For most UK surfers, the real reward is in the mind: research found 75% value surfing's mental health benefits above its physical ones, and 67% say surfing means 'happiness' to them. For International Surfing Day, we used those findings to position The Wave, the UK's first inland surfing destination near Bristol, as the leading voice on inclusivity in surfing and Blue Health. We put The Wave's founder, who also chairs Surfing England, on air alongside a bodyboarder who credits surfing with helping him through depression, across a day of radio and TV interviews. The broadcast PR campaign secured 13 items of radio and TV coverage reaching 4.5 million people, including Sky News TV, BBC Spotlight and BBC Radio Devon.
13Items of coverage
4.5 millionCombined reach
1h 50mTime on air
Coverage highlights
Sky News TVTV
BBC SpotlightTV
BBC Radio DevonBBC radio
BBC Radio CornwallBBC radio
BBC Radio Coventry and WarwickshireBBC radio
Listen
Sky News TV · 4m 50s
BBC Radio Devon · 5m 18s
0:00 / 5m 18s
BBC Radio Cornwall · 10m 46s
0:00 / 10m 46s
BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire · 9m 55s
0:00 / 9m 55s
The story
The Wave, International Surfing Day
The aim
The Wave wanted to position The Wave as the thought leader on inclusivity in surfing and educate audiences about Blue Health.
The message
The Wave is about more than surfing: getting back to nature, improving health and wellbeing and connecting with others. Inland surf parks are growing the surfing community by making surfing accessible for the first time.
The angle
For International Surfing Day, The Wave, the UK's first inland surfing destination near Bristol, shared research showing 75% of UK surfers value surfing's mental health benefits above its physical ones, and 67% say surfing means 'happiness' to them.
On air
The Wave's founder, who also chairs Surfing England, and a bodyboarder who credits surfing with helping him through depression
The result
13 items of coverage reaching 4.5 million, including Sky News TV, BBC Spotlight, BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Cornwall.
About International Surfing Day
International Surfing Day falls on the third Saturday of June. It was started in the US in 2005 by Surfing Magazine and the Surfrider Foundation to celebrate surfing and to protect oceans and beaches, often through beach cleans. It gives producers a reason to cover the subject, and brands with a credible spokesperson a way onto radio and TV.
Planning International Surfing Day for 2027?
International Surfing Day next falls on Saturday 19 June 2027. Talk to the team about a broadcast PR campaign that gets your spokesperson on radio and TV.
