Adaptive surfing stars to compete at Byron Bay in national championships

BYRON Bay will host current champions and future stars at the Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships as the sport continues its push for inclusion in the Paralympics.

The championships will bring together leading national and international athletes for eight days of competition from March 22 to 29.

It showcases high-performance surfing alongside advocacy for accessibility and the future growth of the sport to have it included in the Paralympics.

The week-long program also includes the Australian Surfing Para Titles, combining national honours with international-level competition.

Adaptive surfing pioneer and Byron Bay resident Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart will be part of the competition.

His career spans decades of competitive success and advocacy, helping to elevate adaptive surfing to national and international recognition.

“It’s one thing to talk up your hometown on the world stage, but it’s another to show it off in all its glory,” Stewart said.

“Bringing the many friends, I’ve made to Byron Bay has been a highlight of my career, and I hope our event will inspire other people with a disability to give surfing a go.”

Joining Stewart will be one of the sport’s most exciting emerging talents, Kai Colless, the event’s youngest competitor and a symbol of the next generation of adaptive surfers.

Colless represents the strength, skill and determination of athletes rising through the ranks and redefining the sport on the global stage.

As momentum builds toward the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games, the championships continue to position adaptive surfing as a globally relevant discipline.

The event provides a platform to highlight pathways for para-athletes, high-performance opportunities and the inclusion of surfing on the elite sporting stage.

It officially opens with a Byron Bay street parade and opening ceremony on Sunday, March 22 at 3pm.

The competition operates under a mobile beach format, with permits allowing it to run from The Wreck to The Pass.

It will be livestreamed each day with spectators encouraged to attend.