International Surfing Day - 19th June 2011
Not only is it Fathers Day, but in the UK we are celebrating International Surfing Day (it’s on the 20th June in the U.S.). That means fathers have never had a better excuse to spend the day surfing.
International Surfing Day (ISD) was founded by the Surfrider Foundation; so that surfers and wave riders from all over the world can come together in celebration of surfing. Fathers Day is rumoured to have been invented by Clinton Cards, but Wikipedia credits the idea to Spokane YMCA in 1910.
This is the seventh ISD, and there are now over 200 separate events in over 25 different countries. Activities range from paddle-outs to beach clean-ups, surf movie nights to mangrove restorations. ISD encourages surfers to both celebrate surfing, and to give something back to the oceans, waves and beaches.
The majority of these events occur in the U.S.A, but there are lots of fun events going on around Europe. There’s concerts in Madrid, SUP taster sessions in Switzerland and lots of other events which can be found on the Surfing Day website. In the UK, Surfers Against Sewage are doing their bit at the Goldcoast Oceanfest Surf & Music Festival in North Devon. SAS are staging a “trash mob” beach clean and will have all the usual literature, stickers and giveaways at their stand between 17th – 19th June.
If you can’t make it to Devon then have your own Oceanfest where ever you are. Get yourself down to the beach, have a few waves or at the very least get the paddling pool out in the garden and suck on a cold beer. Weather permitting.
Fathers will never have a better chance of getting a surf pass, than this International Surfing Fathers Day. So make sure you put “going surfing” in big red letters on your calendar for June 19th. It’s practically the law!
If you would like more information on International Surfing Day watch the video below, or go to the official International Surfing Day website.
International Surfing Day 2011 from EuroSIMA on Vimeo.