GSI Noosa Festival of Surfing streamlines for March '09

The world’s most popular surf festival will have a streamlined look in 2009, according to its new director, Noosa surfer and businessman Phil Jarratt, who is returning to the role he vacated in 2002.

"The Noosa Festival of Surfing hit the dizzy heights last March," said Jarratt. "It was the biggest festival ever, we raised more than $100,000 for charity, hosted thousands of visitors from around the world. In fact, we were bursting at the seams. Since then, the new economic climate has kicked in at all levels of business, and it’s just not appropriate to be asking for the same level of support. So, with the blessing of major sponsor Global Surf Industries, we’re going to kick back a little in 2009."

Mark Kelly, the founder and CEO of Global Surf Industries, the largest surfboard distributor in the world, said he was delighted to be working with the new management team on GSI’s third consecutive Noosa festival. "We’re very keen to build on the success of last year’s event. Noosa has become part of our core marketing plan, celebrating our company mantra 'life is better when you surf', and we’re being deluged with emails from people around the world who want to come and be part of the fun."

Event director Jarratt, a surf industry veteran whose company ran the Noosa festival from 1998 to 2001, picks up the reins of event management from USM Events.

He said: "What we’ve had here for almost 20 years is a relatively small, feel-good cultural event that highlights Noosa’s surfing heritage, and that’s something I feel quite relaxed about organising and promoting. My aim is to take the surf festival back to the surfing community, and we’re opening up sponsorship opportunities which will facilitate that."

The 2009 surf festival will run from March 15 to 22, with a one-day waterman festival and charity event preceding the official opening on the afternoon of March 15.

Said Jarratt: "We’re going to open with a bang, with many of the greatest surfers in the world here for our charity event, and then it’s going to be an old-style longboard pro-am in the surf, and off the beach, great entertainment Noosa-style every evening. Every year, people tell us how much they loved it when we had a simpler event, so that’s what we’re going to give them."

Jarratt said he had confirmations of attendance from a large contingent of world champions and surfing legends, and key events like the memorabilia auction, movie premiere and major music concert were under negotiation. Competitor registration for all amateur divisions will be available from early October.

The GSI Noosa Festival of Surfing 2009 will be run by Phil Jarratt Communications in conjunction with Events By Design, under license from the Noosa Malibu Club.