The Party That Will Change Surfing

Grossing over $550,000 in its first three years, Liquid Nation Ball, the brainchild of Fernando and Santiago Aguerre, is fast becoming, if not already, one of the largest charitable, surf-based humanitarian endeavors the industry has seen to date. Flanked by his brother Santiago, with whom he co-founded Reef, and pro surfer Rob Machado, Fernando Aguerre addressed an intimate surf media ensemble early in July at his palatial La Jolla home, which doubles as the event’s venue, regarding the Ball’s new aim.
Initially a fundraiser for malaria stricken children in the Mentawais, the focus and face of Liquid Nation Ball has changed. This year’s event, the second which Surf Industry Manufacturer’s Association (SIMA) has facilitated, will feature a live auction and a guest list highlighted by the who’s who of surfing. The proceeds from the event will benefit the SIMA Humanitarian Fund. The money raised will be divvied up amongst 13 groups in the following areas: health education and awareness, urban youth outreach, global medical relief, and injury prevention and assistance.
“My hope would be that what Liquid Nation becomes is the infectious point for humanitarian causes,” Fernando Aguerre said. “So that a lot of the people who attend the Ball will say, ‘You know what, this is great. I want to do something for a different group’ or ‘I want to do the same but in my country.’”
Inciting change is no easy feat – it’s bigger than being green or buying blue. The message at the heart of the Ball requires a paradigm shift and is northing short of revolutionary, and that takes time and education. Conditioning service-based volunteerism and activism as the rule and not the exception is a process, and Santiago Aguerre feels Liquid Nation Ball can be the catalyst.
“A lot of these organizations, nobody knows them that well,” Santiago Aguerre said. “A few people in some companies will, but at this house during the party, I would say from the top five guys from every company, three of them will be here. And you can name the top 25 surf companies, and they all will be here. So (the charities) have the chance for the first time to be able to shake hands with somebody outside of a business environment and just have a chat and teach about what they are doing.”
For Rob Machado, an honorary committee member, it was his first hand experience with the Mentawai region that served as his call to action and involvement with Liquid Nation Ball. “It was just a no brainer,” Machado said. “After going to Indo and sitting on these multi-million dollar yachts, and you go on land and you see these kids suffering and living in such brutal conditions – it’s such an obvious thing that needed to be done. And now to see it just grow to this point, it’s just amazing. I already work with a lot of these people, so it’s pretty cool.”
Liquid Nation Ball, held during ASR weekend on Saturday, September 8th, is unique considering the percentage of the total proceeds it donates to the charities. Roughly 70 to 75 percent of the amount raised goes to the organizations, with Surf Aid International taking the lion’s share. “It’s not like we do a big party, we spread caviar and champagne and all these great things, and then, okay, here is our token 10 percent or 20 percent, which happens a lot of the time,” Fernando Aguerre said.
Though the money is helpful, conceptually the event is about raising awareness. “It’s what we call a social responsibility of success,” Fernando Aguerre said. “You give back, and you don’t just give back when you’re absolutely rich and retired at home, but you give back all the time, all the way, so it becomes a component of a successful business.”
Again, money isn’t the driving force behind this event, and let’s be honest, as surfers most of us don’t have the disposable income to cut a donation check on a whim. The asset those behind Liquid Nation Ball are after is your time. Visit www.sima.com to learn more about this year’s beneficiaries. Change the way you think and act.