A foggy start at Oreti Beach gave way to warm, overcast conditions as about 4000 people took part in the province’s largest participation event across the 12km, 6km, 3km and 1.5km inclusive category.
Among them were Janine Johnstone, Jann Robertson, Nicole Cronin and Pam Casey from Ray White Gore, who were doing the event as part of their fundraising efforts for Ronald McDonald House.
"We hadn’t done Surf to City before but we did the House to House Challenge last year and we thought we would do a few events as a group instead of doing it all individually," Ms Robertson said.
The fundraiser is part of a 210km challenge based on the average distance a New Zealand family has to travel for their child to receive life-saving hospital treatment
This year the group is aiming to raise $2100 during March.
Active Southland chief executive Vanessa Hughey-Pol said the Surf to City event was an important one for the regional sports trust.
"Pretty much all of our team get involved in some aspect of making sure this event runs smoothly and it’s great to see that Southlanders really value the opportunity to get out there and get amongst it," Hughey-Pol said.
"The really cool thing for us is not just seeing so many individuals, families and groups getting active, but the connection and sense of achievement that is obvious at the finish line. It’s a great vibe."
An important part of planning for each Surf event was about making it as accessible as possible, Hughey-Pol said.
"We have some great sponsors, especially Wensley’s Cycles, and community funding support which allows us to make this event as affordable as possible. We also work alongside lots of schools and community organisations to make it easier for them to take part."
Rob McMurdo, owner of naming sponsor Wensley’s Cycles, said the Surf to City was a special event.
"This is about community and it’s about getting off the couch and doing it. It’s a great thing."
This year’s event partnered with the Red Cross who have a programme for ensuring new migrants have access to bikes when they arrive in Invercargill.
Red Cross volunteer programme lead Darren Frazer said the Bikes for Former Refugees initiative, which has been running for about five years, had a big impact for families starting out in New Zealand.
"We’ve probably given out 400 to 450 bikes over that time, about 80 a year. You’ve got families coming here basically with the suitcases they arrived with and no transport. Because the bus network is a challenge, it helps with that sense of independence," he said.
"We’ve got a guy who works for the Red Cross now and he wanted to bring his bike in to get fixed. I said it was probably time to get a new one, but he said this was the bike that gave him independence and he was keeping it. I see our bikes all over town."
Many bikes are sourced from Central Otago and a raffle for a Weber barbecue, which runs until the end of April, will help towards buying more bikes and parts.
Frazer was also pleased to be approached yesterday by a volunteer wanting to help with fixing up old bikes to support the initiative. — APL
