THE date has been set for the £250,000 surf sculpture being officially unveiled in Newquay.

Cherrilyn Keough from the Keogh Foundation will handover the 16-foot-high Surfer of the South bronze statue at the Killacourt to Newquay Town Council on Tuesday, June 2 at 2pm.

The piece has been donated to the town by The Keogh Foundation to celebrate Newquay’s surfing history.

The statue has been named Surfer of the South in the hope it will receive the same sort of exposure that the Angel of the North sculpture in Gateshead receives worldwide.

The sculpture has been made by the Morris Singer Foundry where Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore and Nic Fiddian-Green cast their bronzes.

The Keough Foundation wanted the statue erected overlooking Towan Beach to honour the very spot where Australian lifeguards first introduced fibreglass boards back in 1962.

Anton Paul will be the MC on the day running through the handover and marking the part Newquay has played to the surfing scene in the UK.

Mayor Drew Creek said: “It’s been a number of years in the making but here we are almost ready to unveil the surf statue on Newquay’s Killacourt.

“We thank the Keough Foundation for the kind gift of the statue and vision they had behind it, in celebration of Newquay’s surf culture.

“I am sure visitors will flock to it this summer and that is great news for our community, the heritage of surf culture in Newquay and indeed the premier town centre green space that is the Killacourt.”

A spokesperson for Newquay Town Council, which manages the Killacourt, said: “We’re looking forward to revealing the finished piece very soon.

“This piece is set to become a brand-new landmark for locals and visitors alike.”

The statue will be accompanied by a new website.