Austin Keen to rip Noosa Surf Festival behind a Chaparral

World wake-surfing sensation Austin Keen will be coming to Australia for the Noosa Festival of Surfing from March 4-11 in a joint promotion by Chaparral Boats as we reported on in this previous article titles Chaparral making waves at Noosa Surf Festival.

Keen has impressed with his amazing surf stunts, exhibiting exceptional skills both behind boats and in the surf, where he has wowed an online audience of millions.   

He is the 2013 world champion skim boarder and now pro wake surfer and will provide expert advice and mind-blowing displays of how to ride the wake at the big Noosa Festival of Surfing, which is in its 26th year and attracts professional surfers from all around the world.

But there is no-one like Austin. Among his many stunts, he has hijacked a passing wake from a running start off the beach, and bunged from the beach behind one boat to the wake of a second boat, travelling over 80 metres with nothing more than momentum powering him along.  

Keen is also renowned for his impressive surfing skills, which tie in perfectly with the Noosa Festival of Surfing and its line-up of gun local riders including Layne Beachley, Tom Carroll and Mark Richards.

CHAPARRAL SURF BOATS
Thanks the Chaparral, this is the first time that wake surfing has been on offer in the surf festival's 26-year history.

Chaparral will have its new surf boats on show for a special invitational event at the Noosa Festival of Surfing.

Keen will be providing tuition, judging and mounting demonstrations behind the boats, which include the 244 Sunesta Surf (from $144,999 on trailer), the 227 SSX Surf (from $134,999 on trailer) and the 257 SSX Surf (from $164,999 on trailer).

Chaparral's New Surf Boats combine Malibu Surf Gate, Volvo’s revolutionary forward facing stern drive, ballast, Surf Computer and Chaparral surf hull technology.

The new wakesurf boats are suitable for fresh or saltwater surfing, wake boarding or slalom skiing, and come with timeless styling, quality fittings and composite construction.

AUSTIN'S KEEN
Keen said he's really stoked to be coming Downunder to hang out with some of the world’s biggest surf legends and can’t wait to rip up on the Chaparral Wake. Club Marine apparently assisted his trip to Australia.

"The Chaparral is equipped to ride in saltwater, which gives you the familiar saltwater buoyancy of riding in the ocean.

"They also use the Malibu surf gate system, which in my opinion creates the best shaped wake surf wave currently on the market.

"And after you're done practicing that front side reverse 20 times behind the boat, you could anchor it up and paddle into the line-up and try it on a real wave!"

The Noosa Festival of Surf runs from Saturday March 4 until Saturday March 11 and attracts upwards of 15,000 people covering all disciplines of surfing during what organisers describe as ‘Eight days of Pure Stoke’.

More at www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com and www.chaparralaustralia.com.au.

Photo Credits: Austin Keen's FB page with opening pic by @akmolander.