Surfing Australia

What Surfing Australia does

Surfing Australia is the national governing body for the sport of surfing in Australia, founded in 1963 and incorporated as a not-for-profit (ACN 168 162 865). It operates a federated model comprising six state associations (NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA, Tasmania) and a grassroots network of more than 235 Boardrider Clubs and 145 accredited Surf Schools, serving recreational participants, elite athletes, adaptive surfers, and school-age competitors. The organization runs a multi-tiered portfolio including the NRMA Insurance Australian Boardriders Battle, the Australian Interschools Surfing Championships, the Surfing Australia Junior Series, the NRMA Insurance Seas The Day women's surf festival, the Buildcare Australian Para Surfing Titles and BrightSky Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships, the Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles, and the Surfing Australia High Performance Program anchored at the High Performance Centre (HPC) at Casuarina, NSW.

The company's core technology stack is conventional rather than proprietary: the JustGo Membership Surf Portal for membership and event registration, the My Learning Centre LMS for coach/judge/official education, and mySURF.tv for video streaming of events and athlete content. Memberships, event entry fees, accredited surf-school affiliations, coaching and officiating course registrations, Marsh Insurance commissions, and corporate partnerships (NRMA Insurance as Naming Rights, Ford Australia, Southern Cross University, Breaka, Babybel, Rip Curl) form the revenue base, alongside government funding via the Australian Institute of Sport, Sport Australia, and state institutes (NSWIS, QAS). The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging the federated club network, school programs (SurfGroms, Sporting Schools), and flagship national events to drive participation, sponsorship, and athlete development from grassroots to Olympic and World Championship Tour level.

Name

Surfing Australia

Legal name

Surfing Australia

Website

https://surfingaustralia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Surfing Australia is the national governing body for surfing in Australia, administering grassroots participation, accreditation, competitive events, and high-performance athlete development through a federated network of six state associations, 235+ Boardrider Clubs, and 145+ Surf Schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Sporting Organization / Surfing Governance

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

Keywords

• National surfing federation
• Grassroots surfing programs
• Competitive surfing events
• Athlete development pathways
• Sports governance body

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Beach

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Surfing Australia and state associations generate revenue through club affiliations, individual memberships, and the JustGo Surf Portal. The organization offers tiered affiliation packages for clubs with benefits including insurance and products/services.
2. Event Entry Fees: Revenue from entry fees for national competitions including Australian Boardriders Battle, Australian Junior Series, Australian Surfing Awards, Australian Interschools Championships, and various discipline-specific titles.
3. Course Registrations: Revenue from coaching courses, officiating programs, and education renewals through the My Learning Centre platform. Entry fees for competitions and courses are generally non-refundable per policy.
4. Surf School Affiliations: Surfing Australia has 145 Surf Schools in their network. Schools affiliate to gain accreditation, insurance access, and association with the national governing body.
5. Insurance Services: Partnership with Marsh Insurance provides comprehensive insurance for affiliated clubs and members as part of tiered affiliation packages.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Major partners including NRMA Insurance, Ford Australia, Southern Cross University, Breaka, Babybel, and numerous other brands support events and programs in exchange for marketing rights and association with the surfing lifestyle.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Surfing Australia is the national sporting organization founded in 1963 that governs, promotes, and develops the sport of surfing in Australia. It runs a federated network of six state associations, 235+ Boardrider Clubs, and 145+ affiliated Surf Schools, and operates national competition series, learn-to-surf programs, and a High Performance Program supporting elite athletes toward WSL, ISA, and Olympic competition.

Product overview

Surfing Australia operates as a national sporting organization with a multi-layered portfolio of products and services organized into distinct pillars. The core membership and participation infrastructure includes the JustGo Membership Surf Portal for digital membership management, over 145 accredited Surf Schools, 235 Boardrider Clubs in the grassroots network, and the SurfGroms learn-to-surf program for children aged 5-12. The competitive events portfolio features flagship properties including the NRMA Insurance Australian Boardriders Battle (ABB) club competition series, the Australian Interschools Surfing Championships presented by Breaka (school competition), the Surfing Australia Junior Series with Taj's Small Fries as the premier 10,000-point event, the NRMA Insurance Seas The Day women's festival, the Buildcare Australian Para Surfing Titles and BrightSky Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships for para athletes, and the Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles. The High Performance division encompasses the HPC training facility at Casuarina, the Academy for elite development, the Boys National Junior Development Squad, and the Talent UNLSHD program for female talent development. The Irukandjis represents the national adaptive surfing team. Supporting infrastructure includes mySURF.tv for video streaming, Surfing Australia Studios for film production, the My Learning Centre for education, and comprehensive insurance programs. The organization also runs NRMA Insurance RISE for women's participation and ParaSurf for adaptive surfing inclusion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NRMA Insurance Australian Boardriders Battle (ABB)
• SurfGroms
• JustGo Membership Surf Portal
• mySURF.tv
• Talent UNLSHD
• The Irukandjis
• NRMA Insurance Seas The Day Women's Surf Festival
• Buildcare Australian Para Surfing Titles
• BrightSky Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships
• Australian Interschools Surfing Championships presented by Breaka
• Surfing Australia Junior Series
• Surfing Australia High Performance Centre (HPC)
• Surfing Australia High Performance Program
• Surfing Australia Academy
• Boys National Junior Development Squad
• ParaSurf
• Surf Schools Network
• Boardrider Clubs Network
• NRMA Insurance RISE
• Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles
• My Learning Centre
• Surfing Australia Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• Australia dominates world surfing with 2025 World Champion (Molly Picklum) and 2025 WSL World Junior Champions (Isla Huppatz, Dane Henry)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major partner - official university partner, major partner - official auto partner, presenting partner, official healthy snacking partner, apparel partner, preferred governance provider, naming rights partner, government partner, regional partner, institute partner, cause partner and insurance partner.

• Southern Cross Universitymajor partner - official university partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Surfing Australia announced Southern Cross University as Official University Partner and Major Partner. Southern Cross University will support and activate across eleven of Surfing Australia's major events including Australian Boardriders Battle series, women's surf festivals, junior and high school pathways, and Australian Surfing Awards. The partnership includes student placements and internships across key departments in marketing, events, high performance and commercial operations.
• Ford Australiamajor partner - official auto partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 March 2026Ford Australia became Official Auto Partner and Major Partner of Surfing Australia, supporting the sport from grassroots participation through to elite performance. Ford will support and activate across the national event calendar, become Official Major Partner of the Surfing Australia High Performance Centre (HPC), and feature Olympian Jack Robinson as ambassador. Ford vehicles support athlete development through strike missions, performance camps, athlete transport and beach access.
• Breaka Flavoured Milkpresenting partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 March 2026Surfing Australia extended partnership with Breaka, an iconic Queensland milk brand, for two more years. Breaka returns as presenting partner of the Australian Interschools Surf Championships, Australia's largest and most prestigious school surfing competition. Breaka also partners with Surfing Queensland supporting the Parko Junior Pro and three Junior and Grom QLD State Titles.
• Babybelofficial healthy snacking partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 February 2026Babybel partnered as Official Healthy Snacking Partner for 2026. Babybel will feature across major Surfing Australia events in QLD, NSW and WA including NRMA Insurance Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final and Australian Junior Surfing Titles. Babybel will support the NRMA Insurance SurfGroms Learn to Surf program with activation zones and sampling at multi-day events.
• Ministry of Shirtsapparel partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMinistry of Shirts formalized partnership for Boardrider Clubs, Surf Schools and State branches. Provides seamless ordering portal for quality printed club apparel at 25% off standard merchandise packages starting from $15 for full colour prints.
• CPR Grouppreferred governance providerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCPR Group is Surfing Australia's preferred provider for governance support to affiliated Boardrider clubs. Provides tailored webinars, on-call governance advice and mentoring, AGM support, constitution reviews, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and workshops. CPR Group has worked with Boardrider clubs for over 25 years.
• NRMA Insurancenaming rights partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerNRMA Insurance is Naming Rights Partner of the Australian Boardriders Battle, supporting the event with further investment and elevated boardriders club competition nationwide. Also supports NRMA Insurance RISE program for women's surfing initiatives and NRMA Insurance SurfGroms program.
• Rip Curlpresenting partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerRip Curl is presenting partner of the Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles, supporting this event for Indigenous surfers across Australia.
• SiblingsCarepresenting partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerSiblingsCare presents the Buildcare Australian Para Surfing Titles, supporting adaptive surfing in Australia and the pathway to The Irukandjis national team.
• Forward Ability Supportpresenting partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerForward Ability Support presents the BrightSky Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships, supporting elite adaptive surfing competition.
• BrightSkypresenting partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerBrightSky presents the Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships with live webcast coverage.
• Tourism and Events Queenslandgovernment partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism and Events Queensland supports the NRMA Insurance Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final on the Gold Coast.
• Experience Gold Coastregional partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerExperience Gold Coast supports Surfing Australia events on the Gold Coast including Australian Boardriders Battle Grand Final and Australian Interschools Championships.
• Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)government partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Australian Institute of Sport supports the Australian national surfing team (The Irukandjis) and High Performance Program as part of Win Well investment.
• Australian Olympic Committee (AOC)government partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Olympic Committee supports Olympic surfing team and Surfing Australia's pathway toward Olympic Games.
• Sport Australia (ASC)government partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Sports Commission/Sport Australia supports Surfing Australia through funding and governance frameworks including National Integrity Framework.
• NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS)institute partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSW Institute of Sport is a program partner enabling Surfing Australia to create athlete development opportunities.
• Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS)institute partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueensland Academy of Sport provides support services including Glen Workman (Lead Physical Preparation), Dr John Ward (Chief Medical Officer), Kerry O'Bryan (Sports Dietitian), and Tom Greer-Smith (Pathway Psychologist).
• Surfers for Climatecause partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurfers for Climate Partnership supports environmental sustainability initiatives within Australian surfing community.
• Marsh Insuranceinsurance partnerOthersMarsh Insurance provides comprehensive insurance for affiliated clubs and members as part of Surfing Australia's tiered affiliation packages.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• World Surf League (WSL): Commercial operator of professional surfing tours including the Championship Tour and Challenger Series. Comparable in athlete/competition focus (talent pathways, broadcast, sponsors) but commercial rather than governance-based.
• International Surfing Association (ISA): Global governing body for surfing recognized by the IOC. Comparable in mission (sanctioning world championships, pathways to Olympics/ISA Games, national federation oversight) but operates one level above national NSOs like Surfing Australia.
• Athlete Development Australia (national sport orgs comparables): Sport Australia / Australian Sports Commission is the umbrella funding body that supports Surfing Australia alongside other national sporting organisations. Indirectly comparable as the institutional layer that constrains/governs NSO funding and frameworks.

Direct peers

• Surfing Queensland: Queensland state association under the Surfing Australia federated model. Comparable peer handling club affiliations, state titles, and surf school coordination in Australia's largest surfing state.
• USA Surfing: National governing body for surfing in the United States. Direct functional peer running a national team, high performance program, club/school network, and Olympic pathway for American surfers.
• Surfing NSW: State-level member of the Surfing Australia federation delivering the same club, school, and event programming in NSW. Directly comparable as a federated national body providing grassroots-to-elite pathways and competitions in a single Australian state.
• Confederação Brasileira de Surf (CBSurf): Brazilian national surfing federation governing the largest competitive surfing nation. Direct peer as a national federation with high performance program, national team, and Olympic pipeline competing directly against Surfing Australia's athletes.
• Surfing New Zealand: National sporting organization for surfing in New Zealand. Peer across governance, team selection, and grassroots development with a smaller scale footprint than Surfing Australia.
• Surfing England: National governing body for surfing in England aligned with the ISA. Operates club affiliation, talent pathways, and national events at a smaller scale than Surfing Australia, providing a comparable NSO structure.

Emerging players

• Rip Curl Pro / Hurley Pro event organizers: Rip Curl is both a surf brand partner (presenting partner of Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles) and operator of major surfing events. Relevant as a commercial adjacent peer combining brand sponsorship, event IP, and athlete ambassadorship that competes for surf media/dollar share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfEpgtSBkosBtGMWGZhGiGg
• Facebookfacebook.com/surfingaustraliainc
• LinkedInau.linkedin.com/company/surfing-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/surfingaus
• TikToktiktok.com/@surfingaus
• Xx.com/surfingaus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surfing Australia