‘It’s about us coming together, giving people a chance to do something bigger than themselves.’
Blake Johnston believes in the power of just paddling out. “It’s the perfect metaphor for life,” he enthuses. “It sounds cheesy, but surfers just show up every day, regardless of the conditions, and look for the best in it. That’s how we grow and why we love it. If we take that attitude towards our everyday life when we wake up, then the world will be a better place.”
While Blake paddles out for a few waves of his own almost every single day, he’s convinced there is something hugely rewarding about being part of a mass community initiative – he also has a bit of thing for breaking records. Next Saturday at Cronulla, Blake wants to set a new benchmark for the world’s biggest paddle out. Having already smashed the record for the longest surf in history – 40 Hours, 7 Minutes, and 707 Waves – he wants to get everyone involved. While well-aware the paddle-out is frequently used as a ritual to commemorate the passing of a respected surfer or community figure, he aims to demonstrate that it can also be an exercise in collective stoke.
“It’s about getting around one another as a community and showing the importance human connection and community has on our mental health, explains Blake. “That creates resilience within the community and individually. I think it’s a really powerful way to set an example to the youth and to know how important that is throughout life.”
The goal is to raise vital funds for youth mental health. Proceeds will fund mental health workshops for primary and high school students, helping to establish positive habits and mental wellness practices from an early age. The event has partnered with Find Ya Feet and OneWave, two respected charities that are dedicated to delivering life-changing mental health education to young people. The event will also be held in conjunction with the Cronulla Surf Festival featuring live music, a surfboard demo day, a tag-team surfing event, a vintage surfboard exhibition and fun for everyone.
Blake is stressing the all-inclusive aspect of the mass paddle-out and wants to make surfers of all ability levels welcome. Meanwhile, Sydney’s Muslim community is one group Blake has made a point of contacting. The Cronulla riots occurred twenty years ago and are remembered as a dark chapter in the history of the beachside suburb. Blake now runs camps for young Muslim kids and has reached out directly to the Sydney Muslim community to get them involved. “I definitely want them to be part of it,” he insists. “I’m hoping the mayor for Bankstown is going to come down.”
The Guinness Book of records states that the paddle out record is 511, but there was an initiative at Port Macquarie ten years ago that involved 600 people. Blake is determined to make it an unambiguous result on Saturday.
“I want to get 1000 people, I want to make it black and white, and for everyone to hold hands for a minute.”
Logistics will play a major part in proceedings. Aware that one singular stampede of 1000 surfers will be too hard to manage, Blake aims to paddle out a group of 100 surfers every ten minutes. The whole endeavour may take as much as three hours and conditions will play a part, but Blake is adamant it will all be worth it.
“You know if everyone works together, that sense of accomplishment is going to feel crazy on the beach afterwards.It’s about us coming together, giving people a chance to do something bigger than themselves.”
To register or for more information about the Paddle Out and the Cronulla Surf Festival, visit:
https://cronullasurffestival.com/
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, 15th March 2025
Time: Participants will begin paddling out at 7:00 AM. The event is scheduled to take place over three hours.
Location: South Cronulla Beach, Cronulla, NSW
