Destination Kiama Chairman and Councillor Matt Brown, Jones Beach Boardrider participants and NSW Her Wave competitors

Surfing NSW is delighted to announce the return of the Her Wave Teams Classic event to Kiama. The female surf event invites females of all ages and abilities to join forces with their local boardrider members, friends, family and like-minded locals of their community to enjoy a weekend of fun on the New South Wales south coast.
After unprecedented interest and participation in the launch of Her Wave Teams Classic in 2022, Kiama Council Mayor, Neil Reilly is delighted to welcome the event back to the south coast for its second consecutive year.
“Australia is experiencing a golden age in women’s sport, and events such as this ensure it will continue for a long time to come. Kiama is proud to host the Surfing NSW Her Wave Teams Classic and we invite women and girls of all ages and abilities to come and enjoy a weekend in our beautiful area.” Said Mr Reilly.
“We have an outstanding history of producing world-class female surfers, most recently Sally Fitzgibbon and Tyler Wright and events like Her Wave continue to encourage a passion for future stars such as Lucy Darragh and Holly Wishart.”
Hundreds of female surfers will get to showcase their skills and passion for surfing over the course of the weekend at Jones Beach, Kiama.
The Kiama event will be the second and final stop for the Her Wave Teams Classic 2023 with the first event taking place on the Central Coast. Created to support and encourage female surfing, both events will see hundreds of women enjoy their time in regional NSW thanks to the support of the NSW Government as well as the Kiama Council.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said a $156,000 grant from the NSW Government’s Regional Events Acceleration Fund would support the two events which were sure to make a big splash with female surfers.
“These events will be a great opportunity for local surfers and visitors alike to get involved and showcase their surfing skills, with women of all ability levels and ages encouraged to attend, connect and participate,” Mr Toole said.
“We are serious about driving investment and tourism in the regions – and the Regional Events Acceleration Fund will put more heads on beds, fill restaurants and cafés, and pump more money into the local economy.”
The Her Wave Teams Classic format encourages teams of eight – four short boards and four mid/longboard surfers to register a team and compete with a flexible and fun judging criterion. Between the surf heats, surf-related workshops and clinics will be offered to the competitors and spectators to learn something new, improve on skills and network with like-minded women.
Due to the swift growth and enthusiasm for Surfing NSW’s female platform Her Wave, the event will run for an entire weekend. Starting on Friday the 31st of March, Surfing NSW will host a workshop dedicated to local teenagers at Kiama High School whilst Saturday and Sunday, are dedicated to sand, sun and surfing on the beach.
Regional coastal towns across the NSW state continue to see increased participation in female surfing, which is why Surfing NSW CEO Luke Madden is stoked to see the return of the Her Wave Teams Classic to Kiama.
“2022 Her Wave Teams Classic events received such an incredible response, with Kiama a major highlight. In 2022 the events were oversubscribed, with teams from boardrider clubs, surfing groups, sporting teams and even universities. I am excited to see the Her Wave platform continue to support and nurture female participation in surfing while also driving much-needed tourism to regional wave-rich locations on the south coast.” Said Luke Madden.
“We are stoked to bring Her Wave back to Kiama. It is a beautiful location with endless offerings for the surfing community. Surfing NSW and now Her Wave have had a long-lasting relationship with Kiama Council that we are proud to continue as well as the support from Regional NSW that has assisted with our ability to offer an event of this calibre.”
The first weekend of April will offer tourists and the local community a plethora of activities to participate in. Her Wave Teams Classic will run all weekend, in tandem with SurfLife’s Music Festival which features an epic line up of artists including Pacific Avenue and the Sunbears.
Kiama Council’s Tourism and Events Manager, Sally Bursell is beyond excited to see the local community enjoy a jam-packed weekend in April.
“Destination Kiama has enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Surfing NSW over the last eight years. The 2022 Her Wave event was a terrific success, and we are looking forward to supporting the extended competition format and assisting by creating a more extensive festival style event on Sunday 2 April that aims to provide fun and entertainment for anyone interested in surf culture. Expect workshops, live music, food trucks, graffiti art and pop-up skateboarding demos.” Sally Bursell explained.
“It’s exciting to see so many females faces out in the surf these days and this event really fosters the ‘get out there and have a go’ attitude. Before the surf event, Destination Kiama will introduce students to Surfing NSW experts and combine local business operator success stories to deliver information on career pathways in surfing, Surfing NSW will also be taking applications for students interested in judging courses and other surfing related careers in order to get a head start.”
Her Wave Teams Classic Kiama is also supported by the AVCON Projects, a highly qualified organisation who specialise in Waste cleanup, remediation and recovery.
Avcon Projects Australasia General Manager, Ryan Burke said, “Avcon is committing $10,000 to the event including water safety if required, mobile equipment and assisting local based companies be involved in the event, to support women’s participation in the sport of surfing.”
For a beach to bar experience, to learn more information and to register a team in the Her Wave Teams Classic Kiama, please head to the Her Wave website and SurfLife Music Festival.
The Challenge Her Team’s Classic is part of the Surfing NSW Her Wave platform, supported by the NSW Government, Kiama Council and AVCON. Head to the Surfing NSW Her Wave website to find out more about the events and register a team.