Newcastle – home to the largest surfing festival in the Southern Hemisphere, Surfest, – is set to challenge the Guinness World Record for the longest line of surfboards on Sunday 15 February 2015 at Nobbys Beach and Headland from 7.30am.
Register to join the World Record attempt and for a full list of Surfest ONshore activities:
Newcastle’s Lord Mayor, Cr Nuatali Nelmes, said the idea was developed to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of Surfest, an iconic event that symbolises Newcastle’s surfing heritage.
“This is an incredible celebration of Newcastle’s unique waterside culture. From the restaurants along the Harbour Foreshore to the many surf clubs and schools, myriad of pristine beaches and our working port – Novocastrians are connected to the water in so many ways and surfing is in our DNA,” said Cr Nelmes.
“Now in its thirtieth year, Surfest hosts a whopping 800 plus national and international competitors and what better way to celebrate something that started here in Newcastle than to attempt a Guinness World Record for the longest line of surfboards? We have a superb sporting lineage – most recently seen in the launch of It’s ON! in Newcastle and The Hunter, and SURFEST’s thirtieth birthday is as much about celebrating the city as it is about celebrating our surf culture and the men and women who make it all possible,” she added.
From 7.30am on 15 February, avid surfers, beginners and those who simply own a board are encouraged to come to Nobbys Beach where marshals will assist in ensuring the World Record attempt is in line with the standards set out by Guinness World Records. Participants must register in advance to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make Newcastle history.
The current world record for the longest line of surfboards, laid end to end, is 398 surfboards and measures 783.5 metres. It was achieved by the City of Onkaparinga at Port Noarlunga Beach in Adelaide on 14 December 2013. The City of Newcastle and its passionate surfers and enthusiasts alike have every intention of breaking the current World Record – aiming for at least 500 surfboards in a continuous line from Nobbys Beach and along the headland.
Highlights of Surfest will be shown on the Honeysuckle Big Screen throughout the week.
The Surfest ONshore program is made possible with the support of the NSW government through Destination NSW, Newcastle City Council and Hunter Development Corporation.
