COFFS Coast surfers will once again hit the waves for a great cause during this weekend’s Barney Miller Surf Classic in Sawtell.
The annual surfing competition will be held from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 March at Sawtell Main Beach.
Established in 1999 as a fundraising event by Joel ‘Tubby’ Bath, the event was initially conceived to raise money to support Sawtell local and adaptive surfing champion Barney Miller, after he developed a debilitating spinal cord injury which restricted him to a wheelchair.
Since its inception, the Barney Miller Surf Classic has raised more than $500,000 for people who have suffered from a debilitating injury.
This year’s recipient is Johnny Konings, who after a traumatic surfing incident at Duranbah Beach in 2024, suffered three broken ribs, a punctured lung, broken and dislocated T10/11 vertebrae, and severe damage to his spinal cord which has left him with paralysis from the waist down.
Previous beneficiaries of the Barney Miller Surf Classic fundraising efforts have included Tamsyn O’Connell, Ian ‘Wato’ Watson, Katie Thompson and her daughter, and Matt ‘Chook’ Clerke.
What began as a tribute to Barney Miller’s resilience and love for surfing has grown into a cornerstone event for the Coffs Harbour community and the broader Australian surfing scene.
By Aiden BURGESS
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