Lack of local support sees popular Wave Rally World Championships cancelled after two gripping editions

The Wave Rally World Championship has been cancelled after two successful years running, with event organiser Paul van Bellen citing burnout and a lack of support from local authorities.

The popular event was first held in 2025 and attracted 114 competitors over two years to the Mid West’s windy shores for a weekend of thrilling action at Coronation Beach.

Van Bellen announced the decision in a social media post on Tuesday afternoon, which was met with disappointment from the dedicated windsurfing community he built through the event.

He said the decision was not made overnight and was a culmination of events over a nine-month period that led him to making the call, including grant applications from the City of Greater Geraldton and Tourism WA being knocked back.

“It’s a principle thing for me, more than just a financial,” he said.

“I’m promoting Geraldton, even though, yes, Coronation Beach is out of their zone, but all the promotion essentially was Geraldton.

“On the poster it says Geraldton Wave Rally. Everyone overseas thinks of Coronation as Geraldton.”

The Shire of Chapman Valley, where Coronation Beach is located, has supported Wave Rally over the past two years, alongside various local businesses.

But the event’s site has been a roadblock for van Bellen in accessing funding from the Greater Geraldton council, despite most people travelling for the event staying in city.

In 2025, the City of Greater Geraldton supported the inaugural edition to the value of $5000 through the mayor’s discretionary fund.

A city spokesperson said it was committed to supporting community groups through several funding opportunities throughout the year.

“In 2025-26 the city currently estimates to spend around $600,000 to directly support a range of community groups via our community funding programs,” a spokesperson said.

“Grant funding helps our not-for-profit groups, clubs and organisations to implement projects, activities and programs that enhance and promote community wellbeing within Greater Geraldton.

“We strongly encourage anyone seeking support from the city to engage with us, especially regarding the guidelines that determine funding eligibility.”

A Tourism WA spokesperson said they are proud to support developing events across WA through the Regional Events Scheme, receiving more 100 applications requesting a total of $3 million from an allotted pool of $1 million.

“This level of demand reflects just how dynamic and diverse our regional events sector has become after 25 years of support through RES,” a spokesperson said.

“Although we can’t fund every event, we continue to assist event organisers in other ways, including through promotional opportunities across our channels such as our website and social media to help them reach wider audiences.”

All applications made to Tourism are assessed on how effectively they promote tourism and spending in the region, support local economies and job creation, raise the destination’s profile through media coverage and contribute to inclusive, sustainable and vibrant communities.

In 2026, 73 windsurfers registered with 86 per cent coming from outside Geraldton, according to an independent survey conducted by van Bellen post-event.

Among those were 17 international, including 2025 champion Albert Pijoan, while 15 interstate visitors travelled for the event.

Van Bellen’s survey estimates participants injected $126,000 into the local economy from accommodation, food, entertainment and other expenses.

He said he started the event to give back to a town and a sport that saw him pack up and move across the country from Sydney.

“Within Western Australia, people talked Geraldton down a bit,” he said.

“I thought it would be nice to have an event that is nice, positive and colourful with smiling faces and it would be a nice contribution to the town.

“Of course there is economic benefits to encouraging events like this which has been detailed through independent surveys. It was my giving back to a sport I love so much.”

This year’s mega final was viewed more than 40,000 times on both Facebook and YouTube and was won by local Anton Pain.

When asked if there was any chance of Wave Rally returning years down the line, van Bellen said “watch this space”.

“It might not necessarily be the end of the event because I might wake up one day and be re-energised,” he said.

“If it doesn’t, it ended on a high and it did a lot of positive promotion for the area and I can hold my head high and know I’ve achieved what I’ve set out to achieve. “