Red Equipment deepens Surfing WA partnership for 2026

From longboard events at Cottesloe to club competition at Scarborough, our partnership with Surfing WA is about backing events that bring people together – competitors paddling out for heats, first-timers finding their feet, and families watching from the beach.

2025 marked our first full season of collaboration with Surfing WA. This year builds on those foundations, with a broader event presence and more opportunities to connect with surfers on the sand.

Backing key events

Our partnership with Surfing WA centres on events that play a meaningful role in the Western Australian surf calendar.

In 2025, one of the standouts was the 26th Whalebone Longboard Classic at Cottesloe Beach. Now more than a quarter of a century old, the Whalebone Classic is one of WA’s longest-running longboard competitions, bringing together over 100 competitors across multiple age divisions. From 11-year old juniors right up to surfers in their seventies, it’s an event that rewards style, flow, and experience – and draws a loyal crowd to watch the action year after year.

That longevity matters. Events like Whalebone don’t just showcase surfing; they create continuity. Something to return to, and be a part of every season – and that’s exactly what we want to do.

Groundswell Festival was another key event in 2025. Held along the Scarborough foreshore, Groundswell combines surf competition with skating, music and art, drawing thousands of people across the weekend. Surfing WA’s boardrider club comp places surfing at the heart of the larger festival, while still keeping the focus on accessibility and community.

For us, Groundswell reflects a broader truth about competitive surfing: it’s not all about elite performance. It’s about participation, atmosphere, and time spent by the water – whether you’re surfing, spectating, or just soaking it all in on the beach.

What’s confirmed for 2026?

Looking ahead, the Surfing WA 2026 calendar confirms a strong line-up of events we’re stoked to be supporting.

Scheduled for May, the WA Longboard Championships in Denmark take competition down south to one of the state’s most distinctive coastlines, with a format that attracts surfers from across regions and divisions. After that, the Whalebone Longboard Classic is due to hit Cottesloe in July, continuing its role as a focal point for WA’s longboard scene. Across these events, Surfing WA keeps competition accessible, organised, and connected.

More than competition…

While contests provide the headline moments, Surfing WA’s work extends way beyond that. Through participation programmes, development pathways, and safety-led initiatives, the organisation supports surfers at every level.

That includes a learn to surf initiative for groms, junior development, and support for clubs – all aimed at introducing more people into the water, more often, with the confidence to keep getting in.

This wider remit is a big part of why the partnership works. At Red, we design kit to make time by the water more comfortable and more enjoyable – before and after a session. So supporting the structures that help people get into surfing in the first place feels like just the right fit for us.

What Red are doing in 2026

This season, we’re increasing our involvement across the Surfing WA calendar in a few key ways:

• Event support at the WA Longboard Championships and Whalebone Longboard Classic, with on-site gear displays and opportunities to try out Red’s surf-ready gear.
• Pop-up shop presence at select events, giving surfers and spectators a chance to explore the range and ask questions directly.
• Ongoing community engagement, supporting Surfing WA’s efforts to keep surfing inclusive, well-organised, and welcoming across the state.

We’ll be sharing confirmed dates, locations, and event-specific updates as they’re announced. Subscribe to our email updates and follow @RedEquipment on the socials for more.

Why it matters

Surfing WA plays a central role in connecting surfers across Western Australia – from grassroots participation through to structured competition. Partnering with them allows Red Equipment to support the surf community in a practical way, supplying kit that’s designed for real-world conditions and real waterpeople.

Because whether you’re competing, learning, or just hanging out on the beach, life’s better by the water.