Drawing the Line: What a Surfrider x POW Partnership Means for Climate

Photos by Grant Puckett

For many of us, the line between the mountain and the ocean is nonexistent. We chase powder in the winter and swells in the summer in hopes of finding that same rhythm of movement in both landscapes. 

In the era of extreme political measures to harm and extract from our beautiful landscapes, we need to work together. New offshore oil and gas drilling proposals threaten our wildlife and our way of life. 

POW and the Surfrider Foundation have teamed up with artist Dominic McLeod, the creative force behind Dom Fish Designs, on the Ridge to Reef collection that brings his outdoor-inspired visual storytelling to climate advocacy. POW sat down to hear from Dominic and get his stance on climate advocacy, his artistic inspiration and process, and the intersection of outdoor sports and the call to protect it. 

“Growing up in Ojai really shaped how I see things,” Dominic said. “You’re close enough to the mountains to feel that terrain, but the ocean is right there, too. It makes you realize these environments aren’t separate; they’re part of the same experience.”

The Art of Cross-Pollination

Dominic’s artistic journey began early, when he was in school and began fielding requests from his classmates to draw different characters or illustrations. Now, he’s capturing the people he sees in the surf lineup and on the trail: the characters, the grit, the humor, and the community that makes outdoor culture so vibrant.

His passion for the outdoors is as dynamic as his art. From his POV, art isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s storytelling. His process involves a few iterations, but always comes down to the same inspiration he finds in the water, on his bike, or while exploring new wild places. Starting from discovery calls to moodboards, then eventually digitizing sketches on his iPad. Whether it’s a piece for a major organization or a small design, he aims for versatility, personality, and keeping the core message intact. 

That storytelling instinct was tested when a significant ankle injury sidelined him from surfing for 10 months, pushing him toward bike packing instead.

That shift sparked a philosophy of “cross-pollination.” He believes that we shouldn’t silo ourselves as outdoor enthusiasts. If you’re a climber, try surfing. If you’re a snowboarder, get on a bike. We can carry that same openness into being a climate advocate. Advocacy doesn’t need to be perfect. You can drive a gas-powered car to the trailhead and still speak up for the planet. Both things can be true.

We see this reflected in Dom’s work, where he merges these sports in his art, combining a surfboard fin with a climbing scene, for example, as a way to challenge these rigid boundaries we often build around our hobbies and habits. 

Advocacy from Swell to Summit

This inclusive and stoke-filled spirit is why Dominic’s work resonates so deeply with POW and the Surfrider Foundation. Two advocacy groups, cut from the same cloth, with the same goal of protecting the wild places we love. 

Back when POW Founder Jeremy Jones was a young surfer on Cape Cod, it was the Surfrider stickers on older locals’ cars that first tipped him off to the mission of environmental protection. He became a member at 14 and decided he wanted to be a “protector, not a plunderer.”

That philosophy of “action over apathy” drives everything we do today. “You don’t have to be a mathematician or a climate scientist to contribute,” Dominic notes. “You just have to be willing to use the skills you do have.”

As we continue our fight to protect the places we love from sea to summit, we need more than just policy. We need culture, representation, and the constant reminder that our community is expansive. Dominic is helping bridge that gap by visualizing a future where the Outdoor State is not just a group of individuals, but a collective force dedicated to the wild places that define us. 

100% of sales fund both organizations’ advocacy to defend public lands and waters — from mountain peaks to the ocean — against escalating threats.

Check out the full collection with Dom’s designs here.