The Byron Bay BK Memorial Surfing Classic – formerly the Easter Classic – is in its 40th year and will ride the wide waves this Queen’s Birthday long weekend June 6 to 8.
The BK is the longest running amateur surfing competition in Australia which is a significant milestone in itself considering it is run by a non-profit organisation and its volunteers.
The Byron Bay Boardriders do an awesome job, and it is an event for the whole family, with divisions from the push-ins and Micro-groms for boys and girls (from around 6-10 year olds), to the legends of the over 60s, of whom most of the competitors competed in the first ever Byron Easter Classic in 1976.
The event is named after Ben King, a former president of the Byron Bay Boardriders who passed away suddenly nine years ago. Ben was a legend to surfers and within the Byron Bay community and by surfers around the world.
For everyone that knew BK this event holds a very close place to their hearts, bringing our local surfing community back together and ensuring the spirit of BK lives on.
If you ever surf The Pass at Byron you will see the ‘BK’ sprayed on the rock, and Ben’s family are always a big part of the event.
The open men’s division is always electric and its past list of winners makes it one title that any great surfer would be stoked with. Past winners include Mark Williams, Richard Marsh, Chappy Jennings, Simon Law, Rod Anderson, Jeremy Byles, Shane Bevan, Craig Holley, Danny Wills, Jye Gofton, Kieren Perrow, Mark Richardson, Jock Barnes, Shane Wehner, Shaun Gossman, Yerin Brown, Jarrad Sullivan, Stu Kennedy and Garret Parkes.
Last year’s winner Luke Stickley, being a local Byron lad, was so wrapped to win the event he had been surfing in since he was a grommet. To the local surfers this is THE event to win. Always fun, but with $20,000 in cash and prizes this year, it has already attracted plenty of interest from some of the best surfers on the East Coast of Australia and while entries are pouring in, there are still spots left so if you’re quick, there’s still a chance to be a part of one of Australia’s most loved surfing events.
The event is to be held in the best surf in the Byron Bay area, for the past few years at Broken Head.
Entry forms can be downloaded from the Byron Bay Boardriders website:
