Y'all remember Blake Johnston..?

Cronulla viking who two years ago caught 707 waves during a forty-hour record breaking session.

Well, Blakey's back and he's turning his record-breaking concept on its head: Rather than him alone in the surf as thousands cheer him on, he's inviting them into the surf with him.

“Picture this," says Blakey, "one thousand humans, mostly strangers, but some friends, linked by community and purpose all standing together on Cronulla Beach, all with boards under their arms."

No-one's looking for a solo sesh - the more the merrier.

“At the heart of this event is community," says the little fella with the big blonde beard, "and just like my previous world record, the goal is to raise vital funds for youth mental health. Proceeds will fund mental health workshops for primary and high school students, helping to establish positive habits and mental wellness practices from an early age."

Blakey’s previous world record raised more than $400,000 for mental health initiatives. He says his dedication was fuelled by personal experience and the loss of his father to suicide in 2013. Blakey’s contributions to mental health were acknowledged in 2024 when he was named Citizen of the Year by the Sutherland Shire Council, awarded Local Hero of Miranda Westfield. Blakey also received the Surfing NSW Aloha Award in Memory of John Shimooka, acknowledging his commitment to the cause and the legacy of his late friend and fellow surfer.

"The World’s Biggest Paddle Out," explains Blakey, “is more than just a record – it’s our moment to showcase the power of community and the positive impact human connection has on our mental health."

The paddle-out will be followed by the annual Cronulla Surf Festival, featuring live music, a surfboard demo day, a tag-team surfing event, and a vintage surfboard exhibition. Proceeds will fund mental health workshops for primary and high school students, helping to establish positive habits and mental wellness practices from an early age. The event has partnered with Find Ya Feet and OneWave, two respected charities that are dedicated to delivering life-changing mental health education to young people.

EVENT DETAILS:

• Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
• Time: Participants will begin paddling out at 7am. The event is scheduled to take place over three hours.
• Location: South Cronulla Beach, Cronulla, NSW

The Cronulla Surf Festival continues the celebration at Dunningham Park, Cronulla from 10.30 AM.

Click to register or for more information about the Paddle Out and the Cronulla Surf Festival.

For those who are wondering: The current record for the Biggest Paddle out is 511, held by a group who paddled out at Huntington Beach, USA in June of 2017.

To break the record, participants need to link arms in the water to form a giant, unbroken circle for a minimum of 60 seconds.

“Getting the numbers to paddle out together is one thing. Organising them into a circle and having them link up in the ocean for more than a minute is even more difficult. That’s part of the reason why the Huntington record has stood for so long,” says Blakey.