DRUG AWARE GROUNDSWELL FESTIVAL RETURNS TO SCARBOROUGH ACROSS 3 ACTION-PACKED DAYS
WA’s biggest FREE youth multi sports and lifestyle event, the Drug Aware Groundswell Festival presented by City of Stirling, is returning to Scarborough for its 9th installment!
The epic festival will stretch across three massive days; Friday 30 September, Saturday 01 and Sunday 02 October 2022.
Scarborough Beach and surrounds will see an action-packed weekend full of surf, skate and 3x3 streetball comps, BMX bowl comps and stunt demos, DJs and live music, street art, food trucks, markets, and loads of free workshops and activities. If that’s not enough - the sand will be packed with beach volleyball and a free dodgeball arena! Returning for another killer year is Groundswell LIVE; a live music showcase from some of WA’s best up and coming musicians and Tipi Village; a wellness and sustainability hub championed by e.conscious, loaded with free ice baths, workshops, talks, yoga classes, beach dips and everything in between to encourage a healthy lifestyle, mind, body and earth.
SKATEBOARDING
Groundswell Grind
The Groundswell Grind skateboard bowl competition will see skateboarders of all ages and skill levels roll in one of Australia’s biggest bowls, battling it out to be the 2022 Groundswell Grind champions
The Scarborough Beach Bowl will be the centre point for the Groundswell Festival in a spectacle of grinds, slides, high airs and tricks that will carve up the competition. With categories for 9 years and under, 12 years and under, 15 years and under and the open class in both men’s and women’s along with the masters class for riders over 40 years there is a spot for all competitors. The open men’s and women’s class will share in a prize purse of $3000 with equal prize money for both.
Groundswell Grind is sanctioned by the Australian Skateboarding Federation with competition points going to Australian points rankings. This is one action packed competition you don't want to miss.
Groundswell Rail Jam
New in 2022 is the Groundswell Rail Jam made up of the Animal Bikes Rail Jam (BMX), Urban Artt Rail Jam (Scooters), Modus Bearings Rail Jam (Skateboard) comps, Saturday 1 October. It’s all about sending the best trick down or over the rail or stairs at the Scarborough Beach Skate Park. This is a technical competition that sees competitors throw down their best trick with the hopes that no will beat it. It’s back and forth with the skills until there is one final winner, the one who will shut down the rail. Whatever your wheels are you will be able to get involved.
Skate Clinics
There are two free skate clinics this year, the Pop-Up Skateboarding Coaching Workshops, Friday 30 September, hosted by Freestyle Now and thanks to Plico, with sessions open for scooter, skateboard, BMX and roller skates so really get your wheels on down! The Songline Brothers Street Skate Clinic run by Kieran Reilly & Kyle Dodd of the Songline Skateboarding Team, Australia’s first all-Indigenous skateboard team made up of champion boarders from different Aboriginal nations around the country – a great opportunity learn from some of the best Indigenous skateboarders.
SURFING
Surf Boardroom’s Surf League
Surf League first ran back in 1986 and ever since it has been a breeding ground for stoke and excitement amongst WA board riders clubs who’ll converge on Scarborough Beach to compete for over $5,000 in cash and prizes. The Surf Boardroom’s Surf League embodies what Australian sport is all about; mateship, team spirit, loyalty and unbelievable camaraderie.
Surf League’s unique competition format will see clubs nominate their six strongest surfers (4 x open age surfers, 1 x Over-35 master, and 1 x Under-18 junior), with each surfer’s best two scores added together for an overall team total. Surf Boardroom’s Surf League will take place on either Saturday 1 or Sunday 2 October, conditions depending (the call will be made on Thursday).
2021 celebrates the 29th year that The Surf Boardroom will be supporting this iconic event that has become a rite of passage for many of WA’s best and most aspiring surfers.
Groundswell Amateur Surf Comp
Continuing the long running partnership with Surfing WA, the Groundswell Surf Comp is a celebration of local community talent and spirit for the sport in a friendly Mate vs. Mate format. From first comp to seasoned pro, all ages and skill-levels are welcome to join their division and ride the Scarborough waves for the chance at winning lots of epic prizes thanks to Cordingleys Surf.
The one day comp will take place on either Saturday 1 or Sunday 2 October, conditions depending (the call will be made on the Thursday prior).
3x3 STREETBALL
To kick-start the 2022/23 summer season, Basketball WA is bringing back 3x3 to the iconic Scarborough Beach Foreshore, Saturday 1 October. This is straight up 3x3 Streetball and is open to both male and female juniors in the U14, U16, U18 and U21 categories. Winners take home a swag prizes and trophies.
BMX
BMX BOWL BATTLE
The Drug Aware Groundswell Festival is partnering with Freestyle Now to bring some epic action with the highly anticipated BMX Bowl Battle! Saturday 1 October sees WA’s best BMX riders competing in two classes, the RAD or the RADDEST, for their share of the prizes and prize moolah. This is one action pack competition you don't want to miss!
FREESTYLE NOW BMX STUNT DEMOS
The Freestyle Now BMX Stunt Show will bring you all the nail-biting, tail-whipping and bar-spinning adrenaline you need and expect at Groundswell Fest 2022!
Watch as some of WA’s finest stunt performers attempt daredevil tricks with manoeuvres that defy the laws of gravity - spinning in all directions with 360’s both horizontal and vertical, not forgetting the tailwhips and barspins which always thrill. Come along Sunday 2 October ready to clap, cheer and enjoy this crowd-pleaser, all-ages event.
SPORTS ACTION REGISTRATIONS
To register for the sporting competitions, and be in the running to win prize money and prizes - head to the Groundswell Festival Registration page to sign up.ebsite.
So much more than action sports
GROUNDSWELL LIVE (music)
Plug in and tune out as Groundswell LIVE returns in 2022. A mini festival inside the festival, this is an all-killer-no-filler line-up of breezy indie surf rock, soul RnB, rap and alt-country on the epic beachside Scarborough Amphitheatre stage, 3pm to 7pm, Saturday 1 October.
Headlined by the surf rock inspired, breakthrough band of the moment, DICE plus certified rock’n’roll cowgirl Siobhan Cotchin, the soulful melodies of lyrical storyteller and transgender rapper Anesu and the soul & RnB powerhouse Ken Paolo & the Space Cadets.
Groundswell LIVE is completely free and the ultimate way to close out a huge day of action at the Drug Aware Groundswell Festival. You’ll want to get down early for this one, the Amphitheatre will be absolutely buzzing from 3:00 PM til 7:00 PM.
TIPI VILLAGE (wellness)
In 2022, Tipi Village returns, and with it comes a slew of amazing free activities to promote self love, empowerment, wholesome living and sustainability. The program is loaded with free workshops, ocean dips, yoga, mindful crafts, meditation, ice baths, breath-work, journaling, DIY make-up, perfume creation, hormonal health, coastal clean-ups and everything in between to encourage a healthy lifestyle, mind, body and earth - expect 3 days of total rejuvenation! The Tipi Village is THE home for wellness, mental and physical health, pollution prevention and all-round good vibes at Groundswell Festival.
THE 78 HUB
When you’re not catching all the epic action on the water, on the sand, in the bowl or under the tipi’s, the 78 Hub will be abuzz each day with free activities, 6 hole putt-putt course, games, pop-up market stalls, live street art and Perth’s best food trucks to keep you going all weekend. Groundswell Festival is proudly partnering once again with Healthway to promote the Drug Aware message.
ARTS
For the artsy types, Groundswell has you covered with ten uber cool activities across three days; pop into Livid Skate Cafe and check out their epic Surf & Skate photography exhibition; get hands on with the Blank Walls crews Street Art open workshop; deck out your own skateboard with The Art Space Collectives rad workshop; witness the best street dancers in Perth go head to head at The Bowl Dance Battle; bring the kiddos to play with clay and create their very own shell pressed pinch pot; BYO bags and splurge at the carefully curated Art Space Markets; watch incredible art come to life from Blank Walls, Jodie Stone and Casey Tembly; and finish off the weekend with a huge dance party in the amphitheatre!
DANCE BOWL BATTLE
See the Scarborough Skate Bowl like never before as Perth’s best street dancers go head to head INSIDE THE BOWL to see who comes out victorious! This will be one epic dance off not to be missed. Friday 30 September, 1pm.
VOLLEYBALL WA BEACH VOLLEYBALL PRE-SEASON SHOWCASE
Coming to Groundswell Festival King & Queen of the Court style, the Alcohol. Think Again Beach Volleyball Tour is holding a pre-season event for WA’s players to get out and sandy before the official tour begins. Settle into the amphitheatre to watch as competitors enjoy friendly games to get back into the swing of the spike, practise their skills and maybe even take home a prize at the end of the day.
DODGY BROS DODGEBALL COMP
By popular demand, the epic Dodgy Bros Dodgeball Comp is back in 2022! There’s heaps of prizes up for grabs not to mention the glory to be won as Scarborough’s elite dodgeball champion. Free to play, get down to Scarborough beach Friday 30 September & Sunday 2 October, 9am to 4pm with your crew and get dodgin!
ROCK THE PARTY - CLOSING EVENT
We are closing out a massive three days of action with a huge party in the amphitheatre! Locking, popping, bboyin, dancehall, krump, hip hop and more, this has got it all… Watch a show, learn some grooves and enjoy the good vibrations to close Groundswell with a BANG! Sunday, 2 October, 3pm!
All the jam-packed festival action across the weekend includes:
Surfer Rescue 365 (Friday)
Surf League Surfing comp (Saturday)
Groundswell Surf comp (Sunday)
Pop-Up Skatepark Coaching Workshops (Friday)
Songline Brothers Street Skate Clinic (Saturday)
Groundswell Rail Jam (Saturday)
Groundswell Grind (Sunday)
Basketball WA 3x3 Streetball comp (Saturday)
BMX Bowl Battle (Saturday)
Freestyle Now BMX Stunt Show (Sunday)
Volleyball WA Beach Volleyball Kids Clinics (Friday)
Beach Volleyball (Saturday)
Dodgy Bros giant DodgeBall comp (Friday & Sunday)
Party on the Green Mini Gold & Lawn Games (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
Surf & Skate Photography Exhibition (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
Blank Walls Street Art Open Workshop (Friday)
Blank Walls Live Street Art (Saturday & Sunday)
Glossy Boys (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
Skateboard Design Workshop (Friday)
The Bowl Dance Battle (Friday)
Art Space Markets (Saturday & Sunday)
Live Artist Jodie Stone (Saturday)
Kids Art Workshop (Saturday)
Live Artist Casey Tembly (Sunday)
Closing Party: Rock The Party (Sunday)
Retail markets, food trucks and DJs in The 78 Hub thanks to Drug Aware
DJ’s throughout the festival grounds
So, round up the whole crew and join us across the weekend to experience the true Scarborough beachside lifestyle!
For further information go to Groundswell Festival’s website via button below.
