PNGSA eager to host regional surfing comps

At the 1995 South Pacific Games in Tahiti, where Papua New Guinea first competed in surfing, the idea of forming a regional surfing entity to have a voice was conceived.
Successive South Pacific Games created the platform for the surfing nations to engage and forge a path in pursuit of the idea.
The Surfing Association Papua New Guinea Inc (SAPNG) has since been at the forefront of the process, led by president and co-founder Andrew Abel, working with Surfing Australia High Performance Training Centre director Kim Crane and other Pacific Island nations.
Abel and 12 Pacific Island representatives have been invited to attend the inaugural Oceania Surfing Federation Inc meeting hosted by Surfing Australia at the newly refurbished A$6 million (K14.57 million) Surfing High Performance Training Centre on the Gold Coast where the Australian elite surfing team train.
The meeting is to contribute to the drafting of the Oceania Surfing Federation Inc constitution and formation of its executives to lead the collective interests of the Pacific Island nations.
Upon the formation of the federation, it is planned that the 12 nations — including SAPNG — will have direct access to the elite longboard and shortboard surfers for training under the eyes of seasoned international surfers who have competed on the World Surf League circuits.
This will open up opportunities for SAPNG to host regional surfing competitions, complementing its annual PNG Kumul World Longboard Championships, which is being staged in different provinces annually to showcase the country to the world.
According to a statement, Abel believes that riding on the back of SAPNG’s solid foundations 31 years on, complemented by its management plan and policies, the future for local male and female surfers is a bright.
The statement said more surfing clubs were keen to be part of SAPNG, with interest from Manus and Bougainville to join the established surfing clubs in Vanimo, Wewak, Madang, New Ireland and Port Moresby.
SAPNG are working with the league to stage the second Kumul World Longboard Surfing Championships in Vanimo, West Sepik.
The event, which carries a 50 per cent-point weighting and prize money, will attract elite surfers from Apec-member nations and other top surfing countries.
The event will be viewed by 120 million people around the world.
SAPNG has two confirmed wild card entries.
The statement said Abel was optimistic that with the support of the Surfing Australia High Performance Training Centre, it will only be a matter of time that PNG will have a permanent male or female athlete from one of its surf clubs, who will be competing on the World Surf League circuit.