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Worthy cause is worth the wipeouts

It was a moment suspended in time when Daniel Bolt knew he'd probably fluffed any chance his team had to win the contest.

It came during a heat at Margaret River's world- famous main break last year and Bolt was going "over the falls" on a solid wave before he could even get to his feet.

Reflecting on it with a half-grin, the talented surfer pointed out that it didn't really matter whether he and his team won.

In fact, it wasn't really about the surfing at all.

As they had the year before and will again in a few weeks in conjunction with the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, Bolt and his mates were competing for a bigger cause.

They were there for a competition known as SurfAid, founded in 1999 by New Zealand physician and surfer Dave Jenkins, who went to the Mentawais for the renowned surf breaks there but also found appalling poverty and child mortality.

Through SurfAid, which involves teams competing in fundraising as well as surfing, surfers help deliver better services and health outcomes in such places.

As an incentive, teams are ranked according to how much money they raise, with those at the top getting to choose first who they will compete against from a pool of current and former pros, including world champions Tom Carroll and Mark Richards.

Bolt said he and his team had raised about $11,000 over the past two years and his employer, Macquarie Bank, matched that through its charitable foundation.

"We get good support but it's just good fun," Bolt said.

Perth chef Russell Blaikie will also headline a chef's event for SurfAid at the Cottesloe Beach Hotel.

Visit www.surfaid.org