ABOUT

As early as the 1970’s deaf surfers have been meeting up and surfing the beaches of Australia. Deaf surfers from NSW gathered for recreational surfing up and down the coast of NSW, especially Wollongong, Cronulla and Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Sometimes venturing interstate for longer surfing safaris to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast in Queensland or south to Torquay and Bells beach in Victoria or even Margaret River in Western Australia. Wherever the surf was cranking the deaf surfers were camped out in their Kombi’s & panel vans chasing the wave of the day.

As much fun as they all had, there was never any surfing competitions catering for deaf surfers or any organisations to bring the surfers from all parts of NSW together. This is until February 2004, when the New South Wales deaf surfing community decided to establish an organisation known as Deaf Boardriders NSW (DBNSW). This organisation provides social and recreational surfing, weekend surf trips and hosts surfing competitions in Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle, South Coast and North Coast for the New South Wales deaf surfing community. DBNSW also hosts a bi-annual surfing competition "Deaf Surfs Up” at Crescent Head, incorporating the use of hearing judges from Crescent Head Boardriders Inc. This event is open to deaf competitors from all states & has attracted sponsorship from some of the leading surf brands in Australia. Many deaf have made the trip annual as an excuse to get together, enjoy each others company and have fun with the Crescent Head locals.

The reason for establishing Deaf Boardriders NSW is to improve the quality of life for the deaf surfing community and enable deaf surfers to gain experience in competitive surfing. Developing surfing skills for future national and international deaf surfing contests. It also allows deaf people with a common interest in surfing and the beach to meet new likeminded people and learn more about the sport and deaf community.

The organisation encourages any deaf person in the community to come along and make some new friends. You can even meet some of the original surfing legends from the 70’s still living the dream on their long boards!!