Fun and inclusiveness at the heart of this weekend's Byron Bay Surf Festival
The party wave is one of the flagship events of the Byron Bay Surf Festival.
At the end of the freestyle surfing session on Sunday - where the 'winner' is deemed to be the person having the most fun - everyone paddles out together and catches the same wave back in.
"It brings everyone together and promotes sharing waves and having fun," says festival director James McMillan.
"You're not trying to get a whole wave to yourself, which can be really hard in Byron with the crowds sometimes."
It's a fitting finale to a festival that has always been more about community than competition.
Now in its 11th year, the Byron Bay Surf Festival brings together the elements that have shaped and continue to influence surf culture - art, music, the environment and the pure joy of being out on the ocean.
It kicks off with a film night on Friday at Byron Theatre that will include the Australian big screen film premiere of A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story along with the new feature film Girls Can't Surf, including a Q & A with world champion surfer Pauline Menczer and Jodie Cooper.
Saturday morning at Main Beach park sees the launch of the festival's major environmental project - a can and bottle collection in partnership with sponsor Pure Scot. Every can and bottle with a 10c recyclable tag that is collected over the weekend will be matched in money by Pure Scot, with all proceeds to go toward environmental organisation, Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef.
The Wategos Wizards event brings together some of the best longboarders in the country. Photo: Elliot Kirkwood
Over at Wategos, there'll be a morning beach clean up before the all-day Wategos Wizards competition starts, bringing together some of the best longboarders in Australia, followed by a party night at Woody's Surf Shack. Then on Sunday, it's the Freestyle and Stoked Surf Sessions at Wategos, including the party wave finale.
Surfers for Climate, a movement dedicated to positive climate change, is also holding a raffle fundraiser in conjunction with the festival and the Byron Surf Muesum, with prizes including Yeti Gear, a Fallen Broken Street hat, pair of Childe sunglasses, Afends clothing and Mr Simple clothing. Prizes will be drawn at a special Bay FM broadcast at 5.30 pm this Thursday, February 25, live from the Surf Museum in Byron Bay.
McMillan says he's stoked this year's event is able to go ahead, albeit in a slightly scaled back format: "We really felt like the community was screaming for something to do and some kind of normality, and we thought this is a good way to bring everyone together, get out and have some fun and still bring some surf culture to everybody."
Full program and more info at: Byronbaysurffestival.com.au