SIGNE
WHO IS SIGNE
Signe Mossing Sørensen, 18-year old windsurfer, windsurf instructor, and an artistic young entrepreneur who gives sea glass new life! Signe is a student at Egaa Gymnasium in Aarhus and runs her own company, SeaglassBySigne.
Growing up with the amazing sport of windsurfing, passed down from her father as a way of living, Signe developed a strong connection to the ocean while spending hours challenging herself in the water both physically and mentally. “When you’re a windsurfer, your sport depends solely on weather conditions”, she tells us. Thus, when the conditions are not as good as the forecast predicted, Signe ends up taking long walks along the beach, where she collects materials for her other passion: upcycling!
SEAGLASS AS INSPIRATION FOR UPCYCLING
“In the beginning, while walking along the beach, I could not help noticing all the litter lying around, and I quickly became aware of how much litter actually ended up on the beaches. I started picking it up and wondered if any of it could be useful in some kind of way.” That is how, among other things, she discovered sea glass. Seaglass originates from glass bottles or other glassware that was washed into the ocean. The ocean then naturally breaks it down in small pieces and tumbles it for decades - approximately 20-30 years - before it ends up back ashore in the form it is found.
“The broken glass with its unique shapes and colours came to my attention, and few pieces were actually polished and had their own kind of beauty. I learnt that the polished glass was called sea glass and ended up looking for it whenever I walked along a beach.” As her sea glass collection grew, Signe started making pendants and earrings from sea glass as gifts for friends and family. Eventually, the project became her own business, called SeaglassBySigne. Signe aspires that her jewellery becomes a ‘beautiful reminder’ of human-caused pollution, or even a #tavaha symbol to act on it; she ultimately hopes that it ignites a conversation and raises awareness of the footprint we set on our oceans.
“The ocean plays a major role in my life, as it is both my workplace and also my playground being a windsurfer. The beauty of sea glass is that each piece is completely unique with its own untold story. What was its original purpose? Why did it end up in the ocean? How long has it been there? And what journey has it been on? We’ll never know the answers for sure, but our imagination is the only limit.”
HUMBLED BY THE OCEAN
The ocean has given Signe an exciting sport in her life, along with new friendships. “This fall I finally tried windsurfing in Hanstholm (by the Danish west coast) for the first time, in waves a lot bigger than I’m used to. It was the most extreme and exciting surf session I’ve ever had. I remember feeling both scared and happy at the same time - so many boundaries were crossed that day.”
Being humbled by the ocean through windsurfing and sea glass upcycling, Signe also mentions the responsibility we all bear towards it. For her, our footprint is a major issue, but also one we can control when we understand the big threats of plastic pollution and the dependency of ecosystems on a clean ocean. “With the increasing world population, the amount of human trash in the ocean will only become worse if we don’t act. To me, this is one of the biggest challenges we have to solve.”
Signe advises that to take care of the ocean, one cannot take it for granted. “Try to help where you can - even small things, that might seem insignificant can make a difference in the long run”. Her #tavahatips are:
Make sure that the beach is a cleaner place when you leave than when you arrived.
Consider recycled/reusable alternatives.
Look for the reusable potential in things you’re about to throw out. They might be useful for other people!
The YouTubers Elayna Carausu and Riley Whitelum from “Sailing La Vagabonde’, are Signe’s own Ocean Heroes; sailing around the world for the last 6 years in their catamaran, following an inspiring lifestyle, full of ideas for sustainable living, and one that differs from what is considered normal everyday life.