Arugam Bay Information

To raise money for the first prize for the men‘s and women‘s open we will be auctioning off the surfers to the highest bidder! The auction will take place at the Koola at around 8.30pm come along and support our hard working surfers!

Surf Relief Day begins at 6.30 for early volunteers, 7am for all you car booters, 8am sign in for surfers and the contest starts at 9am. BSA have kindly donated their office – all volunteers, media, surfers please come and sign in there.

Throughout the day you can pick up a bargain in Jason‘s Marquee – Jase has organised a real treat for everyone in need of retail therapy…loads of bargains from top makes and top local stores. Newquay Screenprint have donated stickers and ASP have printed up our new T‘s these will be on sale in Jason‘s tent too.

We have the most fantastic raffle prizes – ticket price is only £1.00. You are in with a chance to win one or all (if you buy enough tickets) of the following:

Errant Surf Holiday – 1 weeks holiday to Fuerteventura, for one person – www.errantsurf.com

Salomon – summer weight wettie, Hooray!! www.salomonscore.com

The Meadery – fab, fun meal set in days of yore www.newquaymeadery.co.uk

Carve, 360 and Surf Girl – Subscription, T-shirt, Tide clock for the guys. Tshirt, underwear, Surfgirl Guide Book for the girls www.orcasurf.co.uk

HotRockClimbs – coasteering for 4 people www.hotrockclimbs.co.uk

Circle One – have donated two wetties, one for the boys and one for the girls! www.circle-one.co.uk

Surf4thesoul/Splashography – an outstanding photograph called Ocean‘s Fury www.splashography.com

Sands Resort – spa treatment at Ocean Breeze, Sean will be at Fistral to iron out your aches and pains www.sandsresort.co.uk

Buff Headwear – fab head gear www.buffwear.co.uk

Surfers Path – cool stuff www.surferspath.com

Escape Surf School – full day‘s surfing lesson for two people www.escapesurfschool.co.uk

Eden project – 2 Family tickets to one of the best attractions in Cornwall www.edenproject.com

IndoEurpoe – the Classic Indo Board, always a winner! www.indoboard.com

On Fire – have donated some cool product www.onfire.co.uk

K-Fish – have donated some beautiful posters www.kfish.co.uk

Footprint Books – Surf Guides to Britain and Europe www.footprintbooks.com/sections/guides/book.asp?productid=245

Skinners – 2 cases of beer (that‘s 48 bottles)!! www.skinnersbrewery.com

Bedruthan Steps Hotel – a nights stay for two, includes breakfast and evening meal www.bedruthan.com

Globe – Great clothing and trainers www.globe.tv

Gravis – Bag, CD case and hats, so cool www.gravisfootwear.com

Innersoul – beautiful jewellery, come and look?

Animal – fab board bag www.animal.co.uk

Black Salamander – cool t‘s and key rings www.blacksalamander.com

Eastpak – fine product www.eastpak.com

and last but in no way least, Ester Spears, BSA head judge has donated fab photography to the cause www.estpix.com

THE ULTIMATE BODYBOARDING DUEL!

Surf Relief Day Stages the most exciting bodyboarding contest in the UK for years
Saturday 8th April will see surfers and bodyboarders galore gathering at Fistral Beach to do their bit for the surf community and enter two highly innovative contest formats at the same time. The team behind Surf Relief Day have come up trumps this year with two rare and unusual contest structures that will have the adrenalin buzzing both in and out of the H2O!

Never one to miss out on a challenge, Steve Berriman of the BSA has created the Bodyboarders Duel, a competition format that has rarely been witnessed on UK shores. It‘s thought that the last duel type contest was run at Constantine over 3 years ago and even some of the most experienced bodyboarders will never have experienced this type of challenge.

Rather than individuals, the boarders will split into teams of twos and as with a normal contest will be aiming to score the most impressive waves of the day with extreme moves. However – here‘s the crunch point! Each of the teams will also be pitting their wits against their competitors and doing all they possibly can to keep them off the waves.

Whether both team mates attempt to deter their competitors at one time or whether one protects their team mates from the others remains to be seen and you can be sure this is one bodyboarding contest that will have the spectators and other competitors pumped up with excitement!

Steve says, “The Duel contest has been so rarely run in the UK that it‘ll be completely new for almost everyone competing or watching. As any bodyboarder knows, just getting out there and scoring your best wave is tricky enough so adding the duel element, with a level of intimidation from the competing team, will certainly spice things up and will see teams doing all they can to keep their competitors from scoring waves. There‘s certain to be a lot of paddling, a lot of kicking, and generally so much more going on in the water.”

Steve continues, “It‘ll be around 25 minute heats and the two top scores from each rider will be added together to give an aggregate score to see if they‘ll go through to the next round. If the surf‘s big this will make this an even meaner, even more exciting challenge! The fact that the proceeds of the Duel will be going to Surf Relief UK means that aside from it being an awesome challenge, it‘s a double winner for all involved. I really hope that the UK‘s bodyboarding community comes out to support this valuable initiative and help others in less fortunate circumstances.”

For more information of to enter the Bodyboarding Duel contact Steve on steve@britsurf.co.uk.

THE UK SURF COMMUNITY REBUILDING LIVES ACROSS THE GLOBE

Surf Relief UK One Year On
With only days to go until Surf Relief Day 2006, we‘re taking a look back on the work of Tsunami Surf Relief UK (TSRUK) and the life-changing effects that the support and donations from the UK‘s surf community have achieved overseas in the last year.

TSRUK was set up by concerned surfers in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster and the registered charity represents the UK‘s surfing community. Last year‘s Surf Relief Day witnessed hundreds of members of the surf community getting together to run events on beaches throughout the UK, raising over £10,000 in the process.

Throughout 2005, willing teams and individuals organised surf contests, surf and art auctions, t-shirt painting stands, scratchcards and film shows and the resulting proceeds, in collaboration with organisations such as Christian Surfers UK, topped nearly £50,000. These proceeds are currently being used for a number of projects, particularly in the Arugam Bay area of Sri Lanka.

Following the tragic Tsunami, TSRUK felt that it was crucial that the money donated was given to the neediest cases. It would be very easy to have spent the sum immediately, but the trustees of the charity felt it was important to find out the real needs of the areas, rather than responding to the first request made without researching the background.

There is so much work going on in the area with so many different organisations involved it is important to discover what people really need and areas that were currently receiving little or no aid. Following in-depth research, several projects have been identified and supported to help people facing differing challenges and bring help and relief in a variety of ways.

In Arugam Bay, six new houses providing permanent residency for families affected by the Tsunami, losing so much in terms of both material and human life, have been built. As a result, the six grateful families have been able to return to living in a state of normality and can now begin to rebuild their businesses and their education and look forward to the future.

Another of the key issues facing the Sri Lankan communities was that lots of teachers were killed in the Tsunami so schools have found it difficult to return to normal education standards. TSRUK decided that this was an important area where invaluable support could be provided with long-term benefits and over the course of the last year has sponsored ten teachers who are currently teaching in six different denomination schools in the Arugam Bay/ Pottuvil Region.

Their training is being funded and they will be paid during their first year in post. After this time the Government will take over responsibility for their on-going training and salaries. Further to this, TSRUK is also building an extension to a school in Arugam Bay that teaches pre school children.

In a further partnership in partnership with ‘Friends from Europe‘, TSRUK and Christian Surfers UK are funding the construction of the staff quarters of an orphanage for young girls who lost their parents in the Tsunami. The area will sleep up to three staff ensuring that the orphanage can use all its space for the orphans and enabling western-trained teachers to visit and work.

Phil Williams, one of the charity‘s trustees, has recently visited Sri Lanka to monitor the progress of projects funded by Tsunami Surf Relief UK. He found that the funds that have been raised through the generosity of the surfing community have been well used. He says, ‘Returning to Arugam Bay in November 2005, nine months on from my previous visit, it was encouraging to see the community making real progress in re-building their lives.

The local people are so grateful for the assistance given by organisations such as TSRUK. By meeting the people, and seeing the money raised by the UK surf industry, being put to good use, made me fully realise the value of the hard work put in by so many. It is so worth it. We can never reduce the emotional pain felt by the stricken community, but our money is going some way to make a real difference to the lives of many in the Arugam Bay area.‘

TSRUK has also set aside £7,000 of the original funds to build a community centre for the Arugam Bay surfers. This is an ongoing project and will resemble a clubhouse in the UK, with a large meeting room upstairs and room downstairs for storage of boards and rescue equipment.

The ideal plot of land is being researched as it is felt that it is integral that the land is owned by the community rather than an individual and TSRUK has challenged the surfers of the Arugam Bay Foundation to find the spot. It is hoped that this will be found quickly and that the project build commenced.

However, while the efforts and results of the work of TSRUK have been widely recognised and credited by both the people on the ground and other international aid organisations, there is still a vast amount to be done. TSRUK is now a registered charity and having experienced the generously of the surfing community and the capability of it‘s volunteers, the trustees have realised that there is a great potential to raise further funds for other projects acting as the UK‘s surfing charity.

Under the new name of Surf Relief UK, the charity aims to continue to support its existing projects and will extend its work to develop projects in the UK and be reactive to events that effect surfing communities across the globe.

Surf Relief‘s planned UK project is to provide disadvantaged young people, able bodied and disabled, with the opportunity to try surfing. As part of this project the charity aims to provide training and support for groups and individuals wishing to experience the exhilarating sport of surfing. This is a challenging project that will need strong support from the surfing community.

Dave Manley, SRUK Chairman, says, ‘The money that we have collected is a lasting tribute to the funding raising efforts of the surfing community. 95% of all money donated has been used to fund our projects and we hope that we can continue to support needy causes in the future both in the UK and abroad acting as the UK‘s surfing charity‘

The charity therefore aims to start raising money for its new causes on Friday and Saturday with Surf Relief Day 2006. The weekend will see a first-of-its-kind surf auction contest, the first ever UK Surf and Boardsports Car Boot Sale, a nail-biting Bodyboarding Duel and huge surf clothing sale at Fistral Beach in Newquay. A range events are also expected across the country as local groups organise their own activities.

Even at this late stage, sponsors are welcomed and interested companies and individuals should contact Elaine Stockman on 01637 839155 or Elaine@hibisurf.com to get involved.

SURF-TASTIC! PARTY-TASTIC! RAFFLE-TASTIC!

Win an Errant surf holiday, a night away at the Bedruthan Steps Hotel, a Salomon or Circle One wetsuit, Hot Rocks coasteering sessions, Sands beauty treatments and much much more and take part in Surf Relief Day 2006

Local business and members of the UK surf community have been showing their charitable spirit and this weekend‘s Surf Relief Day activity is shaping up to be like a treasure trove of surf related goodies topped off with one awesome party to kick Surf Relief Day 2006 off with an incredible bang!

From 8pm on Friday night, surfers, volunteers and revellers alike will be making their way to the Koola for a night of good spirited competitive action and some slamming music – all in aid of Surf Relief UK and it‘s good work! As their donation, the Koola has gifted the venue for the night with free entry for everyone.

South West indie band Unused Toys will warm up the waiting crowds before Bradley Start from Start&Co kicks off the first ever Bid for a Surfer auction. Following that top ‘spunk‘ band Bugga, who will be making the journey from Penzance, will take to the stage in all their pinkness to rock well into the night with their unmistakable, energetic, mad surf inspired tunes.

Attendees will be able to purchase tickets for the massive surf goody raffle that will take place at the end of the following day. The first-of-its-kind, innovative, surf team contest, The Bid for a Surfer Charity Challenge is certain to get everyone going.

The contest format, devised by Dave Reed, is similar to the FA Cup draw and has drawn in generous sponsors including Soundworx, CocoMarie Sugar and Slide, Adventure Cornwall Activists, the Koola Kowboys, Alder, the Ex-Presidents, Hot Rock Surf, Surfers Path, Surf Girl, Carve, Ocean breeze, Skinners, Simply on a Mission, the AquaShack, Circle One, Emoceanl Spider Team, Escape Surf School, Sands Resort and Karrek Financial.

They will all bid against one another to get the strongest surfers in their team for the following day‘s contest. Expect a bidding war that Christies would be proud of!

Support for the surf raffle has also been flowing on from all quarters! The following list of goodies is all up for grabs and more donations are coming in by the hour!

A surf holiday to Fuerteventura complete with lessons, surf kit and gold star accommodation close to the beach donated by leading surf tour provider Errant, a surf board from Alan Stokes and surf bag to carry it in from Animal, a complimentary nights stay at the Bedruthan Steps Hotel for two including dinner and breakfast in the award winning Indigo Bay restaurant, one of two wetsuits from Circle One, an Indo Board from IndoBoard Europe, a subscription to Carve Magazine along with a Tshirt and Tide clock, surf lessons from Escape Surf School, a coasteering trip for four people from Hot Rock Climbs.

And the amazing list goes on – a summer wetsuit from Salomon, a meal for two at the Meadery, 2 family tickets to the Eden project, a spa treatment at Ocean Breeze at the Sands Resort, posters from K Fish, hats from Buff Wear, Tshirts from Blacksalamander, photos from Estpix, jewellery from Sunfun, Footprint Surf Guides to Britain and Europe, shoes from Globe, cases of beer from Skinners, T-shirts, underwear and a Guide Book from SurfGirl magazine and a limited edition signed seascape from Surf4theSoul.

Along with some tired eyes, Saturday morning will dawn with bacon butties and hot coffees as crowds congregate in the Fistral Beach Car Park for the first ever Surf & Boardsports Car Boot Sale. People are invited to clear out their attics, garages and spare rooms and bring all that unused kit to be sold onto others.

You won‘t find any of granny‘s old china here – only board based kit is needed for this sale and traders will be invited to donate a percentage of the takings to the cause. And following the success of last year‘s event, another huge surf clothing sale will then kick off, with bargains galore from top brands.

As the surf builds, the surf teams, egged on by their eager sponsors will take to the waves for the ultimate fun surf battle. The winning surfer and bidder will each receive 25 percent of the whole prize pot, the remaining going to the Surf Relief UK cause. Alongside the surfers, bodyboarders will throw some awesome action!

Steve Berriman of the BSA has created yet another first-of-its-kind scenario and the Bodyboarders Duel will see teams doing all they can to keep their competitors from scoring waves. Expect some serious bodyboarding competition like you‘ve never seen before as they really go for it!

And further evidence of Surf Relief UK‘s good work will seen with the launch of ‘Surfable‘ which aims to give disabled young people the opportunity to experience the sport. As part of this project the charity aims to provide training and support for groups and individuals and to deliver a number of pilot projects which will give the experience of surfing to deaf children and those with physical disabilities.

SRUK will train surf coaches in a network of surf schools around the country. To launch the new project Becky Price from the Big Blue Surf School in Bude and coaches from the National Surfing Centre, will join several children from The Royal School of the Deaf and will teach them to surf with the aid of sign language.

Chairman of SRUK, Dave Manley says, ‘Surf Relief UK is a small charity achieving big things and our new ‘Surfable‘ Project is a next exciting and challenging venture which aims to use surfing to change the lives of disabled young people.

The money we have collected so far is a lasting tribute to the funding raising efforts of the surfing community. 95% of all money donated has been used to fund our projects and we hope that we can continue to support needy causes in the future both in the UK and abroad acting as the UK‘s surfing charity”

Jonathan Farnhill, Fund Raising Manager, Royal School for the Deaf said, “We‘re thrilled to be part of Surf Relief Day. Many of our pupils and students love surfing, and it is a fantastic opportunity for them. It is a very rare opportunity to be taught surfing by someone who can communicate through using British Sign Language. I know this will add greatly to the value of the day, and we‘re very grateful to the organisers for their support.”

Volunteers and surfers will also be able to benefit from an on-the-ground physiotherapist, Sean Clements of the Ocean Breeze Spa at the Sands Hotel. Sean will be on-site throughout the day and will be conducting free physiotherapy consultations using his up-to-date gadgetry and for those who are not scared of a little pin-prick, acupuncture demos will also be available.

At the end of the day, excited crowds will gather for the prize giving and to see who walks away with the winning pot! Following the competitors‘ prizes, the Surf Raffle will get underway and lucky winners will walk of with a surf holiday, a whole range of surf kit, beer and water accessories.

Last year‘s Surf Relief Day witnessed the surf community getting together to run events on beaches throughout the UK, raising over £10,000 in the process. Throughout 2005, willing teams and individuals organised surf contests, surf and art auctions, t-shirt painting stands, scratchcards and film shows and the resulting proceeds have totalled over £36,000.

Working in collaboration with a number of networks and organisations on the ground in Sri Lanka, Surf Relief UK has provided invaluable resources, created major support programmes and helped rebuild the daily lives of hundreds of people who were devastated by the Boxing Day Tsunami Tragedy in 2004.

Regarding Surf Relief Day 2006, Dave Manley said, “Without a shadow of a doubt, the Surf Relief party and the day itself is going to be one big awesome event. It‘s really gratifying to see the surf community, local businesses and local people come out and support this initiative in any way they can.

We‘re hugely grateful to the sponsors and raffle donators as well as to people who are volunteering their time and energy to the cause. The media, local bodies like the BSA, and a whole raft of organisations and individuals have already donated their time, skills and efforts to helped make this day and night all happen and we can‘t wait for it all to get going!”

Last minute interested sponsors and volunteers should contact Elaine Stockman on 01637 839155 or Elaine@hibisurf.com to get involved.

Surf Relief UK‘s objective is:
To relieve poverty and suffering, to advance education, to preserve and protect the health of people who are disadvantaged as a result of natural or man made disasters or through physical, economic or social circumstances, through the provision of financial support towards projects in furtherance of these objectives and such other charitable purposes as are deemed appropriate by the trustees.