The Single Fin Mingle
From the outset our vision has been clear: To develop a world class surfing event which brings together the very best surfers into the beautiful community and waves of the South Island, Aotearoa, New Zealand. To do this we have always had a simple formula - bringing great people together and having a great time. It is about celebrating our connections, the culture that we are part of and inviting others in. From traditional surfing displays, art shows, film screenings and musical performances, the SFM has always been about sharing the love.
ART: LE STRANGE EXHIBITION
FILM: SURF FESTIVAL
SURF : CORONA PARTY WAVE
Social Responsibility
The Single Fin Mingle is so much more than a surfing competition.
Since its inception in 2015, The Mingle has been a surfing event at the forefront of gender equality globally - offering equal prize money to male and female competitors (4 years before the world surfing league got with the program…). We’ve shown that genuine gender equality at an event goes way past offering equal prizes and we prove this by having female organisers and sponsors, showcasing wahine artists, musicians, film makers at the festival. At the Mingle we open are arms wide to all LBGTQ+ communities and are always keen to look at ways we can promote other underrepresented communities in surfing.
Over the years we’ve been committed to using the Mingle platform to support important social issues. Mental health and suicide is sadly an issue that has affected us really close to home and each year we attempt to raise awareness through meaningful conversations at the event and online and by raising money to support charities in this space.
Values
The Single Fin Mingle has always been a celebration of the culture that surrounds surf, art, film and music. Moreover, it is a celebration of life, friendships and community. We all need this in our lives and the Mingle is a place where those qualities of togetherness shine, a feeling we want everyone to experience.
SURF: TRADITIONAL LONGBOARD CONTEST
MUSIC: TWO NIGHTS OF LIVE MUSIC
Sustainability
We are a small organisation which runs on the smell of an oily rag, yet in everything we do we strive to be sustainable - in time, energy and the resources we consume. Ultimately our goal is to make this festival a waste free event. To us this means that every step along the way is carefully considered - not just whether we are using biodegradable coffee cups and cutlery (which we do by the way). Yet we are realistic enough to know that this is a journey of evolution and we make meaningful changes where we can.
Currently at the end of each event more often than not you will find Brad, our designer, hand-sorting through the weekends recycling so we can be sure that 100% of these items actually end up recycled rather than in the landfill. This is by no means a sexy job after you have been up for nearly 3 days straight but it is something we are committed to following through.. We avoid single use plastic at all costs and require that all vendors provide biodegradable, compostable or reusable packaging for their products too.
But perhaps the biggest lesson we have learnt along the way is the need for a sustainable mindset - to make do with less and to communicate this to everyone who attends the event.
SURF: FRIENDS & FUN
