Surfing Association of Papua New Guinea

From SAPNG’s inception, the people and community have always been at the heart of why PNG implements our Surf Management Plans.

By limiting the number of surfers in our designated Surf Management Plan Areas, we ensure uncrowded waves for inbound international surfers and provide a steady source of passive income for our traditional resource-custodian host communities.

SAPNG Surf Management plan levies are charged to each surfer, with a percentage of these funds allocated to a community trust fund that the community members decide how to use.

Here in Vanimo, the community of Lido Village has decided to use approximately K50,000 of these accumulated funds to build a brand new classroom for the St Therese Lote Primary School right in the heart of the village.

The construction of the new classroom was a collaborative effort involving visiting international surfers staying at Vanimo Surf Lodge and local villagers, all made possible by funds generated through SAPNG’s locally-developed models and policies within the Vanimo Surf Management Plan Area.

This marks another significant milestone in surfing, bringing positive, sustainable change to our communities across PNG and Bougainville as SAPNG celebrates 37 years since its founding.

The classroom is set to be completed in the coming month and will be ready for use shortly thereafter.

Happy 50th Independence Anniversary Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬

We look forward to another 50 years of empowering communities through sustainable surfing and surf tourism in PNG🌊🏄🏄‍♂️

One of those trips you’ll talk about for years.

Grab your mates and book your spot today 👉 https://tinyurl.com/2s3fr54h

📸 Photo by

Welcoming home our team🇵🇬

Thank you Shane , Keilani, and JY for flying our flag high for the The ISA Continental Youth Athlete Development Program (YADP) in Fiji.

A great experience and the first of many more to come for SAPNG to participate in.

Tenkyu Tru Long ISA! 🌊🤝

On behalf of the Surfing Association of PNG and our entire team, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the International Surfing Association for hosting us at the inaugural Oceania Youth Athlete Development Program in Fiji. This Olympic Solidarity–supported initiative empowered our junior surfers with world-class coaching both in and out of the water.

What We Learned:

Technical Skills & Scoring: Deep dives into judging criteria, venue analysis and video breakdowns sharpened our competitive edge.

Mental & Tactical Training: Workshops on goal setting, time management and tactical game plans elevated our focus under pressure.

Fitness & Surf Safety: Tailored strength and conditioning sessions—and ocean awareness modules—boosted our confidence in challenging conditions.

Coach Development: Our mentors gained fresh tools to sustain long-term athlete growth back home.

Beyond the waves, Fiji’s famous “Bula” spirit showed us the power of community and cultural exchange. This experience has ignited new ambitions and camaraderie within PNG surfing. We can’t wait to pay it forward—sharing these lessons with our local clubs and inspiring the next generation of Papua New Guinean surfers.

Thank you, ISA, for investing in our future champions! 🇵🇬🏄‍♂️🏄‍♀️

📸: Pablo Jiménez International Surfing Association

🏄‍♂️ John “JY” Yafi Muser: Tupira’s Fearless Wave-Rider 🌊

JY comes from humble roots in Tupira, Ulingan Bay—a kid with a big heart, fearless spirit and raw talent. In May 2025, he joined PNG’s first-ever ISA Continental Youth Surf Camp in Fiji, charging into some of the biggest bombs of the competition and showing what our homegrown surfers can do.

In the final competition of the program, JY advanced to the semifinals, but was knocked out.

📸: Pablo Jiménez International Surfing Association

Keilani Clark (Rubio Village, New Ireland) rode into May 2025’s ISA Continental Youth Surf Camp in Fiji—PNG’s first Olympic-grade surf training for juniors. She’s one of a handful of female longboarders helping grow our homegrown surf scene.

With the Surfing Association of PNG backing surf-tourism, coastal conservation, and equal access for girls and boys, we can’t wait to see more women paddling out and carving waves in PNG! 🇵🇬✨

📸: Pablo Jiménez International Surfing Association

Team strategy and spirit 🇵🇬🏄‍♂️🏄

Thank you to our team coach, Shane Clark Rubio Plantation, for guiding JY and Keilani through not only their first International Surfing Association development program but their first international trip.

Pure stoke, and we hope to do this again with a developing pool of extremely talented surfers in Papua New Guinea.

We have the potential to do very well in competitions regionally and internationally with the right support from all stakeholders.

Photo: Pablo Jiménez International Surfing Association