GREAT surfing, vital fundraising, good times, and community camaraderie; that’s what the Barney Miller Surf Classic has been about for 25 years.

The milestone was celebrated with a bumper three days of surfing at Sawtell Beach that attracted 168 surfers from across the East Coast.

The event helped raise money for this year’s recipient Mike Thorncroft.

After a motocross accident in January 2024 left him with a spinal cord injury and paraplegia, Mike has shown incredible courage and determination in his recovery.

Since its inception in 1999, the Surf Classic has raised over half a million dollars for vital support and resources for individuals and families navigating the challenges of spinal cord injuries.

Event namesake Barney Miller fondly reflects on the past 25 years.

“I think the highlight for me is probably seeing what the local Sawtell community can do, and how supportive they have been to every single event, and just supporting the recipient every year, it’s been incredible,” he said.

“It’s crazy to think it’s gone for that long, and the fact that it just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and everyone is just so stoked about it.

“I think it’s incredible that with each recipient we have, you can see… how people want to support them and show them that they are supported, and that all this crew have their back.

“And that in itself lights a fire in people, and it makes them think ‘if people can help me, I should have a good crack at it myself’.”

Miller said people also come along and enjoy the competition because the surfers in it are among the best in Australia.

“It’s pretty incredible to see.”

By Aiden BURGESS