LANCELIN is gearing up for invasion as thousands are expected to make the coastal town their home for a week in January for the 2019 Lancelin Ocean Classic Festival.

“This is the most exciting thing for Lancelin,” Lancelin Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mal Lobb said.

“People come from all over the globe to our wonderful town.

“While we will be offering first-class sporting events we are also showcasing our town.”

As previously reported, an external events management company was contracted to run the Lancelin Ocean Classic for the past three years but with that now completed, a decision was made to return management to the Lancelin community and create a eight-day Lancelin Ocean Classic Festival for 2019.

Mr Lobb said the timing of the decision could not be better.

Camera Icon The countdown is on to the 2019 Lancelin Ocean Classic Festival. Credit: Supplied / Supplied, Kym Illman.

“We are now in the fourth decade of this special event,” he said.

“It’s proved a sporting success and has grown, and so too has the town.”

From humble beginnings in 1986 when a small group took part in a windsurfing race to what is today an international series of ocean events and beach competitions, few could have foreseen the impact on the town.

“We have had an influx of new residents, new ideas and new opportunities, which is why we are so excited at the prospect of combining sports and community for the festival concept,” Mr Lobb said.

The sea will be a wave of colour from January 11 to 13 as windsurfers, kitesurfers, stand-up paddle boarders, jet skis and dragon boats battle the elements of the Indian Ocean, while there will also be a beach race.

In the week leading up to those three days, there will be many events for the public starting with the Shire of Gingin’s Party in the Park on January 5.