau on the North Shore in the ’70s.

I was born in Oahu and live between Hawai’i and California. I would

love to purchase the smaller board with the fish pattern on it. Can you tell me

if it’s available or when it will be available and the price.

Mahalo Nui Loa

 

As it turned out, one of those rich passersby was genuinely enamored with the Ciggy stick, but she had to leave the event before she could submit an official bid. 

When it came time for the live auction, no one outbid her absentee submission of $21,000—half of which would go to the Ciggy Boys and the other half to an ocean-based charity.  

So the boys didn't exactly make off like bandits, but it's worth noting that the Ciggy board outsold an 8-day aquatic excursion in Alaska ($14,200), a stay at Australia's "most iconic private island resort" ($12,500), and a pair of diamond ear chandeliers ($9,400). 

Cigarette butts, now more valuable than diamonds!

So we asked the Ciggy boys, what would they do with their newfound fortune (a shared $10,500)?

"Drugs and strippers," said the Ciggy board's creator, Taylor Lane. "No, just kidding. We'll pay off some credit card debt, fund our return back to Ireland, get some shirts printed, then it will probably be gone. But if there's anything left, it will go toward drugs and strippers."

Taylor likes to kid, but he's serious about making an impact. The Cigarette surfboard documentary will be out sometime in the next decade, so make sure to smoke them thangs while you still can.