The small island of Santa Maria, now our home, called to us, though we did not know it.
My husband and I had spent many years in cities - New York, Austin, Montréal, London, Milan - chasing experiences, careers, success, life lived in the fast lane. But our childhood memories of growing up in out of the way coastal towns, places quiet after dark, never went away.
Now as adults, raising our own children, we seek to give them the beauty of life lived slow near the sea.
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We founded Neon Joyride in 2019, combining our love for the ocean with a lifelong dedication to art & design. We find beauty in keeping our coastlines clean and upcycling reclaimed ocean plastics to make limited edition treasures & sustainable fine jewellery. Each piece echos our love for a quiet life lived slow on an island in the middle of nowhere.
To do our part, to raise awareness and take action, we host ocean talks and regular cleanups, gathering with the local community and those from afar to care for our coastline, remembering our connectedness to the natural world and to each other.
To date, we have removed more than five tons of microplastics and marine litter from our coastline.
In 2021, we were invited to join the Oceano Azul Foundation supporting the Blue Azores initiative and in 2022 were recognized as an ambassador of the "Blue Voices" campaign, helping to protect local marine life & the ocean.
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In June of 2022, we opened our ocean friendly concept shop in the historic district of Vila do Porto with partner Monk. The shop boasts a Surf Shop & Vegan Slow Food Cafe & Coffee Bar - the first in the Azores!
Visit us to say hello, view the latest jewellery collection, join our next coastal cleanup, explore our sustainable assortment of surf goods & artisan ponchos, grab an organic refreshment, relax with a coffee or lunch & lounge in our garden. You can also rent a surfboard or book an ocean experience with one of our partners: free-diving, scuba diving, paddle board tours, snorkeling, hiking... Até logo. : )
