The Biennial Global Wave Conference, now in its sixth iteration, is coming to Australia for the first time from February 10th-13th. With movie screenings, panel discussions, raffles, and some of the greatest minds in ocean conservation and surf industry innovation, the Global Wave Conference will be a community gathering open to the public in Queensland, Australia with an eye towards ensuring surfing’s sustainable future for generations to come.
This year, the lineup of events and speakers is staggering; too many to name in this article, but here’s a few standouts: Nick and Tom Carroll on the state of crowds in surfing, Bede Durbidge on surfing in the Olympics, Andrew McKinnon on Gold Coast surfing history, Chad Nelsen of the Surfrider Foundation, up-and-coming Aussie surfer Pacha Light on women in surfing, Troy Bottegal of The Airwave aka the inflatable artificial reef, the granddaughter of former PM Bob Hawke, Sophie Taylor-Price on climate change, and many more.
(See the full list of speakers here.)
Pacha Light, a speaker at the upcoming Global Wave Conference, practicing what she preaches in Hainan, China. Photo: Remi Riblanc
Per a press release, the three-day summit will address: “a wide range of hot topics up for discussion, including artificial reefs, wave pools, shark management, ecofeminism and the ethics of surfing, sewage and water quality, sustainable surfboards, the fight against plastics, surfing for mental health, bodysurfing, health concerns regarding sunscreen, surf tourism, relationships between surfers and fishermen, measuring human/environmental interactions in surf ecosystems, the importance of ‘surfability’ and legal protections for surf breaks.”
In addition to speakers, the GWC2020 will feature a photo exhibition, free surf movies, a children’s book launch, outdoor market stalls, a group paddle out at Greenmount, live music, an auction in support of the Australian bushfires, and a chance to win a 12-night boat trip to the Mentawais.
What’s more, the Save the Waves Coalition will announce their 12th World Surfing Reserve. Past inductees include Gold Coast, Malibu, Ericeira, Todos Santos, and more. With that distinction, these coveted surfing zones are protected and preserved for future generations to enjoy.
Learn more about the 6th Biennial Global Wave Conference here.
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