Noumea Surf Tour 2009 “Cruising” Vanuatu

Press Release, November 2009:  “They stayed for seven nights & surfed for seven days”. Back in August this year, the Noumea Surf Association went in search of waterfront accommodation, close to the best surf spots around the island of Efate. They found Pango Point peninsula. Working alongside travel colleagues in Noumea, Eden Tours, Paradise Cove Resort successfully won a competitive pitch for a group of some 24 keen & eager young (and not so young) surfers. The objective - to stage the first Pacific Island tournament of its kind. Noumea verses Vanuatu youth surfers. Sponsored by Roxy-Quicksilver-Aircalin, organisers selected waterfront Paradise Cove Resort due to its boutique, rustic ‘funky’ nature, close to the surf spots of Pango Peninsula and access to Port Vila & the international airport.

They stayed for seven nights and surfed for seven days. The resort’s ‘Nakamal Restaurant’ catered for the teams with special buffets, ‘pasta parties’, beach BBQs, special Happy Hour Cocktails and more.

These youngsters will be the surf stars of the future. An ISO international judge was flown in from Australia to direct proceedings. The Vanuatu Surf Association hosted the event each day and the competition was fierce between the two island nations.

In the end, Vanuatu ‘pipped’ Noumea at the post by a small points margin. The event was covered by Vanuatu Television and it’s hoped that a repeat tour next year will attract overseas media coverage.