Forty of the event’s 88 long-boarders will travel to Sumner for the festival – which starts tomorrow – from overseas destinations including Finland, the United States, Japan and Brazil.
Festival founder and director Ambrose McNeill is excited by the growing international presence.
“It’s our biggest international draw yet, which is really exciting,” McNeill said.
“It’s a new buzz.”
The competition will be held on Friday and Saturday, with 52 men and 36 women competing for championship titles and a share of the $7000 prize pool.
Sumner surfer Luke O’Neill is back to defend the title he won for the first time last year.
He has competed in the event every year since it began in 2015 and won the men’s championship for the first time last year.
“It’s just exciting to have the contest or an event here that’s attracting international attention,” O’Neill said.
In the women’s category, Hawaiian Mason Schremmer will return after winning the event last year.
Schremmer went on to place fifth in the world and won her first event on the world qualifying circuit.
The four-day Single Fin Mingle festival aims to showcase long-boarding culture and skill.
“The event is a multi-faceted surfing festival that celebrates traditional long-boarding and the joyous culture of art, music and film that surrounds it,” McNeill said.
Jazz on the esplanade and the mingle in the village will be held on Friday. “Minglers” are encouraged to hop between Sumner’s night venues, using one ticket to gain entry to The Village Inn, Clink Sumner and Sumner Social.
The Single Fin Mingle art show at LEstrange Gallery will also showcase Canterbury artists.
The Sumner street party on Saturday night, featuring bands Yurt Party and Daily J, as well songwriter Mim Jensen, also promises to be the festival’s biggest yet, McNeill said.
O’Neill set to defend title
Reigning Single Fin Mingle men’s champion Luke O’Neill will defend his title at the festival.
The 27-year-old Sumner surfer has competed at the event since it was first held in 2015.
But this year he will be up against the biggest field of international surfers ever seen at the festival.
O’Neill learned to surf in Sumner when he was about six.
In September, O’Neill was a finalist at the Gliding Barnacles competition in Portugal.
But nothing beats competing against international surfers on his home break.
“To host something like this in Sumner is really cool,” he said.
O’Neill is excited to see the festival attract some big surfing names to Christchurch for another year.
O’Neill said The Single Fin Mingle is a way for New Zealand surfers to prove they can compete at an international level in their own backyard.
“It’s kind of a good testing ground,” O’Neill said.
He will compete against one of his surfing icons, Australian Kai Ellice-Flint.
“I really look up to his surfing,” O’Neill said.
Brittany Andrews grew up surfing with her dad in Sumner – but she will be compete against some of the world’s best at her eighth Single Fin Mingle.
“It’s so awesome to think that people come from all over the world to little old Sumner,” Andrews said.
The 26-year-old has made friends with surfers from around the world at The Single Fin Mingle.
“The vibes are always very good. It’s sort of the one event we all look forward to every year.”
Her dad Mark, 64, surfs competitively in events such as The Duke Festival of Surfing in New Brighton at the weekend with his twin brother Steve.
Andrews started entering competitions when she finished high school. She made it through to the quarter-finals at last year’s Single Fin Mingle.
One of her favourite aspects of the event is its inclusivity.
“It’s awesome, like they’ve got equal prize money for women and men,” she said.
The Single Fin Mingle has a $7000 prize pool, spread across the men’s and women’s finalists.
Andrews works in a marketing and social media role at Redcliffs-based real estate company, Home Christchurch.
She also teaches people how to surf at Learn to Surf in Sumner, where she has worked with the founder and director of The Single Fin Mingle, Ambrose McNeill.
“I remember him saying that he wanted to start a competition,” Andrews said.
“It’s amazing that (McNeill) made it happen,” she said.
