EarthWave: World Record Attempt "Most Surfers Riding a Wave"

About

With just weeks to go until the Earthwave World Record Attempt for the Most Surfers Riding a Wave at Great Western Beach on Saturday 19 September, the town’s surf community, businesses, charities, creatives and local organisations are coming together around what could become an exciting new fixture in Newquay’s events calendar.

Saturday 19 September 2026
Great Western Beach · Newquay · Cornwall

(Sunday 20 September is reserved as the contingency date should conditions prevent the World Record Attempt from safely taking place on Saturday)

For business collaborations, beach spaces, prizes, partnerships or other ideas:
dene@earthwave.surf 

Participant registration and further event information:
www.earthwave.surf 

At the centre of it all is one huge challenge: 
Can Newquay get more than 110 surfers riding the same wave at the same time? But Earthwave was never intended to be just about the surfers in the water. It’s about celebrating Newquay’s beach culture and the people and businesses that make it what it is — bringing together surfing, family, community, music, food, creativity, the outdoors and the ocean for one memorable day at Great Western Beach. And with support from Newquay BID helping Earthwave connect with the town’s business community, there’s now an opportunity for even more local businesses to get involved.

Newquay is Already Riding the Wave
Newquay Boardriders are in. The Wave Project is in. Great Western Beach is in. The NICI is putting up prizes. Wavelength is spreading the story. Shaka Studio has created the artwork. Newquay BID is helping connect the town.

And there’s plenty of room for more.

Here’s Your Opportunity
If you run a business in Newquay or Cornwall, there are plenty of ways to become part of the Founding Event.

Bring your business onto the beach.
A limited number of stands are available at preferential Founding Event rates for local businesses, giving them the opportunity to showcase what they do directly to surfers, families, visitors and the wider community.

Put your team on the Wave.
Get your staff, customers or clients together, enter as a business team and become part of the World Record Attempt.

Put something in the prize pool.
Products, experiences, meals, stays, lessons, vouchers or something completely different — if you have something brilliant to offer, let’s make some noise about it.

Create something with us.
Got an activation, activity, service or idea that would make the day even better? Let’s talk.

Become a Founding Partner.
There are still opportunities for businesses wanting a bigger presence in 2026 and the chance to grow alongside Earthwave into 2027 and beyond.

This isn’t simply about putting logos on banners. It’s an opportunity to put Newquay businesses at the heart of an event being built around Newquay itself.

Newquay Business Gets Behind Earthwave
The collaboration is already gathering momentum. Newquay Boardriders have joined as a key surf community partner, bringing their members, local knowledge, marshals, equipment and water-safety connections to the event. The Wave Project will be Earthwave’s official charity partner, representing the positive impact that surfing, the ocean and time outdoors can have on young people. Great Western Beach provides the home for the Founding Event, with food, drinks, acoustic music and a sunset DJ adding to the atmosphere around the World Record Attempt. Wavelength is helping tell the Earthwave story and spread the word throughout the wider surfing community.

And The NICI, overlooking Great Western Beach, has already contributed a fantastic prize — an overnight stay for two, including breakfast at the hotel.

Even the event’s creative work is staying close to home, with the official Earthwave poster designed by local creatives Shaka Studios.

And there are already rumblings of an Earthwave after-party in the making… More on that soon. 

Earthwave is Coming to Town
Over the next few days, the official Earthwave Founding Event poster will start appearing across Newquay in shops, cafés, hotels, surf businesses, venues and community spaces. If your business would like to display one and hasn’t received one yet, get in touch and we’ll get one across to you. Take a picture. Tag Earthwave. Share it with your customers. Put a team together.

The road to 110 has started!

The History: 
Earthwave may be new to Cornwall, but the concept behind it has history. The original Earthwave began in South Africa, where its organisers progressively established Guinness World Records with 70, 77, 90, 99 and ultimately 110 surfers riding the same wave simultaneously.

Around that challenge grew something much bigger.

What began as a three-hour community gathering developed into a two-day beach festival attracting thousands of people and celebrating surfing, watersports, music, family, environment, creativity and beach culture. Now, Newquay begins its own Earthwave story. The 2026 Founding Event is the first step towards establishing Earthwave as an annual fixture in Cornwall, with bigger plans already being developed for 2027 and beyond.

But first, there’s a number to beat. 110.

Be Part of the Founding Event
Ride the wave. Watch from the beach. Bring the family. Enter a team. Put your business on the beach. Donate a prize. Become a partner. Stick the poster in your window. Tell your customers. Bring your mates.

However you choose to do it — be part of it.

One Ocean. One Community. One Wave.