The 2009 Global Surf Industries Noosa Festival of Surfing, presented by Golden Breed, raised almost $19,500 to split between three beneficiary charities – Surf Aid, the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal and Frangipani Dreams.

At a hand-over of the donations in Noosa yesterday, Festival director Phil Jarratt and sponsorship manager Trudy Croad thanked major sponsor Global Surf Industries for the donation of 35 surfboards, and the artists from around Australia who donated their time and talent to create works of art from them.

Jarratt said the silent auction of art surfboards had contributed more than $11,000, while the world champions teams auction had raised a further $7,500, and a Red Cross bucket appeal during a free concert had raised $800 cash.

“So many people contributed to this in so many ways,” Jarratt said. “Artists, musicians, sporting champions, surf companies, volunteers…the list is endless. But the main contribution came from everyone who participated in the Noosa Festival of Surfing in a spirit of generosity. With more than 500 competitors it’s the biggest surfing event in the world, but it’s also the happiest. The people who come to our event year after year know how lucky they are to be surfers, and they want to give back.”

Jarratt said major sponsors Global Surf Industries and Golden Breed had already committed to the 2010 festival, to be held March 14-21, and a full event program would be released during July. The festival website will be live and accepting entries from August 1.

www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com

source surfersvillage

Surfers are always in search of the perfect wave. The problem is those moving mountains of water are rare in Florida, so much that dedicated surfers scour the state and beyond to find the right conditions.

Surf parks were supposed to be the solution. They were designed to offer real thrills in an underwater world of concrete and chlorine, delivering a steady supply of man-made waves that would eliminate the waiting for perfect surf.

Now, surf parks are on the verge of wiping out.

Last year, Cocoa-based Ron Jon Surf Shop pulled its name off a proposed surf park in Orlando that touted waves as high as 10 feet and the use of new technology that could alter the contour of the bottom of the pool to emulate some of the more famous ocean breaks. The project was delayed by technology flaws since it was announced in 2004, and developers are searching for other investors to continue.

“We signed on as a bigger scope project,” Ron Jon spokeswoman Heather Lewis said. “The developers were wanting to go with a scaled-down version, and that didn’t meet our criteria.”

Another proposed surf park, the Randall’s Island Aquatic Center in New York City, was nixed in January 2008 because of a lack of funds.

Even surf parks that were completed have not stayed open for long. The Ocean Dome in Japan, listed in the Guinness World Records as the largest indoor water park, closed this year because of poor attendance.

The struggle of surf parks to become a mecca for wave-riding enthusiasts comes at a time when the sport is trying to define itself.

Surfing purists have never been fond of surf parks. To them, it makes surfing boring because part of the sport is searching remote beaches for the best waves.

But professional surfers saw the potential of surf parks as a way to reach a mainstream audience…

read the full story at tampabay.com

HORSESHOE BEND – Surfing isn’t an image associated with rivers – especially in Idaho. Kayakers navigating whitewater rapids is much more our style.

Until recently, that is.

Four years ago, Treasure Valley resident Robert Geier turned an idea into a new riversport – bungee surfing.

Using a specialized bungee cord tied to a large rock on shore, river riders float downstream using the river’s current to load up the spring in the bungee cord. Then, as the surfboard (more like a boogie-board) comes to the surface of the water, the bungee retracts, flinging riders across the surface at speeds up to 30 miles an hour.

Geier’s taken his sport to California recently, and despite some general disagreement from surfing purists, said his idea was very well received.

“You don’t need to wait for waves, you’re not at the mercy of the ocean,” Geier noted as one reason for its popularity.

Cascade Raft & Kayak is offering lessons throughout the summer. More demonstrations are also planned, but those dates have not been set.

original story 2news.tv