PNG surf tourism given a boost
An Aussie surfer has travelled to Tupira, in the province of Madang, Papua New Guinea, to officially hand over 140 donated surfboards and equipment.
Martin (Marty) Brown initiated the donation drive in Victoria for pre-loved surfboards and equipment in September 2012 after visiting PNG on a surf trip.
Brown worked with the Surf Association of Papua New Guinea to fix up the boards and distribute them to coastal towns in PNG, where many local surfers often make do with planks of wood due to lack of funds.
The handover ceremony in one of PNG’s newest surf destinations, Tupira, included a traditional Sing-Sing where local men and women dress in colourful costumes and perform songs and dances.
Guests included PNG’s Minister for Culture Tourism, Boka Kondra.
The remaining boards were distributed to key surf destinations around the country.
Brown said that by developing a passion for surfing from a young age, "people in these communities become more motivated to foster surf tourism, which provides a sustainable business model from which they can profit".
To ensure all members of PNG surfing communities are involved in the scheme, women received their share of the donations by painting the tip of half the boards pink, "a simple step towards gender equality in PNG’s surfing world", Brown said.
Surfers across Australia will be encouraged to participate in the next donation drive.
For more information on the surf drive visit the Facebook page PNG Surf Donation. For details on surfing in PNG visit www.papuanewguinea.travel
Ian Jarrett
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