Nearly 600 guests enjoyed a huge night of entertainment at the SurfStitch SurfAid Ball in March, which raised more than $133,000 for SurfAid.

ASP world surfing champions Mark Richards, Damien Hardman, Tom Carroll and Martin Potter, and other top pro surfers, mixed it with the Australian corporate world at the new Star Entertainment Centre. The event was a sellout with 570 guests.

A highlight of the night was two-time world champion Tom Carroll and big wave legend Ross Clarke-Jones exchanging banter on stage over the making of their critically acclaimed Storm Surfers 3D film.



Mark Seymour (formerly of Hunters & Collectors) and internationally regarded as one of Australia’s best singer/songwriters, played an epic three-piece acoustic set, closing with his famous hit Throw Your Arms Around Me.

Damien Lovelock (of Celibate Rifles fame) had everyone on their feet with a rollicking tribute to the Rolling Stones.

MCs for the evening were actor/author/television personality Andrew Daddo and surfing journalist/author Sean Doherty and there were live and silent auctions featuring some rare and exclusive items and experiences.

SurfAid Country Director Anne Wuijts gave an update of SurfAid’s field programs and why our help was needed in the islands off Sumatra and in Sumbawa. “I want to thank each and every one of you who came here tonight,” Wuijts said. “You are saving lives in more than 50 villages in the Mentawai, Nias, Banyaks and Telo. On behalf of all these communities and the SurfAid team in Indonesia – terima kasih banyak.” ...read more

The team from Bilbie Dan Solicitors has won the Lawler SurfAid Cup in solid 6-8 foot (2.5m) surf at Newcastle’s Stockton Beach. The charity event, which is part of Surfest Newcastle, was moved from the original venue of Dixon Park due to dangerous surf conditions.

Bilbie Dan scored 52.07 in the tag team final, with Sanbah second on 47.77, Beilby Consulting third (24.87) and People Fusion fourth (18.00).

City of Newcastle and Lawler Financial placed equal fifth; Hunter Readymix and Lawler Partners were equal seventh; Michillis, Mullane, Perpetual and Coffey Projects equal ninth; and BT Financial, NIB Health, Maccas and Bennelong Boardriders equal 13th.

Sixteen teams raised more than $56,000 for humanitarian organisation SurfAid. The Bennelong Boardriders team won the fundraising trophy by raising $7,410.

A Surfest charity breakfast held on the same morning, sponsored by PRD Nationwide, and presented by the Hunter Business Boardriders, raised more than $16,000 – with Newcastle raising a total of more than $73,000 for SurfAid on the day.

Charlie Lanchester, a board member of SurfAid, and the Deputy Head of Australian Equities at Perpetual, said it was a great day.

“It was a privilege to take part in the PRD Nationwide breakfast and also the Lawler SurfAid Cup all on the one day,” Lanchester said. ...read more

Newly crowned ASP world champion Joel Parkinson will be a special guest at the SurfStitch SurfAid Ball at the Star Entertainment Centre in Sydney on Friday 15 March in what promises to be an epic evening.

Parko will give an insight into his world title run against 11-time world champ Kelly Slater and their epic December showdown at Hawaii’s Pipeline.

Two-time world champion Tom Carroll will treat guests with a behind-the-scenes account of his critically acclaimed Storm Surfers 3D film, which also stars big wave legend Ross Clarke-Jones.

Internationally regarded as one of Australia’s best singer/songwriters, Mark Seymour (formerly of Hunters & Collectors) will join with friends to play a three-piece acoustic set.

Damien Lovelock (of Celibate Rifles fame) has pulled together a hard-rocking band to do a tribute to the Rolling Stones that is guaranteed to have you dancing. ...read more

Artwork by Nick Pont

Former world champion surfers are lining up to take on Newcastle’s business community in the Lawler SurfAid Cup at Dixon Park, Merewether, on Friday 22 February. The charity event is part of Surfest Newcastle. Four-time world champion Mark Richards and 1989 world champion Martin Potter will be pulling on the coloured singlet to help raise money for humanitarian organisation SurfAid.

Sixteen teams have entered the SurfAid Cup, with Lawler Financial Services coming on as presenting sponsor. The top fundraisers get to pick a pro surfer to join their team of four surfers in a tag team contest that will be held at Dixon Park, next to the main Surfest site.

“I am stoked to be part of the first Lawler SurfAid Cup in Newcastle,” Mark Richards said. “I have enormous respect for SurfAid for the amazing work they do in remote villages in the islands off Sumatra, Indonesia, especially their education and prevention programs focusing on malaria, water and sanitation, emergency preparedness, and mother and child health issues. ...read more

The Aquabumps Gallery team has taken out the BlackBerry SurfAid Cup with a commanding victory in 2-3 foot waves at Sydney’s Queenscliff Beach.

Aquabumps scored 55.53 points in the one-hour, tag team final with Shaw Brothers second on 40.93, defending champions CBA 2 third (30.80) and Australian Lawyers Surfing Association (ALSA) fourth (28.77).

Four former world champion surfers – Tom Carroll, Layne Beachley, Damien Hardman and Martin Potter - plus a string of top pros including ASP women’s number two Sally Fitzgibbons, Mark Mathews, Laura Enever, Matt Hoy, Simon Anderson and Matt Bemrose, joined with Sydney’s corporate world to fundraise for SurfAid. ...read more

Last March, the top fundraiser of Get On Board 2012 joined Quiksilver pros Balaram Stack and Ry Craike on the Melaleuca charter boat for 10 days of epic surf and a tour of SURFAID and Quiksilver programs in action on the islands.

Now it’s your turn!

The Mentawai Islands, off Indonesia’s Sumatran coast, are home to some of the most perfect surf breaks in the world. A dream destination for surfers. But look past the azure blue waters and perfect waves and you’ll see communities challenged by regularly occurring natural disasters and disease.

Since 2000, SURFAID has been working to improve the health, wellbeing and self-reliance of the Mentawai people through education programs involving nutrition, hygiene and disease prevention. SURFAID has also taught Emergency Preparedness programs and provided disaster response to help prepare for and recover from devastating earthquakes and tsunamis.

These islands also represent a perfect case study to explore the challenges and opportunities related to broader issues of sustainability and the surfing industry’s connection to it … social, environmental and economic.

All of this adds up to a driving need for more awareness within the surf industry … surfers, surf travelers, board shapers, glassers, apparel and accessories manufacturers … all of us.

So you’re probably thinking ...

“It’s so far away and I’ll probably never go there. Why should I care?”
As a surfer we care about others and the environment, especially the oceans. And it’s natural to want to help the remote regions of the world connected to us through surfing, while learning more about what we all can do to move the needle towards a more sustainable surf industry. Just in case that’s not enough, SURFAID has teamed up with the Quiksilver Foundation, Quiksilver Travel and San Diego State University’s Center for Surf Research to send you there to experience it for yourself. ...read more

Over the past year, the Board Art Benefit artwork surfboards have traveled throughout California and been shown in multiple art galleries.  Several were purchased along the way and new boards were created to fill their spaces.  On Saturday, October 6, the Board Art Benefit Auction sponsored by Sun Diego Boardshops found new homes for these amazing works of art.

Twenty-one unique boards were displayed in the hours leading up to the auction as surfers, art enthusiasts, shapers, artists and curious onlookers viewed the boards.  As auction time grew close, professional auctioneer, Ken Caldwell of Caldwell Auctions, took over the mic and with his charismatic voice and energy, revved up the audience and gathered a crowd.  Seats quickly filled and the auction area became standing-room only. ...read more

Sun Diego Boardshops have confirmed as presenting sponsors of the SurfAid Board Art Benefit Auction that will be held at the Boardroom International Surfboard Show in Del Mar on October 6th, 2012.

Twenty boards that have been painted by leading California surf artists will be auctioned from 3pm - 5pm. The funds raised will directly support SurfAid’s humanitarian efforts in the Mentawai and Nias islands in Indonesia.

The President of Sun Diego, Dave Nash, said they were extremely proud to be partnering with SurfAid on the Board Art Benefit. “Sun Diego firmly believes in SurfAid’s mission to improve the welfare of people living in isolated regions who are connected to us through surfing,” Nash said. “We can’t think of a better way to support their cause while supporting the industry as well at the Boardroom International Surfboard Show.” ...read more

A huge thanks to everyone who supported the SurfAid Surfing Chefs Brisbane, presented by GBST, on Thursday 6 September at South Bank Surf Club.

The 100 guests were treated to an amazing five-course meal with dishes prepared by the Brisbane Surfing Chefs team of Ben O’Donoghue, Ryan Squires and Shin Maeda, with special guest Russell Blaikie from WA and 1989 world champion surfer Martin “Pottz” Potter from Victoria.
 
Pottz impressed both the chefs and the dinner guests with his culinary skills by serving up his dish of Cloudy Bay Surf Clams, which was a highlight of the evening.

"It was an incredible experience working in the kitchen with four amazing chefs," Pottz said. "And it's the first time I've ever had to cut 100 lemon wedges, so I've got that down! It was so inspiring to watch the professionals at work. Wifey wife thinks I looked pretty sexy in the black chefs outfit, so I've got one on order for home!" ...read more

Tom Curren brought his A-game to the SurfAid Cup. Photo: Steven Lippman

The Malibu Mavericks team, with four-time ASP World Champion Lisa Andersen in their lineup, has taken out the SurfAid Cup in a tightly contested final held in one-to-two foot surf at Malibu, California.

The Mavericks (Andersen, Strider Wasilewski, Sean Woods, and Allen and Colton Sarlo) just pipped the Surfaiders team 53.80 – 51.43 in the one-hour, tag-team final, with Peak Ocean Team third (43.30) and Mighty WindanSea fourth (42.23).

The winning difference was Wasilewski making it into the gate on the beach within the one-hour time limit to score a bonus four points.

Mighty WindanSea (Karl Luber, Tom Curren, Mark Price, Peter King and Ozstar De Jourday) won the fundraising trophy by raising $13,640 for SurfAid. The eight teams, which included Frank-n-Riders, Schatzi, Kaiser Permanente and Beck Riehle Good Surf Team, raised a total of more than $60,000 for the humanitarian organization.

The SurfAid Cup was held as part of the MSA Classic Invitational and competitors rode either short or longboards.

Three-time ASP World Champion Tom Curren was the day’s standout in the first round, scoring 27 out of 30 points for two incredible rides where his mastery of flow came to the fore. And two-time ASP World Longboard Champion Joel Tudor scored the highest individual ride of 9.73 (out of 10) for a phenomenal exhibition of his art with hang tens and switchfoots. He looked like water flowing on water.

Karl Luber, a board member of SurfAid USA, said it was a very special event. “You can’t plan or create the feeling on the beach during the SurfAid Cup, it’s magic,” Luber said. 


Joel Tudor put on a magical display of the art of longboarding. Photo: Steven Lippman

“The excitement, the shouting, the unbelievable aloha, and knowing it’s all about the surf community coming together to make a real difference in the lives of the people who need it most. In the back of my mind all day was that somewhere in the Mentawai or Nias, a kid’s going to avoid diarrhea or malaria because of what’s happening here on the beach,” he said. ...read more