For the 20th year in a row, the Disabled Surfers Association South Coast held its annual event at Gerroa last Sunday.

A highlight in their “surfing season” calendar, the event — which sold out in three days when spots opened — saw 50 surfers take to the waves, supported by an influx of volunteers and spectators.

Despite a successful day in the surf, event goers experienced an unfortunate backwash: parking fines.

“The day after, we were contacted by a volunteer to inform us that a number of our volunteers had received parking tickets,” says Ian Picton, president of DSA South Coast.

“One of the families - a mother and three young kids - had come down to volunteer. When they went back to the car after a fabulous day, they had a $330 fine. It’s heartbreaking.”

After reaching out to affected volunteers, Picton received a number of photographs of the offending vehicles parked along Crooked River Road.

“I've seen the photos [of the parked cars], and these people weren't parking dangerously,” says Picton.

“They weren't parking in the middle of the road. They weren't blocking anyone's access to their properties.”

He claims there was no clear signage telling people that parking was prohibited.

After his initial interview with The Bugle, Picton was surprised to receive a phone call from Kiama Council informing him that the fines had been revoked.

“I just had a phone call to say all parking tickets issued for our event will be revoked,” he says.

“It’s great news. I don't like the idea of our volunteers having parking fines hanging over their heads.”

If the parking fines had stood, it may have led to Gerroa being bumped off next season’s calendar.

“There is another area in the Shellharbour district that we may be able to move to [next year],” says Picton.

“It has better facilities, better parking, but not as good a beach outcrop.”

A spokesperson said Council was committed to community education around parking fines, such as knocking on doors to ask people to move their cars, and that only two parking fines were handed out to members of the DSA crew.

The Disabled Surfers Association was established in 1986 by Gary Blaschke after a motorcycle accident in which he lost his kneecap and underwent extensive rehabilitation.

There was a buzz when the DSA announced its schedule in June, with a lengthy waiting list for the Gerroa event.