Surf’s Up! Noosa Festival Of Surfing 2019
The iconic Noosa Festival of Surfing will return to the sand in 2019 with a stellar line-up and a special appearance from the world’s best long boarders. Jolene Ogle sat down with Noosa Malibu Club president Craig Johnson to find out more.
The 2019 Noosa Festival of Surfing is set to be bigger and better than ever before, with a host of favourite events returning, plus an exclusive, brand new event that will have all surfers frothing.
Noosa Malibu Club president Craig Johnson said the club was excited to appoint international surf travel agency, World Safaris, as the festival managers. Now in its 28th year, event organisers will make the festival a celebration of the joy of surfing returning to a simpler format while keeping some crowd favourites.
“As major sponsors of the event in previous years, World Safaris are a great fit,” Craig said. “We’re excited for what this year will bring.”
Craig admits it’s been hard to try and please everyone with traditional long boarders wanting a more grassroots approach and Noosa Council wanting a larger community focus, but he’s positive the team have created a festival that will be enjoyed by all. “The approach for 2019 is all about getting back to more freestyle, traditional long boarding,” he said. “But look, the dogs are so popular and will of course be included as part of opening the festival.”
The event will open with a special gala dinner that will raise funds for The Board Meeting Surf Charity, a not-for-profit group driven by volunteers that works to help financially support families with special needs children.
Falling in line with Noosa’s green ethos, the festival has engaged a sustainability officer, partnered with the University of the Sunshine Coast and are also working alongside Chad Buxton of Plastic Free Noosa to ensure the event is sustainable. “This is another dimension we can add to the festival,” Craig said. “It’s very exciting and our community will have active roles.”
The most exciting addition to the program though, would have to be the World Surfing League’s (WSL) invitational.
“WSL is coming to the event. So the festival will run for five-days and then the World Surf League will run a four-day invitational long board event that will see the world’s top 60 male and female long boarders come to Noosa,” he said. Craig said the event was a coup and would take the humble Noosa Festival of Surfing to the world. “It’s really good. The surfers will be staying Noosa and bringing a level of expertise we haven’t seen. This will attract the best surfers from around the world; the cream of the crop in world long board riding,” he said.
“It will be a high profile and highly anticipated event for Noosa.” The full NFOS 2019 program is yet to be released but the festival is busy sourcing sponsors for the range of events. Surfers can also register for events online at noosafestivalofsurfing.com and find out more about the festival by emailing here.
