004 | Partnering to Create an Eco-Conscious Yoga Mat | with Kassia Meador

Kassia Meador began surfing at 14, and by 17 she was a sponsored pro-longboarder, traveling the world and competing in surf events globally.

Known for her graceful surf style, Kassia was crowned the “queen of noseriding” by the New York Times and, in 2011, ranked 2nd on the WSL women’s longboard tour.

In 2013, Kassia left sponsored surfing to build KASSIA+SURF, a brand focused on quality instead of quantity, for women by women.

KASSIA+SURF pushes the limits of women’s surf culture, lifestyle, and design, all while using eco-conscious production.

Most recently, she’s partnered with Süga to create a yoga mat like no other: one created from recycled wetsuits.

Süga reengineered the yoga mat to feel better and perform better, while solving a pressing environmental problem – how to recycle non-biodegradable neoprene surfing wetsuits – leading to the creation of the world's first yoga mat made entirely out of recycled wetsuits. 

Süga spent two years researching and developing a way to recycle wetsuits, while also improving the performance of the traditional yoga mat. 

Because these mats are manufactured from neoprene, they’re uniquely closed-cell foam, which means they don’t sponge up bacteria, sweat, dust, and dirt from yoga studio floors like other mats. Süga mats also maintain their grippiness, whether dry or wet. 

When Kassia discovered Süga, she knew the yoga mats were a perfect way to recycle scraps of neoprene too small to recreate with; an opportunity to give unused neoprene another life. 

So KASSIA+SURF donated all of their unused scraps and partnered with Süga to create a wetsuit recycling program, which allows anyone to donate their used suits. In return, donors also receive a discount for new KASSIA+SURF products.

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