SURFERS AIM TO BREAK WORLD RECORD
Monday, 3 September 2007
About 300 people are expected in Cornwall in a bid to set a new world record for the biggest number of surfers riding the same wave.
They will be attempting the feat on Sunday at Polzeath beach as part of the Global Surf Challenge.
But they face tough competition with similar attempts taking place across the world.
The effort is part a project called Earthwave and organisers hope it will raise awareness about global warming.
Conrad Humphreys, a yachtsman who is taking part in the surf record attempt, explained how difficult it would be to get so many surfers in the water at once.
He said: "Luckily Polzeath is quite used to having so many people out in the water in one spot and there isn't a huge surf forecast for Sunday, so the waves should be quite small.
"But I think we'll need as many as possible because with these record attempts people end up missing the wave and not getting on it so if we start off with 300, we'll be lucky to end up with 100 by the end."
According to the organisers of the Polzeath attempt, the official world record stands at 44, set by Lahinch surf school in Ireland. However, unofficially the highest figure is 73, held by the Kahuna Surfing Academy in South Africa.
BRAZIL SETS WORLD AND EARTHWAVE RECORDS WITH 84 SURFERS ON ONE WAVE
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
Earthwave Brazil eclipsed the Guinness World Record for the 'most surfers riding one wave simultaneously' when 84 surfers successfully rode a wave at Quebra Mar in Santos on Sunday, overtaking the 71 set in Cape Town earlier in the day and smashing the existing record of 44.
"Well done Santos, you have broken the world record," said Brazilian surfing legend Rico de Souza and organiser of Earthwave Brazil when announcing the total after consulting photographs with the adjudicators of the Guinness World Record organisation at the event.
"And more important than the new mark, you have drawn massive attention to the problem of Global Warming and what can be done to combat climate change – the theme of the worldwide Earthwave project."
The record breaking attempt was made during the Earthwave Festival de Surf Ecorodovias, a three day festival of wave-riding events that featured a professional longboarding surfing contest, outrigger canoe paddling and demonstrations of stand up paddling, the latest discipline of surfing that is sweeping the world.
Sponsored by Ecorodivias, one of Brazil's largest road concession companies, the event was attended by the Mayor of Santos, the top management of the company, celebrities from Brazil's movie industry and sporting heroes like event ambassador Picuruta Salazar.
"What a fantastic achievement by Rico, the Earthwave Brazil participants, the sponsors and the City of Santos to nearly double the record," said Paul Botha who, along with his son Dene from the Kahuna Surfing Academy in Cape Town, created the Earthwave Global Surf Challenge that ran in seven countries on Sunday.
"Earthwave and its 'call to action' on adopting a more sustainable lifestyle to combat the climate crisis is up and running worldwide. Thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of the six organisations that joined in the first edition we are now looking forward to every country with a coastline joining us in promoting this cause on the first Sunday in September every year."
MORE: www.earthwave2007.com
Source: www.pacificlongboarder.com
