Palm Beach board riders together with registered national charity LIVIN are calling on Gold Coast surfers to hit the waves for a charity surf contest on Sunday 27 January.

The sixth annual Eager Beaver Boardriders charity surf contest co-hosted by LIVIN will be held to raise awareness of mental health issues in the surfing community. Eager Beaver organiser Dan Binskin said the charity surf contest was a light-hearted way of shining light on a very serious situation. “This contest is all about getting our community together and having fun while also addressing this silent illness,” Dan said. “Thankfully the stigma around mental illness is starting to change, but it’s still evident and we want everyone to know the importance of speaking up if there is something wrong. Most importantly, this event is about showing those who may be struggling that there is a whole community behind them who cares and supports them.”

All proceeds from the event will be donated to LIVIN which is dedicated to assisting those suffering from mental illness. “We’re proud to be teaming up with LIVIN for the sixth year in a row and to support the great work that they do,” Dan said. “LIVIN have put a lot of effort into building a dialogue in our community and a better understanding of mental illness and this event helps fund their work.”

The Eager Beaver charity surf contest was founded in honour of long-time Palm Beach Boardriders member Nathan ‘Beaver’ Jager who suffered silently with bipolar disorder and took his own life in 2013. Eager Beaver raised more than $6000 last year for LIVIN, which takes a hands-on approach to raise awareness and educate people about mental illness. The surf contest has caught the eye of major sporting stars such as Jonathan Thurston and Mick Fanning who are keen supporters of the cause.

The one-day Ambrose-style competition is open to board riders of all levels and aims to get anyone and everyone involved. It ends with an afternoon of live music from local musicians at the All-Stars Sports Club. Last year, there were 48 registered teams competing with a mix of fathers and sons, pro surfers, brothers and old mates.

The contest will take place at 25th Avenue Palm Beach from 7am on Sunday 27 January. Participants can register online.

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