THE landmark £100,000 surf statue being erected in Newquay has been unveiled.

The statue is made out of bronze and then the body, arms and legs have been coloured, so it looks like the waverider is wearing a wetsuit (Picture: Warren Wilkins) ( )

The 16-foot-tall sculpture of a waverider is in storage ahead of the artwork being erected on the Killacourt overlooking Towan Beach.

The Stuart and Cherrilyn Keogh Foundation has donated the statue to celebrate the 60-year contribution the town has made to world surfing.

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

How the surf sculpture will look ( )

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

The surf statue will be installed onto a granite stone plinth, which is being constructed by Newquay based Brannan and Son Builders. The work is due to get underway on September 8.

The support structure for the Surfer of the South, which is made out of marine graded stainless steel, will then be erected before the waverider and wave are attached.

The surf sculpture being delivered to its storage area ( )

Jonathan Start, who represents the Stuart and Cherrilyn Keogh Foundation, said: “The foundation is really excited that we are nearing the end of the legal process to transfer the statue to the people of Newquay.

“We are hoping the work can start on the base in early September and the Surfer of the South will be in place before winter.

“The base will go in first, which will be a two week project. Then in a two stage process the support structure will be attached to the bas . The surfer and the wave will then to attached to the support structure.

“As you walk down the Killacourt path the surf statue will be erected at the bottom on the left-hand side.

“The lowest point of the surf statue will be three metres off the ground so people won’t be able to jump up onto it. In total it will be four metres high.

“If the surf conditions are right it will look like the statue is riding a real wave.

“The statue is made out of bronze and then the body, arms and legs have been coloured, so it looks like they are wearing a wetsuit. It is really clever.

“We have the Angel of the North, and this statue will be the Surfer of the South.

“The foundation is excited the statue will be a real focal point for the Killacourt for the town and its visitors.

“It will be one of only a dozen surf sculptures throughout the world.”

The support structure for the surf sculpture (Picture: Warren Wilkins) ( )

Mr and Mrs Keogh donated the surf statue to give back to both the sport, and to Newquay" as both had supported their "success in life.”

The couple first moved to Newquay around the same time as the surfing trend took off in the area in the late1960s. They went on to set up several surf-related businesses including one of the first surf shops and surfboard factories in the town.

Surfer of the South will be a lasting legacy for Mr Keogh who died in 2023 at the age of 76.