Surf fest wave of success

Harrison Roach defies gravity at the 2009 festival. Photo courtesy NFS.

With the 32nd edition of the Noosa Festival of Surfing less than a week ago, expectations are running high that the surf god Huey and the return of swell action in the Coral Sea will see vintage waves for the record number of local and international competitors here for the nine-day event.

As well as age divisions ranging from over 70s to juniors for both men and women, feature events will include the World Surf League qualifying Noosa Longboard Pro, as well as a new high performance event and the return of the surfing dogs and a crowd favourite over decades, the Golden Breed Noserider. Many of the best noseriders in the world will compete in a time-trial event in which they are scored for riding with five or 10 toes over the nose of the board, hoping to emulate the gravity-defying rides of locals Jai Lee, a former champion, and Harrison Roach, current world longboard champion, pictured here as a stick-thin teenager draping 10 toes over back in 2009.

Find full details of the world’s biggest and best surf festival inside.