As the surfing world prepares to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the Rip Curl Cup Invitational at Padang Padang, contest organizers this week made a very exciting announcement:

For the first time in history, a women’s event will be held in conjunction with the men’s on the best day of waves all season at Padang Padang. The 2023 Rip Curl Cup Women’s Invitational at Padang Padang will feature an elite field of the world’s top female tube riders competing alongside Indonesia’s best and a prize purse equal to the men’s.

The women’s and men’s events will be held concurrently on the same day, when Padang Padang is at its best. Men’s and women’s competition rounds will be staggered, with the women’s championship final scheduled to run immediately before the men’s final on the afternoon low tide, ensuring both groups of athletes have the opportunity to perform in ideal barreling conditions.

Among the top female tube specialists confirmed to compete in the inaugural women’s contest at Padang is 15-year-old surfing phenom Erin Brooks (CAN), who reached the championship final and claimed fourth place competing against the men last year. The Texas-born surfing savant, who grew up in Maui, Hawaii, applauded the decision to run the women’s and men’s competitions concurrently on the same day, when Padang Padang is at its best.

“I was so excited to hear that Rip Curl was launching the first-ever women’s contest at Padang Padang,” Brooks said. “It’s an amazing opportunity for the best female barrel riders to showcase our skills on an incredible wave in one of my favourite places in the world!”

Surf fans around the world are now counting down the days as Rip Curl prepares to bring all the drama and unsurpassed action of the “Ultimate Tuberiding Contest” to a massive global audience for another year of history in the making.

The holding period for the 2023 Rip Curl Cup runs from 1st – 31st of August, a full month during the peak of Indonesia’s prime swell season, providing the event with the best odds of scoring the mythical spitting barrels the Balinese Pipeline is world-famous for.

Among the world’s best barrel riders confirmed to push the limits of tube riding in pursuit of the prestigious men’s title are defending champion Clay Marzo (HAW), Kolohe Andino (USA) and Mason Ho (HAW). The full list of invited surfers, for both the women’s and men’s events, will be revealed at the official opening ceremony, to be held at Padang Beach on Sunday, July 30th.

ith past men’s champions such as Jack Robinson (AUS), Jamie O'Brien (HAW) and Chris Ward (USA) having etched their names on the historic Rip Curl Cup trophy, expect to see a roll call of the best tube riders on Earth gather at Padang in 2023 to challenge for one of the most prestigious titles in competitive surfing.

Meanwhile, the Rip Curl Cup Local Trials holding period is already underway. As of this writing, the trials may be called ON any day between July 1st-31st when a swell of proper magnitude forms in the southern Indian Ocean and Padang Padang roars to life.

As the Top 4 placing local surfers in last year’s main event, Mega Semadhi, Mega Artana, Garut Widiarta and Mustofa Jeksen all earned automatic entries to the 2023 Rip Curl Cup main event. The four remaining Indonesian surfer spots will be determined by the Local Trials.

Former men’s finalist, and current trials surfer, Betet Merta is hoping a big Padang swell shows up soon so he can punch his ticket back into the main event.

“It’s been a strange surf season so far in Bali,” Merta said. “It’s already July and we still haven’t had any really big swells. This week the conditions have been like rainy season in Bali with onshore winds in Uluwatu. But we all know that can change very quick. We’re all praying for that first big Padang swell to come this July – and if we can get it for the Local Trials I’ll already be stoked to surf barreling Padang with just three other surfers out – making it into the main event would be a bonus.”

RIP CURL CUP PADANG PADANG 2023 EVENT SCHEDULE:

Trials Holding Period
July 1st – 31st

Main Event Holding Period
August 1st – 31st

Rip Curl Planet Beach Cleanup
Friday, July 28th at 8 AM, Padang Padang Beach, Bali

Opening Ceremony
Sunday, July 30th at 1 PM, Padang Padang Beach, Bali
1. Media Luncheon
2. Meet the invited athletes
3. Press conference
4. Traditional Balinese Kecak Dance performance

Official Rip Curl Cup Party
Friday, August 25th 5PM – Midnight.
Live performance by special guest at Ulu Cliff House

As Keep Britain Tidy points out, vast numbers of disposable foam bodyboards end up in landfill every year from beaches around the world or, when they snap, unleash miniature polystyrene balls into the marine environment.

Teaming up with Cornish surfboard shaper Tim Lupton and ex Irish national champion, Chris Martin, the Magical Mushroom Company (MMC) is helping solve this problem with a new kickstarter campaign.

Ex Irish national surfing champion and founder of Skunkworks Surf Co Chris Martin - another designer of sustainable surfboards - has also been also involved in the design of the later and improved board. 

The bodyboard, which has already been prototyped, is made from mycelium and agricultural waste as a feedstock. Mushrooms are the fruits of a giant underground ‘tree’ - which is mycelium. Mycelium itself is made of Chitin, a natural glue which has the added benefit of being water resistant.

Paul Gilligan, Founder and CEO of  MMC, said “Surfing and bodyboarding has a big impact on the environment, part of which is driven by the millions of disposable bodyboards used for short periods by tourists every year and then discarded”

“The most important thing is trying to solve this problem at scale. A small number of boards wouldn't make a dent in the mountain of plastic sitting in landfill for hundreds of years.  A big problem needs a big solution, and with our ability to make large amounts of Mushroom  Packaging, which with some magic can shaped into bodyboards, combined with the support of the surfing community,  we think we are the right team to have a go.”

An update from the crew at Coastal Crusaders below.

Over the winter of 2023, Coastal Crusaders built two adaptive surfboards. Using two 12 ft stand up paddle boards, mounted with fibreglass race car bucket seats! This project will allow people with mobility or learning challenges the chance to enjoy surfing in a more reclined, supported, seated position. With the support of Coastal Crusaders staff and volunteers, we deliver events across three geographical areas of Cornwall, Newquay, Hayle, and Bude over June, July, August and September. Seated surfboard event days will be delivered on Saturdays, Sundays and mid-week. The McPike Zimma Foundation & Sport England has kindly supported this pilot project.

Building the boards, R & D, seated positions
We worked with local craftsman Rory Martin who cut into the boards to fix the runners for the seats to be attached to, the runners and fixing points attach the base of the seats to the boards, and we can move the seats backwards and forwards from the midpoint. Depending on the rider’s weight, how many people are riding the board, the conditions on the day, the rider’s ability, are factors that will depend on where the seats are positioned. We can also move the seat from rider feedback and staff observations during the session. Also attached along the sides, front and back of the boards are rubber and webbed straps, so we can hold on and manoeuvre the board with greater control, helping the staff, volunteers and riders have a smoother session!

Day Event
Our vision for our day events is to have family members, friends and supporters all enjoying a day at the beach together, surfing, enjoying water sports and the surrounding areas in a safer, more supported way, offering chances for some participants to connect with the ocean for the first time! Allowing family-to-family support, connecting families and individuals who have been through similar trauma or life-changing events or have children or adults in their lives sharing the same challenges disabilities or illness. Learning together, supporting one another, talking, relaxing on the beach, eating food, and having a coffee at the beach, has as profound a benefit as riding the board in!

The project so far
What we didn’t expect so soon into the project was a few participants telling us halfway through the session to lose the seat altogether, “I want to be closer to the water”. These orders came from fifty-five-year old Wolfy, from the Newquay Surf Veterans CIC group. Wolfy had just said he’d been out of the water from surfing for fourteen years until now! Seventy-nine-year-old Dave, a right leg amputee, also pushed all the coaches to their limits demanding progressive rides and was a little angry about the 0.5 ft wave size that day! Wanting bigger waves, more challenge and speed!

All female Autism group
The fantastic sunshine and friendly smaller summer waves we’ve been working in during June have been a blessing for the start of this project as, we build up confidence using our new equipment. The last two sessions were more challenging with 4 ft + sized waves, participants loved the bigger waves and the moment of popping over the white water en route further out, seated and eyes more protected by our visors attached to the helmets! Thank you to Great Western Beach in Newquay, an incredible, inclusive, accessible and fun venue for our Mid-Cornwall project. The staff always go above and beyond and are super friendly, and the beach’s location offers natural protection from bigger waves and prevailing less favourable wind

Participant numbers and demographics
We’ve delivered 8 sessions, so far. Reaching and working with 51 people. 22 participants with challenges and 29 participants that comprise of supporters or family members. We encourage and want friends or family to all ride and get stoked together!Out of the 51 people involved in the project so far, 23 have been male and 28 females. The ages of participation have been very diverse as well; with the youngest 13 and our two eldest riders 79! From the less mobile participants (22), so far, 9 have been aged over 50, 2 aged between 30 - 50 and 11 participants aged under 30! The challenges that some of our seated surfers live with are diverse. Over these first few sessions, we have worked with and been inspired by people living with, Cerebral Palsy, Dystonia, Autism, Amputees, Stroke Survivors, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, Mental Health, Arthritis, Diabetes, and Asthma, among other challenges; these people live with and overcome. Another great inclusion to the project is the attendance and contribution of Aiden Coxhead and Louis Sutton (pictured below), two longtime Coastal Crusaders students who live with Autism and other daily challenges. They have become qualified surf coaches and lifesavers under the training and mentorship of Coastal Crusaders. They are now volunteering their skills and experience, helping others enjoy the waves during seated surfing.

What Participants have said Seated Surfing on YouTube What we have learnt, Adaptions and What’s Next
We have re-strengthened the chairs at the base and are currently fitting foam padding under the small space between the board deck and the seat’s bottom. We aim to stop any flexing in the middle point of the seat as riders are seated and as staff and volunteers hold the seat for steering and pushing through waves. The foam padding underneath the main seat can also double up as a smaller seat. We used this method during our “Lad and Dad session.”Both young boys have involuntary movements, so we agreed with the parents it was safest if the boys sat on their dad’s lap. Feedback from the dads was that a small seat in front of the main seat would mean more space and comfort for the two riders. We have constantly been improving and understanding all the methods needed to deliver seated surfing safely. Ranging from setting up equipment smarter, changing seat positions, improving our lifting techniques from beach wheelchair to surfboard, steering and moving in the ocean, what waves not to take, and considerations around parking and accessing the beach, what lesson delivery is possible within our event times and the energy levels of participants. In July, we will take the project south to the town of Hayle, using the bluff area for delivery; kindly, Hayle Surf Life Saving Club will allow us to use some of their facilities for our events. We will continue to choose participants from diverse and underrepresented population groups. Thank you for reading and the biggest thank you to all participants so far, overcoming many hurdles and bringing huge amounts of desire and positivity to your sessions!

Coastal Crusaders.

For more information check out the links below.