By TOMMY LEITCH
THE Noosa Heads Surf Club will form an historic partnership with the Cricks Noosa Festival of Surfing and the Noosa National Surfing Reserve next month to present a Waterman Weekend, celebrating all forms of wave-riding.
Once sworn enemies, the “clubbies” and the “surfies” of Noosa have been working and playing in harmony for years, but the Waterman Weekend will be a collaborative first for the festival.
One of three “Granite Bay” major sponsors of the new National Surfing Reserve, the Noosa Heads Surf Club will host an afternoon of exhibition surfing on the eve of the Cricks Noosa Festival of Surfing, Friday, March 6. It will feature a fun clash between the legends of ironman and the legends of surfing, over a short ironman course incorporating surfboard riding, devised by Noosa coach Darren Mercer. Former champion ironman Darren Mercer and daughter, current iron woman sensation Jordan Mercer, will be among the legends representing surf lifesaving, while shortboard champions Layne Beachley and Simon Anderson, and world champions of longboarding Harley Ingleby and Josh Constable will represent the board riders.
Clubbies and surfies will finally pass the olive branch in a weekend of oceanic activities and post-surf entertainment. Featuring the broadest representation of surfing skills ever seen at Noosa at the same time – including surf club paddleboard surfing, stand up paddle surfing and racing, body surfing, sustainable wood boards exhibition, finless surfing, longboarding, shortboarding, tandem, tag team surfing and, of course, the VetshopAustralia surfing dogs. Waterman weekend will take place across the opening weekend of the Cricks Noosa Festival of Surfing, 6-8 March.
A Summer Beach Bar will operate each afternoon through the sunset hours, with live bands, film screenings and other entertainment, including the official festival opening ceremony, a Welcome to Country, and the Magoo Memorial paddle-out in honour of Barry ‘Magoo’ McGuigan on Saturday evening.
Join the Cricks Noosa Festival of Surfing at First Point, Noosa from 7-14 March, with Waterman Weekend kicking off on the afternoon of Friday, 6 March.
You can also join is on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoosaFestSurf
