Non-profit humanitarian organisation, SurfAid International, today announced the launch of their new website

SurfAid is now into its 12th year of work in the remote island chain off Sumatra, Indonesia, after being started by a group of concerned surfers in 2000. ...read more

SurfAid International, in conjunction with Quiksilver and GBST, will be presenting its annual Surfing Suits event program in November to bring together surfers and supporters from the business communities of Australia to celebrate SurfAid’s achievement in 10 years of humanitarian work.  ...read more

A Benefit for SurfAid International kicks off the MSA Classic Surfing Contest Gala gourmet wine and food event honors Steven Lippman’s Blue Project.
 
August 23, 2010, Malibu, CA - Two days before the first breakers in the annual MSA Classic, hundreds of longboard and music fans will crowd into the Malibu Wines tasting room for ‘No Leash Required!’ -- an evening of fine dining, fine wine and great music to benefit SurfAid International.
 
Actress/singer Nia Peeples and writer/surfing guru Sam George host the gala, which features tastings of Malibu Wines, gourmet eats from Cal-Fresco, a live auction and raffle, as well as live performances by Brett Dennen, Everest and DJ Jacques. Proceeds go to SurfAid International, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health, wellbeing and self-reliance of people living in isolated island regions of Sumatra. ...read more

MITCHELL CLAIMS 9TH MOLOKAI-2-OAHU WORLD PADDLEBOARD CHAMPIONSHIP DUNCAN-SERAPHIN CLAIMS 8TH WOMEN'S TITLE

Treacherous Channel Dishes out Trademark Highs & Heartbreak Maui's Kalama & Moller Take Stand-Up Paddle Honors
 
HONOLULU (July 25, 2010) -- Australian Jamie Mitchell, 33, claimed an unprecedented ninth Molokai-2-Oahu World Paddleboard title in Hawaii today, completing the 32-mile distance just four minutes outside of his own record in a time of 4 hours, 52 minutes and 45 seconds. His record of 4:48:23, set in 2007, stands for another year. Mitchell attributed today's convincing win to experience in Hawaiian waters that allowed him to overcome an uncooperative ocean of disorganized  swells. And if Mitchell is the 'King of Paddleboard', then Hawaii's Kanesa Duncan-Seraphin, 34, is the 'Queen', claiming her 8th Molokai-2-Oahu title in a time of 6:02:45 - less than 10 minutes shy of the record she set in 2004. ...read more

PADDLE ROUND THE PIER 2010 FESTIVAL RAISES OVER THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS FOR CHARITY

Paddle Round the Pier – Europe’s largest annual free beach festival, held in Brighton on 3rd and 4th July 2010 - has once again been declared a resounding success with over 40,000 visitors to the festival over the two days and in excess of £35,000 raised for its three nominated charities, which this year were Royal National Lifeboat Institute, SurfAid International and Whoopsadaisy. ...read more

Famed Artists Aaron Chang and Wade Koniakowsky Open the Aaron Chang Ocean Art Gallery to Great Acclaim
 
SOLANA BEACH, CA—Award-winning photographer, Aaron Chang has partnered with distinguished artist, Wade Koniakowsky to launch the Aaron Chang Ocean Art Gallery. More than 450 guests attended the Grand Opening, which took place from 6-9 p.m. on July 10th at 415 South Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach.

According to Aaron Chang, “It was exciting to see the turnout for our opening. I was stoked with the beautiful vibe in the Gallery –– the joy was contagious.” ...read more

SurfAid International granted the newly formed Walu International an experience that will help proliferate their impact in villages in Papua New Guinea.

SurfAid gave Walu an inside look on how Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is being properly implemented on the island of Nias, off North Sumatra, Indonesia, with the objective of helping expedite the impact that Walu will have as an organization.

CLTS empowers villagers to arrive at a sanitation solution on their own, after realizing their current practices are harmful to their health. Since the ideas are locally generated, people have a sense of ownership over the projects and can create their own solutions. In the case of CLTS the first step is to encourage community members to construct un-subsidized latrines, using local resources, thus increasing the likelihood of success. ...read more

The annual Whalebone Classic, which will be held at Perth’s Cottesloe Beach this weekend, has chosen humanitarian organisation SurfAid International as their charity partner for 2010.

With an event that has attracted the strongest field of surfers ever in its 13th year of competition, it is hoped that the
message of SurfAid will reach an extensive and committed audience.

Event organiser Peter Dunn is thrilled with the caliber of surfers coming to this year’s Whalebone. “We only get to see many of these surfers on video or in the magazines, so to have them all here together competing at Cottesloe is unreal,” Dunn said. ...read more

Jamie Mitchell, the 8 x Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race Winner, and fellow elite paddler Jackson English have joined forces to raise money for SurfAid International in this year’s gruelling 32-mile (51.5 km) Hawaiian race on 25 July.

English, 35, who is SurfAid’s biggest individual fundraiser, finished runner-up to Mitchell in the 2008 event across the Ka’iwi Channel, which is one of the most challenging stretches of water in the world.

Mitchell, 33, from Currumbin, Queensland, Australia, holds the race record of four hours, 48 minutes and 23 seconds, which he set in 2007.  He said he was honoured to work with SurfAid to help raise funds during its 10th anniversary year.

“SurfAid is a frontline organization whose efforts have a direct and real effect on the lives of those people who don’t have access to the health care, education and support that we sometimes take for granted,” Jamie said.  ...read more

What do Third World health problems and Schoolies have in common? For most school leavers the answer is nothing, but for a handful of high achievers, their leaving celebrations will help improve health in a remote region of Indonesia.

The “Schoolies Charity Challenge” is seeking 12 final year students to complete an epic adventure in Indonesia. The seven-day challenge involves climbing the three mountains (including two volcanoes) that surround the West Sumatran town of Bukittinggi. Students will be required to obtain financial sponsorship from various sources before they are accepted to participate in the challenge.

The challenge has been established by a new company called Adventure for Life and they have chosen SurfAid International as the benefitting charity.

SurfAid International is a non-profit, humanitarian organization whose mission is to improve the health, wellbeing and self-reliance of people living in the Mentawai and Nias islands, off Sumatra, where it runs water and sanitation, disaster preparedness and relief, and health programs. ...read more