Ride a wave at Coast Out

Coast Out returns to Coffs Harbour for a second year this October, with sun, sand and surf once again the focus of the festival.

Two of the festival’s most popular events, the Beach Carnival and the Unreal Surf Competition, will be highlights of the weekend-long celebration.

“Last year’s event was the world’s first gay surfing comp, and we had 24 surfers, which was a great success,” Coast Out organiser Todd Buttery told the Star Observer.

“This year we’re opening it up to more surfers. We’ve got competitions for Open Men, Open Women and Open Longboards, each with $500 cash plus prizes for the winners.”

Sydney drag queen Sandy Bottom will again host the competition, and she’ll be joined by a professional team of organisers, commentators and accredited judges from Surfing NSW.

All competitors receive a CoastOut competition T-Shirt, but entry numbers are limited, so download the entry form from the Coast Out website now.

After the early morning surf competition, the action will continue at the beach carnival, with a diverse line-up of events planned. Participants can enter events including a 4km fun run, 1.2km ocean swim, beach sprints and shorter ocean swim relays.

“It’s all about participation — if you can keep yourself afloat or go for a run, we’d love you to be a part of it,” Buttery said.

“Participation and inclusion are the key elements of these events.”

INFO: Coast Out, October 28-30, Coffs Harbour. www.coastout.com.au