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Former Pro-Circuit Surfers Unite to Raise Awareness about Suicide

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This past Saturday August 24, a group of former pro-circuit surfers visited Ulladulla in an endeavour to raise awareness in our local community about suicide. The event organiser was Kurt Nyholm of Akwa Surf shop assisted by Garth Dickenson on behalf of the Ulladulla Board riders club. The surf activity was a tag team event featuring some of the great former Australian surfers and a few young locals who each demonstrated their incredible board handling skills. The event was well attended and much appreciated by the local community.

Held in glorious sunshine with a beautiful surf break operating at the ‘Golf Course’ surfing reef. The surfers thrilled the crowd of onlookers who responded, hand clapping some of their exceptional exploits on the waves.

At the conclusion of the tag team events, surfers young and old packed the Bannister’s Pavilion Hotel entertaining deck, listening to heart felt messages whereby some retired surfers shared their real life experiences dealing with anxiety, depression and even attempted suicide as they struggled to adapt to life after their touring days had ended. When Garth gave his heartfelt real life experience of almost ending his own life, Kurt mentioned “there was hardly a dry eye in the audience”. 

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Click on pics to enlarge throughout

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