FOR IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE
Six Time World Champion to Headline Organisation of the 2025 BrightSky Australian Pro Adaptive Surf Championships in Byron Bay
World’s Best Adaptive Surfers Set to Compete in Byron Bay for the 2025 Australian Pro Adaptive Surf Championships
Byron Bay, NSW (10/03/2025) – The 2025 BrightSky Australian Pro Adaptive Surf Championships Presented by Forward Ability Support is set to take over Byron Bay from March 23rd to March 30th, 2025. As the first leg on the Association of Adaptive Surfing Professionals (AASP) World Tour, this competition will showcase the incredible skill and determination of adaptive surfers from across Australia and around the world. The Adaptive Pro celebrates resilience, inclusivity, and the transformative power of sport, bringing an incredible energy to the coastal hub of Byron Bay.
Melissa Decker, CEO of BrightSky Australia, the Naming Rights Partner and Forward Ability Support as a Presenting Partner, has stated she is looking forward to collaborations and enjoying the spectacular event: “We are proud to partner with and sponsor the Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships, championing inclusivity and empowering athletes to showcase their strength, resilience, and passion for the sport”.
Collaboration, fun, and inclusivity take centre stage at the Australian Pro Adaptive Surf Championships. While the spotlight shines on the inspirational adaptive surfers, the event is more than competition. The week will feature cultural ceremonies, community engagement, and a free ‘Come and Try’ clinic supported by Surfing Australia and presented by Macquarie Sports, welcoming more people into the sport, and creating an unforgettable experience for athletes and spectators.
The championship is also host to the Australian Para Surfing Titles, where local talent competes for a coveted spot on the national ‘The Irukandji’s’ surfing team. Surfing Australia’s Chief of Sport, Luke Madden, said, “Surfing Australia has long been a huge part of competitive adaptive surfing in this country and we’re over the moon to be a part of this stop of the adaptive world tour.”
Event Manager, Six-time world champion and adaptive surfing legend Mark “Mono” Stewart is equally thrilled to see the event return to Byron Bay: “The Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships committee are stoked to partner with BrightSky and Forward Ability Support for 2025. We welcome their support and commitment to ensuring the growth of this sport and couldn’t think of better partners to support the event and the competing athletes”.
Adaptive surfing has seen a rapid growth since its inception in the USA in 2015, leading to the first Adaptive Pro-Surf League founded just two years later in 2017. While the first events had just 40 competitors, there are now more than 500 internationally classified adaptive surfers from 33 countries across 9 sport classes, including several Paralympians who have successfully transitioned to surfing and have since competed on the ever-expanding World circuit. This success makes surfing one of the fastest growing para sports, an exciting prospect which might appeal to the organising committee of the 2032 Paralympic Games in Brisbane.
Dr Maureen Johnson Head of the ISA Para Surfing Classifications will be visiting again this year and states “that the past 10 years has been an exciting time for competitive adaptive surfing. I have enjoyed meeting Paralympians from other sports as they register for Classification under the Adaptive Surfing framework. Each Athlete must go through a rigorous classification process to compete. This is a unique framework that promotes fair and meaningful competition by minimising the impact of athletes’ impairments on the outcome of competition so that the outcome is determined by factors other than impairment. A colleague and I researched the biomechanics of able-bodied surfing and then compared abilities and permanent impairments of athletes with a variety of medical conditions, such as spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, amputation, and vision loss, creating nine Sport classes. Fast forward almost 10 years and what I am noticing now is the in-water and out-of-water training that the Athletes are doing to improve their surfing performance as they hone their skills and raise the bar of competition. We are thrilled and honoured to return to Byron Bay again this March and I still get goosebumps when thinking about the potential for the sport while watching these elite adaptive surfers busting air and doing 360’ manoeuvres.”
Ross Ashcroft from the Australian Sporting Alliance for People with a Disability (ASAPD) believes adaptive surfing is definitely looking towards the future: “Adaptive surfing is showing that sports which seek to include people with disability demonstrate the power of taking initiative in creating an accessible and welcoming culture. In a short time, frame, adaptive surfing in Australia and around the world has charted exponential growth and living the values of inclusion and diversity. More sports could learn from the steps they have taken thus far, and ASAPD looks forward to supporting the growth of this sport”.
We all extend an invitation to come be part of this spectacular event and be an early adopter of a new sport – whether as a spectator, athlete or finding another way to participate and get involved.
EVENT SCHEDULE:
- March 21 – 22: Athlete Classifications led by Dr. Mo Johnson, ensuring fair competition by grouping athletes based on functional ability.
- March 23: Parade of Nations, where international competitors march through Byron Bay, followed by a Welcome to Country led by Bundjalung representatives and the Official Opening Ceremony featuring speeches and the ‘Pouring of the Sands’ ritual.
- March 24 – 25: The Australian Para Surfing Championships take place.
- March 25: Come and Try Day.
- March 26 – 30: The BrightSky Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships Presented by Forward Ability Support commence, leading up to the semi-finals on March 29 and the finals on March 30, concluding with the Official Presentation Night at Byron Bay Services Club.
The BrightSky Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships Presented by Forward Ability Support is a testament to the strength and resilience of adaptive athletes. It is an event that not only showcases the highest level of competition but also inspires greater inclusivity in the sport of surfing.
For further information, please contact:
www.adaptivesurfproaustralia.com and https://surfingaustralia.com/parasurf/
The BrightSky Adaptive Pro Presented by Forward Ability Support