FRASER ISLAND STAND UP PADDLE CHALLENGE: STAND UP FOR THE DISABLED!
The six-day John Madill Toyota Fraser Island SUPS Challenge,
presented by Golden Breed,
will raise money for the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia.
Two Noosa-based stand up
paddle surfers will paddle more than 300 kilometers around Fraser Island,
the world's largest sand island, to raise money for surfers less fortunate
than themselves.
Chris de Aboitiz and Eugene "Woogie" Te Manu Marsh, both champion surfers
and paddlers, will endeavour to complete the first circumnavigation of
Fraser Island by paddlers from 26 November.
The six-day John Madill Toyota Fraser Island SUPS Challenge, presented by
Golden Breed, will raise money for the Disabled Surfers Association of
Australia, specifically to provide surfboards, aquatic wheelchairs and other
necessary equipment for the recently-established Sunshine Coast branch.
"First and foremost, this is a boys' own adventure," said de Aboitiz, 40, a
former world tandem surfing champion who once worked as a Waikiki beachboy.
"But Woogie and I figured if we were going to bust a gut doing this,
wouldn't it be great to do it for people who are surfers in spirit but whose
disabilities limit their surfing capabilities. We watched some news footage
of what the DSA is doing to help disabled people feel the stoke, and we just
wanted to dedicate this marathon paddle to them."
The Fraser Island Challenge is a sanctioned "curtain-raiser" for the 2008
Noosa Festival of Surfing, and on completion of the marathon, the paddlers
and Festival patron Pat Rafter will present a cheque to the DSA at a media
launch of the Festival in Noosa on 4 December. Festival media spokesman
Darren Landers said: "The Fraser Challenge really puts a focus on the
waterman and charity aspects of the 2008 Noosa Festival, and as well as
welcoming the boys back after a great effort, on 4 December we'll be
announcing an exciting roll-out of events for next March."
Sunshine Coast spokesman for the DSA, Ian Felsinger said: "We've only just
started and so our needs are many. We have plenty of volunteers but we need
soft surfboards, aquatic wheelchairs, shade tents, equipment trailers and
many other bits and pieces. Any help towards buying these items would be
awesome."
Chris and Woogie will start their paddle at Inskip Point before dawn on
Monday, November 26, and proceed north along the western coast of Fraser
Island. They will be aiming to achieve more than 50 kilometers progress each
day, paddling pre-dawn and into the evening to avoid the sea breeze, then
rounding Sandy Cape and surfing down the ocean coast with the prevailing
north easterly behind them.
A small support crew will be following their progress and providing daily
updates on the Challenge blog at
www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com.
Check out the site and help Chris and Woogie in their support of the
Disabled Surfing Association. All monies raised by the John Madill Toyota
Fraser Island SUPS Challenge presented by Golden Breed will go directly to
buy equipment for the Disabled Surfers Association.
Chris with Golden Breed's Managing Director Nick Van de Merwe.
Check out the SUPS Challenge video . . .
click here
For further information on the Challenge
Phil Jarratt 07 5455 5695
phil.jackie@hotmail.com
For further information on the Noosa Festival
Darren Landers 0412 447845
Darren@freshlogicmedia.com.au