Surfing Queensland
Surfing Queensland is the not-for-profit peak state body for surfing in Queensland, established in 1964. It governs competitions, delivers junior and high-performance development programs, certifies coaches and judges, and serves 48,000+ participants across boardrider clubs, surf schools, and individual members.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersPalm Beach, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Surfing Queensland does
Surfing Queensland is the recognized not-for-profit peak state body for surfing in Queensland, Australia, established in 1964 and headquartered in Palm Beach on the Gold Coast. The organization governs the sport at the state level as the official Queensland affiliate of Surfing Australia, with an explicit mandate to develop surfing, sanction competitions, and educate the public on surf safety and surf survival. It serves individual junior and grommet surfers (U8 to U18), boardrider clubs, licensed surf schools, coaches, judges, and female participants through dedicated programs, reaching more than 48,000 participants annually and supporting the athlete pathway to the Irukandjis Australian Junior Team and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
The organization operates a portfolio of programs segmented across community development (SurfGroms, Surf Sisters, Rookie to Ripper, The Impact Zone, SurfStrong, Good Surfer, SQ Community Fund), high-performance pathways (Surfing Queensland Academy, Talent UNLSHD), and education/certification services (coaching, judging, officiating). Its core technology stack is an event management and competition administration platform integrated with Surfing Australia's JustGo membership system, combined with the Live Heats real-time scoring and heat management system for sanctioned competitions. Media production is delivered in-house through Surfing Queensland Studios for event coverage and content distribution.
Surfing Queensland's revenue model is diversified across four primary streams: annual membership subscriptions via the Surfing Portal, one-time event entry fees for sanctioned competitions (grommet titles, junior titles, state championships, Billabong Occy's Grom Comp), one-time course and certification fees for coaching and judging education, and corporate partnership/sponsorship arrangements with brands such as Billabong, World Surf League, We Are Feel Good Inc., and BYD Gold Coast. The organization is governed by a board under Chairperson Paul Peterson and led by CEO Luca Liussi (appointed June 2025), supported by a lean team of approximately 21 employees. It maintains core institutional partnerships with Surfing Australia (national federation), Queensland Government, Sunshine Coast Council, and Gold Coast City Council.
Surfing Queensland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Surfing Queensland
- Legal name
- Surfing Queensland
- Website
- https://surfingqueensland.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Surfing Queensland is the not-for-profit peak state body for surfing in Queensland, established in 1964. It governs competitions, delivers junior and high-performance development programs, certifies coaches and judges, and serves 48,000+ participants across boardrider clubs, surf schools, and individual members.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Surfing Queensland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- State Sporting Association Services
- 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
Where Surfing Queensland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palm Beach
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Surfing Queensland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Memberships: Annual membership fees for individuals joining boardrider clubs and accessing Surfing Queensland programs and events
- Event Entry Fees: Entry fees for competitions including grommet titles, junior titles, state championships, and the Billabong Occy's Grom Comp
- Course Registrations: Fees for coaching, judging, and officiating education courses and certifications
- Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship arrangements with brands for events, programs, and organizational support
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Memberships for individuals |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Event Entry Fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Surfing Queensland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Surfing Queensland is the recognized not-for-profit peak state body for surfing in Queensland, Australia. It sells annual memberships, sanctions and runs competitive surfing events, certifies coaches, judges and officials through structured education programs, and delivers high-performance athlete development pathways from junior grommet level through to elite national team representation. It also supports affiliated boardrider clubs and licensed surf schools with governance, program standards and community funding.
Product overview
Surfing Queensland is the state governing body for surfing in Queensland, operating as a not-for-profit sporting association established in 1964. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including high-performance pathways (Surfing Queensland Academy, Talent UNLSHD), community development programs (SurfGroms, Surf Sisters, Rookie to Ripper, The Impact Zone, SurfStrong, Good Surfer), education and certification services (coaching, judging, officiating), event management and sanctioning services (Live Heats platform), media production (Surfing Queensland Studios), and membership programs. The organization connects to Surfing Australia's event registration and membership platform (JustGo) and manages competitive surfing pathways from grassroots to elite levels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Membership Programs Annual memberships providing club affiliations, event entry benefits and member services for individual surfers and affiliates across Queensland, sold via the online Surfing Portal.
- Education Programs (Coaching, Judging, Officiating)
- Event Sanctioning
- Surfing Queensland Academy
- Talent UNLSHD
- SurfGroms
- Surf Sisters
- Rookie to Ripper
- The Impact Zone
- Good Surfer
- SurfStrong Project
- SQ Community Fund
- Surfing Queensland Studios
- Live Heats
Quantifiable outcome
- 48,000+ annual participants in programs
Companies that use Surfing Queensland
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Surfing Queensland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Surfing Queensland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Queensland GovernmentcoreGovernment partner providing support for surfing development and events across Queensland. Visible in partner listings on website footer.
- Surfing AustraliacoreNational governing body for Australian surfing. Surfing Queensland is the recognized state affiliate. Joint programs include national junior series and high-performance pathways.
- BillabongcoreTitle sponsor of the Billabong Occy's Grom Comp, one of Queensland's premier junior surfing events. Long-standing surf industry partner.
- World Surf League (WSL)coreInternational professional surfing organization. Hosts events in Queensland including Gold Coast Pro and Noosa Longboard Pro. Partnership for athlete pathway and event sanctioning.
- We Are Feel Good Inc.minorSunscreen brand sponsoring various junior events including Cooee Grommet Pro and Queensland Grommet Titles.
- Sunshine Coast CouncilcoreLocal government partner supporting events and programs on the Sunshine Coast including Queensland Junior Titles and State Championships.
- Gold Coast City CouncilcoreLocal government partner for Gold Coast events including Billabong Occy's Grom Comp and Gold Coast Open.
- BYD Gold CoastminorElectric vehicle brand advertising partner visible on website.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Surfing Queensland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Surfing Australia: The national peak body for surfing in Australia, of which Surfing Queensland is a state affiliate. Operates the same model at a national level, including JustGo membership platform, rule book, and athlete pathways.
- World Surf League: International professional surfing organization and existing core partner. Operates elite competition and ranking systems that intersect with Surfing Queensland's high-performance pathway at the top of the talent pyramid.
Regional players
- Surf Life Saving Queensland: Queensland-based water safety organization with overlapping coastal community footprint, surf education programs, and government funding streams—adjacent rather than directly competing.
Direct peers
- Surfing Victoria: Sister state body governing surfing in Victoria with the same competition sanctioning, club network, and development pathway structure as Surfing Queensland.
- Surfing NSW: Direct state-level peer delivering the same model (events, memberships, development, education) for New South Wales under the Surfing Australia national framework.
- Surfing South Australia: Another state-level surfing governing body in Australia delivering the same event, membership, and development programs as Surfing Queensland within a different geography.
- Surfing Western Australia: State-level governing body for surfing in Western Australia, offering comparable membership, event, and athlete development services under the same national umbrella.
- Surfing Tasmania: Small state-level surfing body operating the same governing body model (clubs, events, education) as Surfing Queensland, providing structural comparability.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Surfing Queensland social profiles
Digital presenceSurfing Queensland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Surfing Queensland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Surfing Queensland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Surfing Queensland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Surfing Queensland
What does Surfing Queensland do?
Surfing Queensland is the recognized not-for-profit peak state body for surfing in Queensland, Australia. It sells annual memberships, sanctions and runs competitive surfing events, certifies coaches, judges and officials through structured education programs, and delivers high-performance athlete development pathways from junior grommet level through to elite national team representation. It also supports affiliated boardrider clubs and licensed surf schools with governance, program standards and community funding.
Is Surfing Queensland a public or private company?
Surfing Queensland is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Surfing Queensland founded?
Surfing Queensland was founded in 1964. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Surfing Queensland based?
Surfing Queensland is headquartered in Palm Beach, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Surfing Queensland make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Memberships are the primary driver. The others are event Entry Fees, course Registrations and corporate Partnerships.
Who are Surfing Queensland's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Surfing Australia and World Surf League. Surf Life Saving Queensland is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Surfing Victoria, Surfing NSW, Surfing South Australia, Surfing Western Australia and Surfing Tasmania.
Does Surfing Queensland have an API?
No public API is recorded for Surfing Queensland.
What industry is Surfing Queensland in?
Surfing Queensland's product category is State Sporting Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKABAH, Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing), with a secondary code of THAAAKAC, Surf Schools & Surf Camps. Its SIC code is 7997.