PNG surfing president invited to San Diego conference

SURFING Association of PNG (SAPNG) president Andrew Abel says it was an honour having been invited to a conference at San Diego State University (SDSU) in the United States next year.
“As SAPNG marks 30 years since its foundation, we have much to share with the world on how our home-grown reverse spiral model and surf management policies have evolved working in partnership with our traditional resource custodian host communities, in contributing to PNG’s social and economic development and nation building,” Abel said in a statement.
“When I last spoke at SDSU in 2011 following the world premiere of Splinters in New York, SAPNG has since developed an additional two key social impact policies that emanated from Splinters.
“One of the policies being the ‘Pink Nose Revolution’, which empowers women with equal rights and opportunities as men and addresses gender-based violence.
“The other policy being the ‘No School – No Surf’, which we are rolling out at all our affiliated surf clubs supported by Buk Bilong Pikinini for the collective benefit of children.”
Abel said last year, film producer Max Uechtritz documented the PNG Kumul World Longboard Championship at Tupira in Bogia, Madang.
“Uechtritz produced a 15-minute trailer of this, which focuses on the Pink Nose Revolution,” he said.
“It became the catalyst of social impact policies that we surfers have developed and implemented.”
Abel said the trailer had enabled the SAPNG to take out the 2018 SP Community Initiative Award.