SURFERS have come a long way since Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser castigated them as "dole bludgers", pledging during the 1975 election campaign that his government "would not use the earnings of Australia's families to finance Gold Coast holidays for those who do not want to work".
Deep immersion in the ocean has led surfers to take increasingly visible roles in the environmental movement, with the success of the boardrider-driven Fight for the Bight campaign being instrumental in having the Norwegian gas and oil giant Equinor abandon its government-approved exploration drilling in the Great Australian Bight off Ceduna in February this year.
Inspired by this success, a group of surfers led by Newcastle's own Belinda Baggs - based nowadays in Victoria and working for surf brand Patagonia - and Byron Bay surfer/filmmaker Johnny Abegg, have formed a new registered charity, Surfers For Climate, which had its official launch (in virtual, COVID-style, of course) last night.
It's time our tribe use our collective voice to turn the tide on climate change
Belinda Baggs, Surfers For Climate
The launch featured the world premiere of a video that the legendary surf filmmaker Jack McCoy shot for a Paul McCartney song, Wine Dark Open Sea, which features Belinda's surfing.
The Newcastle Herald previewed Jack's work with the Beatle during his East Coast "talking story" tour last year.
Surfers For Climate grew out of a climate change conference that Baggs and Abegg attended last year.
"They were moved by what they learnt about climate science, the impacts of climate change and how many viable solutions there are from Australia's leading scientists and policy experts," the charity's website says.
"Most importantly, though, they were struck by the critical role the oceans play in our climate system. The discovery left them breathless, like gasping for air after a solid beatdown."
That's surfer jive for being belted around underwater by a powerful wave.
Belinda left Newcastle for the cold of Victoria - and its big Southern Ocean swells - six years ago.
A talented and extremely stylish longboarder, she followed in the footsteps of her father, Phil Baggs, himself one of the competitive stalwarts of Newcastle's longboarding crowd.
The Newcastle connections don't end there.
Merewether High School alumni Anna Rose, now a prominent Sydney climate activist, is an adviser.
Newcastle surfers Ryan Callinan, Craig Anderson and Peter McCabe are signed on as Surfers For Climate supporters.
You can find out more at surfersforclimate.org.au
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