Waves of Change
A pioneer in gender-based violence & inequality is using surfing as a platform to harness much-needed change in Papua New Guinea’s sporting world. Jodie Cameron rides the gnarly wave empowering women…
It’s that time of year when local, national and international sun-kissed, zinc-nosed surfers descend on First Point, Noosa Heads for a celebration of sandy toes, salty vibes and beachside bliss! The Noosa Festival of Surfing (NFOS) is your front row seat at the Noosa World Surfing Reserve – from long boards to short boards, and dogs on boards, the iconic Festival is back again from 14-23 March! In 2025, the Festival is riding the wave of change to support the Pink Nose Revolution (PNR) – a movement aimed at addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and inequality through sport.
Initially devised within the purity of surfing, and following the success of putting Papua New Guinean women and girls on surfboards, PNR’s mission is to have girls and women on an equal footing with boys and men in everything they do – peacefully.
NFOS Chairman, John Finlay and the Noosa surfing community, have partnered with Co-founder and President of the Surfing Association of Papua New Guinea (SAPNG), Andrew C. Abel (Andy) – who has worked tirelessly for the past 35 years promoting and developing the sport of surfing, and the surf tourism industry in Papua New Guinea (PNG) – to share Andrew’s inspiring story and vision for ending gender-based violence and inequality.
Unlike many of our neighbouring countries, PNG’s surfing environment was virgin, and ready to be developed in a way that would genuinely uplift and empower their traditional resource custodians and communities – if developed in an ethical and sustainable manner, based on lessons learned from other surfing nations in the region.
“Surfing as a sport was non-existent in PNG when I was growing up, a few kids played on scraps of timber known as “splinter” boards, Andy explained. “However, the girls were excluded, and when small surf clubs began forming – women were banned from being office holders or members.”
As a schoolboy, Andy saw firsthand the turmoil and grief in his homeland, the Bougainville Crisis – a multi-layered armed conflict fought from 1988 to 1998 – from afar, and it filled his heart with a sense of urgency and responsibility.
“I realised amidst the chaos, PNG’s surfing potential remained untouched and an invaluable resource waiting to be embraced,” Andy said. “The development of surfing in PNG has become a powerful example of how constraint inspires creativity and how great necessity and lack of resources can become an ideal breeding ground for innovation.”
After finishing high school on the Sunshine Coast, Andy returned to PNG in the early 90’s with a bag full of ideas! Driven by passion, and in the pursuit of contributing to nation building, he co-founded the SAPNG foundation alongside local expatriates, and under Andy’s guidance, SAPNG developed and implemented a comprehensive Surf Management Plan (SMP) across registered surf locations in PNG.
“The SMP not only supports the growth of surf clubs and the sport itself, but also generates sustainable income streams for the traditional custodian communities responsible for reef conservation – the plan is a very distinct contract to the resource usage approach that had triggered the Bougainville Crisis.”
In terms of surfing, PNG is at the cutting edge because their approach ensures both an equitable and sustainable foundation by developing surfing as a national resource – which in turn, will benefit local communities, traditional resource custodians, and SAPNG-affiliated surf clubs and commercial operators.
“By raising awareness, challenging stereotypes and encouraging the participation of local women and young girls in surfing, SAPNG is breaking down barriers and creating a more inclusive surf culture,” Andy said.
Andy has become a powerful voice in striving for equality between the sexes and combating GBV in surf communities, and as head of the SAPNG, he insisted from the outset that females be included, or the clubs would not get access to the hundreds of surfboards being donated by international surfers and clubs.
“Surfing has brought a vibrant new tourism stream to PNG, while simultaneously introducing new social awareness, and a “no school, no surf” policy for its youngsters, and equality of the sexes is taught from a very early age,” Andy said. “When I saw that boys and men were commandeering all the donated boards, I came up with the idea of painting the noses of half the boards pink – this would quarantine those boards were used by girls only because pink is affectionately viewed as a girls’ colour – making it a simple, yet impactful visual cue to create fairness.”
This nurturing idea and solution ignited the Pink Nose Revolution, and its foray into the wider sporting arena. Under the visionary leadership of SAPNG, the Pink Nose Revolution education program empowers women, while nurturing a conscious local community that recognises the importance of their environment and responsibilities towards each other.
“The initiative has become a powerful tool in combating GBV in surf communities and SAPNG has emerged as a leading force in sustainability and social empowerment within the surfing industry,” Andy said. “As the sport continues to gain popularity in PNG, SAPNG has positioned itself as a catalyst for change, actively advocating against GBV, promoting community development and fostering environmental conservation efforts.”
SAPNG has partnered with the US Embassy in Papua New Guinea’s Sports Envoy Program to bring renowned American surfers, Kellen Lovell, Maluhia Kinimaka, and Alison Teal, to the shores of PNG. These esteemed athletes led community awareness workshops in Lido village, located in the Sandaun Province.
The workshops aimed to educate the local community on GBV and sustainable surfing practices, while recognising the impact of surf tourism on local communities and the marine environment. Subsequently, global surf champions from the likes of the USA, Brazil, France and Australia have also joined Andrew’s life mission to better the lives of all the girls and women in PNG, and now the wider world community.
NFOS Chairman, John Finlay said the Festival is thrilled to be hosting the first formal PNR event as part of the 2025 NFOS, and are passionate about partnering with Andy to help end GBV.
“Pink Nose Revolution is a registered not-for-profit entity, with an application for charity status pending, and the PNR fundraising dinner will be a wonderful night to connect with the surfing community, while helping the innovative and much needed GBV initiative thrive,” John said.
As part of the dinner, a fundraising auction will be held and a panel discussion about the history of PNR, and its mission will be compered by Noosa Councillor, Tom Wegener, and include panellists:
- Mr Andrew Abel (Founder & President of the Surfing Association of PNG & Creator of the Pink Nose Revolution)
- Ms Sylvia Pascoe (Secretary of the SAPNG, candidate for 2022 PNG Parliament elections, PNG marketing guru & event manager)
- Ms Hannah Joku (PNG Domestic Violence survivor)
- Mr Max Uechtritz (award winning journalist & independent documentary filmmaker)
- Dr Danny O’Brien (Bond University Associate Professor whose interests include sustainable surf tourism & organisational change in sport)
The NFOS also offered local businesses the opportunity to win a $75,000 sponsorship package, and the winning business – Diverse Lending Solutions – also won a double-page spread in IN Noosa Magazine!
With high tides and great vibes on the horizon, I think it’s surf-ice to say the Noosa Festival Surfing is a do-not-miss-event on the calendar this year, so grab your tickets to the Pink Nose Revolution Dinner and support a worthy cause – surf’s up!
For more information visit Pink Nose Revolution or visit their Facebook
To book your tickets to the Pink Nose Revolution Dinner + the hottest surf events in town, head to www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com.au
Noosa Festival of Surfing Pink Nose Revolution Charity Dinner
Friday, 21 March @ Noosa Boathouse
6pm to 10pm
$150 per person (+GST + booking fee)
Tables of 10 are available for a 10% discount, being $1,350 (+ GST + booking fee) if made in a single booking.
Book your tickets here!
