SurfAid and URBNSURF have announced Kalea and Cruz Craft of Peregian Springs, Queensland, as the winners of the second annual World’s Best Surf Month giveaway as part of the Make A Wave Challenge. The fundraiser for SurfAid encourages participants to surf every day in September while raising money for remote surf communities in Indonesia.
Wave pools have proven to be a preferred playing field for SurfAid events with participants hitting surf parks in Korea, Australia, Texas and California.
The siblings will spend September surfing at URBNSURF Sydney and Melbourne as part of the prize. The two Australian pools signed on to support SurfAid in a larger capacity four years ago. During the month, they are expected to surf more than 800 waves while taking part in SurfAid’s Make A Wave challenge, a fundraising campaign in which participants surf every day in September to raise money for remote surf communities in Indonesia.
The Craft family will relocate from the Sunshine Coast to Sydney for the month. Kalea, 11, and Cruz, 8, have participated in the Make A Wave challenge as ambassadors for the past four years. According to SurfAid, the siblings have raised more than $5,000 for the organisation.
“I was so excited when we found out we won,” said Kalea Craft. “Surfaid’s Make A Wave has been a part of my life for so long and I look forward to it every year, so it’s going to be so cool to celebrate by surfing at URBNSURF every day. I can’t wait to improve my surfing, have fun with Cruz and the family and make the most of every session.”
Kalea’s entry was selected from submissions that included a 60-second video describing entrants’ interest in surfing, their commitment to SurfAid and how they planned to document their month at the wave pool. URBNSURF extended the prize to include Cruz.
“When I found out Kalea had won, I was a little sad I missed out, so I was a bit shocked when they said I could come too,” said Cruz Craft. “I love surfing at URBNSURF, I think it’s actually more fun than the beach. I can’t wait to surf everyday… and a little excited to get 3 weeks off school, yay.”
“As parents, we couldn’t be prouder of Kalea and Cruz. This will be their fourth year as ambassadors for Make a wave, taking on the challenge of surfing for 30 days straight,” said Kristy and Matt Craft, Kalea and Cruz’s parents. “It’s a massive commitment, squeezing in early morning or late afternoon surfs, in between school and other sports/ life, but they put their heads down and get it done. They rarely complain and have embraced the challenge year after year.”
Matt Wiseman of SurfAid said that at such a young age, one month is an incredibly long time.
“Four years of surfing every September is a long time in a young surfer’s life, and we’re stoked to see the Craft siblings back again this year and winning the World’s Best Surf Month,” said Matt Wiseman, SurfAid’s Chief Marketing and Fundraising Officer.
The Make A Wave challenge remains open for participants wishing to surf and raise funds for SurfAid throughout September. More information is available at makeawave.co.
