GROUNDSWELL \ 2016 surfingvic.com
2014 GROUNDSWELL/
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Contents 04 Chairman’s Message
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Victorian Team Titles
05 CEO’s Report
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Bodyoard Titles
06 Australian Title Holders
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Rip Curl Grom Search
07 Victorian’s on the International Stage
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Surfers In Suits
08 Rip Curl Pro
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Subway Pro Junior
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Surfing For Girls
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Surfing Victoria’s 2017 Event Calender
Rip Curl Pro Trials
11 All Abilities Day 12 Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles 13
Indigenous Surfing Report
14 Australian Junior Surfing Titles 15 Victorian Open Series 16 Victorian Junior Series 18
HIF Victorian Masters Titles
19 Smoothstar Micro Groms Cup 20 HIF Victorian Lonboard Titles 22 Kneeboard Surfing Victoria Surfing Titles 23 HIF SUP Titles 24 HIF Clip of the Season
Rip Curl Pro page 08
Major Partners
Supporting Partners
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Chairmans Report A friendly and warm welcome to this year’s Chairman’s Report. What a year it has been. Every year, as an organisation, we are faced with challenges, be it adverse competition conditions, revenue diversification, continually supporting our member needs as best we can, and ultimately, being relevant as an organisation in the eyes of our many stakeholders. In my 7 years being involved with the governance of this organisation, I have never been prouder of where we are at, and where we are headed. Across all areas from participation, management, athlete development, to sport & administration development, there have been some really positive developments, and whilst numerous, I will endeavour to outline a few key ones below. I think coupled with this, and equally important, is not just the what we have been doing, but how we’ve been doing it. Embodied within our everyday practices, it has been really pleasing to see our core values of; passionate, healthy, integrity and inclusive. In his first full year, new CEO Adam Robertson has taken to the role well, bringing his own ideas and approaches, whilst staying true to the organisations direction, and fulfilling its needs. As an organisation I think that we have an extremely well-balanced group of staff, who bring a diverse range of experience, skills and ideas. A rarity in sport administration, most of these SV family, have been there a long time, and bring an unparalleled passion, all of which I think is integral to our success, and so I want to thank and congratulate them all.
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For me personally, it is the coaching and athlete development which is a really exciting part of the organisation right now. Whilst it would be easy to simply highlight the recent (outstanding) results we’ve seen from our Victorian Team representatives, it is the framework supporting this which has assisted these athletes, and will hopefully continue to do so into the future. The introduction of new FT coaching director Cahill Bell-Warren has been a real positive, as well as the coaching work being done both in classrooms, and on local beaches, by our range of passionate local coaches (many of whom have evolved through our athlete development ranks). This along with the opportunities afforded through exposure to events at a World Tour location in Bells, and the integration with Surfing Australia coaching sessions, sees a strong foundation for real development and growth in our athletes. As Summer comes around we are about to embark on a really busy time for Surfing here in Victoria, so make sure you check out any one of our upcoming events, be it on the Surf Coast, the Island or even Stand Up Paddleboarding on an inland waterway! If you can’t be there, make sure you keep up to date with all the action via any one of our social media platforms. I, along with the board, am really pleased with what Surfing Victoria has been able to achieve in the last year, and am excited about the next 12 months.
CEO Report It was another excellent 12 months for Surfing Victoria, with the successful running of the 55th Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach alongside continued improvements in our events and Programs around the state. Matt Wilkinson claimed his first Bell and joins an elite group of surfers to win the prestigious Rip Curl Pro. American, Courtney Conlogue also claimed her first Bell after many years of close calls. Local Surfer Tim Stevenson was awarded the Victorian Wildcard into the Rip Curl Pro after claiming the Premier’s Active April Trials. Tim was a distinguished junior surfer in our state and after a string of injuries it was great to see him back surfing at his full potential. Nikki van Dijk has again cemented her spot on the WSL Women’s Championship Tour after taking out the Australian Open held in Manly NSW. She was also able to place a career high semi final at the Swatch Trestles Pro in San Clemente USA. A big congratulations goes to India Robinson and Billy Harrison who both Competed for Australia in the VISSLA ISA World Junior Titles in the Azores Islands. India placed 2nd and Billy a respectable Round 3 finish. Congratulations also goes to Jordy Gibson who competed as a dual citizen for Canada at the event. Our Victorian State Teams once again did the state proud and performed above and beyond expectations in all disciplines. Congratulations to Molly Powell (Open Women Longboard), Greg Brown (O50 Men Longboard), John Lane (O55 Men Longboard), Jye Whyatt (Junior Logger), Warwick Lee (O50 Men SUP Tech) and Jean Ringrose (O40 Women SUP Tech & Marathon), India Robinson (U/18 girls), Xavier Huxtable (U/16 boys) and Sage Goldsbury (U/14 girls) who all claimed Australian Titles in their respective divisions.
The Australian Junior Surfing titles was hosted by Surfing Victoria this year on Phillip Island. The event was the most successful a Victorian junior team had ever performed at the Nationals and a huge credit to the High Performance team and their tireless work with up and coming surfers from our state. The Australian Indigenous community gathered again at Bells Beach for the Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles. The event was the biggest since the re-birth of the titles in 2012. The event was taken out by Russell Moloney for the second time. The female Indigenous Champion was Summer Simon with John Craig taking out the Masters. A Longboarding division was added to this year’s event, with Tom Avery taking out the inaugural division. In 2016 we entered the second year of “Coasting: Stand Up Paddleboarding for women” that is a program designed to get more females active this coming summer. Over the winter we made some significant changes to the program and it will now be delivered at 15 different Victorian locations as a 3-session program via our affiliated SUP Schools.
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Australian Title Holders 2016 •
Molly Powell (Open Women Longboard)
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Greg Brown (O50 Men Longboard)
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John Lane (O55 Men Longboard)
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Jye Whyatt (Junior Logger
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Warwick Lee (O50 Men SUP Tech)
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Jean Ringrose (O40 Women SUP Tech & Marathon)
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India Robinson (Under 18 Girls)
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Xavier Huxtable (Under 16 Boys)
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Sage Goldsbury (Under 14 Girls)
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Victorians on the International Stage •
India Robinson –2nd Place for Australia in the VISSLA ISA World Junior Titles in the Azores Islands
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Billy Harrison- 3 Round for Australia in the VISSLA ISA World Junior Titles in the Azores Islands
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Cody Robinson - Runner up at Taiwan Open of Surfing QS1500
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Caiden Fowler – 3rd Place at the Burleigh Pro QS1000
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Georgia Fish – Ranked 23rd on WSL Women’s QS
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Harry Mann competing at the Anglet Pro, France
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Todd Rosewall 5th Place at Mentawai Pro SURFINGVIC.COM
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Photo: Ed Sloane / WSL
Rip Curl Pro The 55th Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach was run and won with Matt Wilkinson (AUS) claiming the Bell.
Utilizing his electric backhand to best fellow Finalist Jordy Smith (ZAF) in solid six-to-eight foot (2 - 3 metre) waves at the iconic venue in the Australian State of Victoria.
Courtney Conlogue (USA) claimed victory at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach, defeating Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in three-to-five foot (1 - 1.5 metre) waves at the world-renowned Bells Beach in the Australian state of Victoria.
The second stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach is the longest-running professional The Final match-up witnessed Conlogue compete against Fitzgibbons, surf event in the world and today proved nothing short of historic with the two-time event winner, in an all out brawl for the opportunity to Wilkinson’s victory being the first for a goofy-footer at Bells Beach in 17 claim the second CT event win and ring the prestigious Bell. years (last won by Mark Occhilupo in 1998). “I definitely wanted to get the score on that last wave, and I wanted Wilkinson and Smith exchange huge scores as each battled to hold the to put a little more pressure on,” Conlogue said. “I knew I needed lead. Smith finished with a 14.16 two-wave combined score, but it was an eight, but I wanted a nine. I figured I might as well lose the event not enough to beat the Australian’s 17.37 combined score. knowing that I threw everything I had into it. “I am so happy to be at Bells. I’ve been coming down to this event for so long, and I’ve always wanted to win it. I finally got my chance,” Wilkinson said.
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Photo: Kelly Cestari / WSL
Photo: Kelly Cestari / WSL
Photo: Ed Sloane / WSL
world surf l e ag u e.c o m
2017 CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR watch live 1206_WSL_SurfVicAd_210mm_X_148.5mm_JP_3.indd 1
Q u i ks i lv e r P r o & r ox y p r o M a r 14 - 2 5 D r u g Awa r e M a r ga r e t R i v e r P r o Mar 29 - Apr 9 Rip Curl Pro B e l l s B e ac h A p r 1 2 - 24
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Rip Curl Pro Trials Bells Beach
“This is the first time I have surfed a 2 person heat before so it was a new experience for me, but I was happy to get a couple of waves early and get the win.” Stevenson quit competition surfing 4 years ago, however found the fire again and began competing again last year. “I lost the sting to compete a few years ago and had a run of bad results. I had a couple of years off working and did a few surf trips and got the hunger back eventually.”
Tim Stevenson (Jan Juc, VIC/AUS) and Brisa Hennessy (Oahu, Hawaii) claimed wildcards into the 2016 Rip Curl Pro after taking out the ‘Premier’s Active April’ Trials at Bells Beach. Stevenson dominated the final putting opponent Cahill Bell-Warren in a combination situation requiring him to score two new waves. With a heat total of 16.56 points, Stevenson took out the event ahead of Bell-Warren’s 8.00 heat total.
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In the women’s event, Hawaiian surfer Brisa Hennessy took out the wildcard into the main event on her first trip to Australia. In her first ever competition at Bells Beach, Hennessy locked in a heat total of 15.17 points. Placing in second was Victorian Georgia Fish (Flinders, VIC) on 11.73 points. “This is my first time competing at Bells Beach and at this level
All Abilities Day
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Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles
Coming up against fellow New-South-Welshman, John Craig (Woolgoolga, NSW), Molony started slowly however locked in an event high 9.87 and 8.00 ride to take out the title.
Bells Beach
“It was always going to be a hard heat, but the waves were just perfect out there we always seem to score perfect waves for the event!” said Molony. The Masters division was also completed with Open Men’s finalist, John Craig (37 years old) claiming top honors.
Former event champion Russel Molony (Central Coast, NSW) has taken out the Open Men’s division at the 2016 Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles at Bells Beach With perfect 2-3ft waves on offer, the 39 year old has been one of the most consistent surfers in the last 5 years making the final in every year since his first win in 2012. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but I’m stoked to win and have my family and all of the mob here to support me,” said an ecstatic Molony.
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Surfing against former event champion, Robbie Page (Kempsy, NSW), Scott Winch (Woolongong, NSW) and Allan Campbell (La Perouse NSW), Craig dominated with a combined heat total of 14.67 points. “I’ve been meaning to come down to this event since it started in 2012. I spoke to my cousin and we both decided to come down this year, it’s been good fun so far!” Placing in second was Scott Winch with Robbie Page and Alan Campbell in third and fourth respectively. 14 Year-Old Summer Simon claimed her second consecutive Open Womens Title whilst Tom Avery took out the inaugural Longboard crown.
Indigenous Surfing Report
The Surfing Victoria Indigenous Surfing Program continues to go from strength to strength, now in its 18th year. The Woorangalook Victorian Koori Surfing Titles saw over 100 participants and several hundred spectators from across the state descend on Urquharts Bluff, a community gathering with communities including The Surf Coast, East Gippsland, Portland, Bendigo, Shepparton South Gippsland, Bass Coast and Metro Melbourne. Jordie Campbell of Sandy Point for the 8th Consecutive year was
crowned the Open Men’s champion and went on to represent the Indigenous Community at the 2016 Rip Curl Pro Trials. The Victorian Titles was again supported by East Gippsland Regional event the Cape Conran Koori Surf Comp. The even continues to grow with 80 participants from all over Gippsland Attending. This year we also added a regional event in South West Victorian at Cape Bridgewater. The event saw 48 participants from all over South West Victoria attending. After last years Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUPing) pilot program we added 3 new locations taking the program inland to Shepparton, Swan hill, Bendigo and Lilydale. In 2016 over 600 Indigenous Participant’s have taken part in programs, camps and competitions run across the state coordinated by Anthony Hume and Jordie Campbell, Surfing Victorias Indigenous Aquatics Officers.
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2016 Results Under 18 Boys Champion Jack Thomas (Western Australia)
Under 16 Boys Champion Xavier Huxtable (Victoria)
Under 14 Boys Champion Joel Vaughan (New South Wales)
Under 18 Girls Champion India Robinson (Victoria)
Under 16 Girls Champion Jamaica Selby (Western Australia)
Under 14 Girls Champion Sage Goldsbury (Victoria)
Surf Dive N Ski Australian Junior Surfing Titles Victoria’s Phillip Island turned it on for the last day of competition at the 2016 Surf Dive N Ski Australian Junior Surfing Titles, Flynns Reef providing pumping 4-6ft surf and blue skies for six individual champions to be crowned. Victoria had a day to remember, with three individual champions in Xavier Huxtable, Sage Goldsbury and last but not least India Robinson, who was part of one of the great junior finals in recent history. Robinson came from behind in the Under 18 Girls final to claim victory after posting a perfect ten on one wave that can only be described as a masterclass in rail surfing, two massive hooks highlighting the young Victorian’s grace and power. West Australian pair Jack Thomas and Jamaica Selby claimed outstanding national title victories in the Under 18 Boys and Under
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16 Girls divisions while young New South Wales surfer Joel Vaughan claimed his maiden national title with a win in the Under 14 Boys final. Surfing Victoria CEO Adam Robertson was stoked to have three Victorians take Individual Australian Titles and do so after progressing through the Victorian Development Pathway. “It’s a great thing to see surfers begin their surfing journey through programs run by Surfing Victoria or the Surfing Victoria affiliated Surf School Network.” “For surfers such as Sage, India and Xavier to have all come through various programs and high performance pathways Surfing Victoria is a part of, and seeing them all win National titles truly highlighted the importance of these core surfing programs that run throughout the state.” “It’s only now we are beginning to see the true impact these introductory surf programs have on peoples lives and potentially offering these surfers pathways into becoming professional athletes in the sport of surfing and even become Olympians competing for Australia!”
2016 Results Open Men 1st Carl Wright 2nd Cahill Bell-Warren
Victorian Open Series Presented by HIF
Open Women 1st Bella Wilson 2nd Rikki Bell-Warren
“It’s been a while since I have had a victory in a surf comp so it feels good” said an elated Wright. “It wasn’t the way I would have liked to have got the title, but it was fun watching the boys surf and having that bit of suspense.” The last time Wright claimed an open state title was in 2013 with previous wins coming in 2006 and 2010.
Carl Wright (Philip Island) has claimed his fourth Victorian Open Title whilst 13 year old Bella Wilson (Jan Juc) has taken out her first Victorian Open Title at Bells Beach. Needing a win to ensure the title, Wright was eliminated in the first round of the event on Saturday at Bells Beach. Luckily for the Phillip Island surfer, all other surfers that were in the running for the title were also eliminated in the first two rounds handing Wright the title.
Bella Wilson (Jan Juc) has cemented herself as a future talent by taking the Victorian Open Womens title at the age of 13. Placing second in the final round of the series saw her finish ahead of fellow Surf Coast surfer Rikki Bell Warren (Bells Beach) by a tiny margin of 100 points. Wilson was ecstatic to win the state title in her hometown. “It feels so good to be the open women’s champion, and its even better to win it in my home town.” “The waves were really good on Sunday. It was super fun Bells and I had a great time surfing against everyone.” SURFINGVIC.COM
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2016 Results
Victorian Junior Series Presented by HIF
Six Victorian Junior surfing titles were decided in powerful conditions at the final round of the Victorian Junior Series presented by HIF at Jan Juc Henry Hutchins (Barwon Heads) continued his perfect record in 2016, claiming his third consecutive U/18 Boys event win in the Victorian Junior Series, claiming the U/18 Victorian Title in the process. “It’s an awesome feeling to have won the U/18 Victorian Title” said Hutchins. “Each year my main goal has been to qualify for the Victorian Junior Team, but this year I changed my focus and decided I really wanted to win the State Title”. The U/18 Girls Victorian Title was a done deal prior to the event, with Phillip Island’s Shayla Paterson securing the crown with wins at the opening two events of the series.
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Under 18 Boys 1st Henry Hutchins
Under 16 Girls 1st Arabella Wilson
Under 18 Girls 1st Shayla Paterson
Under 14 Boys 1st Codie Jeffery
Under 16 Boys 1st Xavier Huxtable
Under 14 Girls 1st Sage Goldsbury
Paterson was unfortunately sidelined from the final event at Jan Juc, recently having undergone a knee reconstruction after an incident training for the Victorian Junior Series. Xavier Huxtable, secured the U/16 Boys Victorian Title with wins and the opening two events of the series at Gunnamatta and Cape Woolamai In the U16 Girls, Bella Wilson secured the state title in the first two events much like Huxtable. The U/14 Boys division saw Codie Jeffery (Phillip Island) complete a clean sweep of the series, securing his third win in the 2016 season. Arguably the most exciting division of the year was the U/14 Girls, with 5 girls mathematically a chance to win the Victorian Title into the final event. Ratings leader Ellie Harrison (Barwon Heads) was forced to watch the final from the sidelines, after an early round loss. The final was tense and low scoring in the tough conditions. Eventually Phillip Island’s Sage Goldsbury took charge with a 4.67 ride and the event win.
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2016 GROUNDSWELL/
2016 Results Over 35 Men 1st Nigel Muscroft
Over 40 Men 1st Andrew Leslie
Over 50 Men 1st Greg Brown
Over 35 Women 1st Kym Byrne
Over 45 Men 1st Michael ray
Over 55 Men 1st Martin Rennhackkamp
Victorian Masters Titles Presented by HIF
Seven state titles were claimed in tricky 3-4 foot surf at the Victorian Masters Titles presented by HIF. Nigel Muscroft (Jan Juc) and Kym Byrne (Aireys Inlet) took out the blue ribbon divisions, Over 35 Male’s and Female’s. Muscroft racked up a total of 16.73 to take out the final over Adam Leslie (Torquay) who had a total score of 15.93. “The conditions where pretty challenging with lots of swell, but some quality waves”, commented Muscroft. The Over 35 Women ended up a two-surfer affair with Ali Deane (Torquay) withdrawing from the event with a fin slash to the leg. In a tight final Kim Byrne (Aireys Inlet) with a score of 8.17 managed to out surf Michelle Fincher’s (Phillip Island) total of 3.57
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Over 60 Men 1st Alan Bounds
“Its great to take out my first masters event” Said Byrne “I would just love to see more Women out there competing in the contest” The Over 40 Men again saw another close final against Muscroft and Leslie. This time Leslie (16.83pts) managed to take the win over Muscroft (11.34pts). The over 45 men saw Michael Ray (Jan Juc, 14.13pts) get the win with Adam Ferrari (Torquay, 11.27pts) taking second. Jeff Horoch (Bells Beach, 4.54pts) and Andrew Dell (St. Andrews Beach, 4.14pts) taking third and forth. Greg Brown (Jan Juc, 16.10pts) dominated the over 50 men division getting the win over Rowan Sapwell Jan Juc, 11.40pts) Martin Rennhackkamp (Lara, 10.83pts) and Andrew Dell (St Andrews Beach, 7.30) rounder out the final. Martin Rennhackkamp (Lara, 12.00pts) took out first place in the over 55 men’s division in a close final over Grayme Gailbraith (Jan Juc, 11.57pts), Stephen Kay (Torquay, 11.17pts) and Michael Anthony (Jan Juc). The over 60 men’s Division saw Alan Bounds (Red Hill Sound, 9.67pts) take the win over William Yusko (Phillip Island, 8.90pts) with Michael Anthony (Jan Juc, 4.80pts) take out third spot.
2016 Results
Under 10 Boys 1st Tedd Conroy
SmoothStar Micro Groms Cup Ethan Huxtable (Jan Juc) and Ellie Harrison (Barwon Head) have walked away with $250 cash each for taking out the SmoothStar Micro Groms Cup at Torquay Point After relocating the event due to severe weather warnings, 70 of the top groms in the state tore apart the long point break for a chance to win the prize money on offer. Ethan Huxtable was in form all event locking in multiple excellent scoring rides throughout both days. In the Under 14 Boys final, Huxtable locked in a 8.20 point ride and 6.33 point ride with a series of wrapping cutbacks and strong finishes. “I’m pretty stoked, this is first big cheque I have ever won” “The SmoothStar boards are great, they have helped me with my flow when surfing.” Placing in second was Bohdie Williams (Ocean Grove) who finished with a heat total of 13.57 points. Placing in third and fourth was Tanner Reid (Jan Juc) and Noah Clifford (Jan Juc). Ellie Harrison hit her peak in the Final of the Under 14 Girls division with the second highest heat total of the day, 17.67 (out of a possible 20). “It was a fun day. Surfing with my friends in the final was good, it was just like going for a free surf.” Locking in two excellent scoring rides, Harrison never looked back on her way to the $250 cash prize. “I’m not sure what I am going to spend it on yet, but I will think of something!” said the 11 year old. Placing in second was last years event champion Poppy Corbett (Phillip Island) who finished on a heat total of 11.17 points. Bella Wilson (Jan Juc) finished in third with Bea Conroy (Pt Lonsdale) in fourth.
Under 14 Boys
Under 12 Boys
Under 10 Girls
1st Xavier Huxtable
1st Ethan Huxtable
1st Sara Hickson
Under 14 Girls
Under 12 Girls
Under 8 Mixed
1st Ellie Harrison
1st Mia Huppatz
1st Remy Filer
To top off a big day for Ethan Huxtable, he also took out the Under 12 Boys final. Placing ahead of Patty Hughes (Jan Juc), Huxtable tallied a heat total of 16.10 points to Hughes’ 13.17 heat total. Hughes didn’t walk away empty handed however, being awarded the SmoothStar Performer of the Weekend and claiming a brand new SmoothStar skateboard. Willis Droomer (Jan Juc) placed in third with Byron Stapleton (Noosa, QLD) in fourth. The Under 12 Girls saw Mia Huppatz impress all spectators and judges by scoring a perfect 10 point ride in her Round 1 heat. She equally impressed in the final round scoring an excellent 8.83 ride. Placing in second was Cielle Bouvier (Jan Juc) with Elise Franzose (Pt Lonsdale) in third and Alannah Ogilvie-Moore (Pt Lonsdale) in fourth. Ted Conroy (Pt Lonsdale) was impressive in the Under 10 Boys Division placing in first over Leroy Filer (Jan Juc). Coming in third and fourth was Jai Bouvier (Jan Juc) with Jerry Kelly (Barwon Heads) close behind in fourth. The Under 10 Girls saw Sara Hickson (Rye) claim top honours with Stella Huxtable (Jan Juc) in second. Abby Chapman (Pt Lonsdale) and Sonia Seuren (Inverloch) placed in third and fourth. Remy Filer (Jan Juc) finished in first place in the Under 8 Mixed Division. Filer placed ahead of Jack Lindsay who finished in second. Luella White (Jan Juc) and Cooper Leslie (Torquay) finished in third and fourth. Filer also claimed encouragement awards along with Mia Huppatz who both walked away with a new set of SmoothStar Wheels. 19
2016 Results
HIF Victorian Longbard Titles Molly Powell (Anglesea) has claimed her 5th consecutive Open Women’s Victorian Longboard Title at Point Impossible. With perfect 2-3 foot waves on offer at the reef break, Powell was dominant in her display of both traditional and power manoeuvres in all of her heats. “Its awesome to win another state title here at Point Impossible” said an elated Powell. “All of the girls were ripping and it was heaps of fun.” With the win, Powell becomes one of most decorated female longboarders in the state matching the same amount of state titles as
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Open Men Adam Lynch
Over 35 Women Emma Webb
Open Women Molly Powell
Over 40 Men Tomas Bellasai
Open Logger Ben Considine
Over 45 Men Brett Lalor
Under 18 Boys Jye Whyatt
Over 50 Men Greg Brown
Under 18 Girls Daisy Everett
Over 55 Men John Lane
Under 18 Logger Jye Whyatt
Over 60 Men John Ayton
Over 35 Men Chris McSween
Over 65 Men Bob Smith
Emma Webb (Jan Juc) who placed runner up in the overall ratings. Webb also claimed the Over 35 Women’s division. The Open Men’s division saw former title-holder Adam Lynch (Highton), take his 4th Victorian Longboard title over last years champion and Round 1 winner Rob Emslie (Ocean Grove). The two powerful surfers were tied after the two rounds of surfing resulting in a count back to their combined heat totals to break the tie. Stylish natural footer Ben Considine (Barwon Heads) took out the Open Logger division with an excellent display of traditional surfing. Considine claimed the victory over Adam Lynch. Considine also picked up the Kieser Performance of the weekend award for the only 10-point ride at the event. He received a 3-month membership to Kieser Training in Geelong. Other winners over the weekend include Jye Whyatt (Torquay), Chris McSween (Ocean Grove), Tomaso Bellisai (Mornington), Brett Lalor (Apollo Bay), Greg Brown (Jan Juc), John Lane (Torquay), John Ayton (Torquay), Bob Smith (Jan Juc).
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Kneeboard Surfing Victoria State Titles Rye kneelo’s, Pete Fairweather and James (Pommy) Anderson have shared the 2016 State Open Kneeboard Title after finishing the four round competition on the same points. In challenging conditions at Woolamai beach on Sunday 14th November, Pommy surfed his “Magic Carpet” to victory and tie with his good mate Pete. Mark Jeffrey came in third and Tim Kadwell was fourth. B Grade was taken out by Alastair Ryan, from Gary Finger. Andy Felton was third and Gary Smithett fourth. The 2016 season was another successful year for Kneeboard Surfing Victoria, with 34 different kneelo’s competing in the four round titles. Two rounds on the Mornington Peninsula and two rounds on Phillip Island. Also there have been a number of new faces making the finals, and really pushing the top guys, so it looks good for the future of the club. As usual, we had all four seasons for our comps, sometimes all four on the one day, but everyone enjoyed the BBQ, coffee’s and company, and some very good surfing.
Many thanks to everyone who helped throughout the year from judging, setting up, and getting equipment for the club. A special mention to goes to Rosey, and Jill, the comps wouldn’t happen without them. The 2016 raffle was a big success, and many thanks must go to Mike Disciascio (strapper) and Paul O’Neill who donated the prizes. Club stalwart Rosey took out the Strapper voucher and Gary Smithett won the Lamb pack. Good news is that both sponsors are offering the same again for the 2017 raffle. Many thanks guys, and remember to support the people who support us. Membership of the club is still the same very cheap price, $40, you can join, or renew your membership by going to the Surfing Victoria website (www.surfingvic.com), and follow the link to the boardriders clubs. Dates for the 2017 season will be posted very soon. And don’t forget the 33rd annual Phillip Island Kneeboard Pro on the 18th & 19th March. Seasons best wishes to everyone, get plenty of waves, have a great Christmas, and see you next year at the 2017 Kneeboard State Titles.
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2016 Results Open Men Surf 1st Harry Leel
Open Men Technical 1st Harry Lee
Over 50 Men Technical 1st Warwick Lee
Over 50 Men Marathon 1st Warwick Lee
Open Women Surf 1st Lucy Bell
Open Women Technical 1st Lucy Bell
Over 50 Women Technical 1st Jean Ringrose
Community Paddle 1st Bruce Fikkers
Over 40 Men Surf 1st Chris Clarke
Over 40 Men Technical 1st Chris Clarke
Open Men Marathon 1st Heath Meldrum
Over 50 Men Surf 1st John Takle
Over 40 Men Technical (14’) 1st David Sprague
Open Women Marathon 1st Anna Robertson
Kieser SUP Surfer of the Weekend Kenta Fergusson Gwen Carbone
Under 18 Boys Surf 1st Kenta Fergusson
Over 40 Women Technical 1st Kathy Naoumidis
Over 40 Men Marathon 1st Chris Clarke
HIF SUP Titles The HIF Victorian SUP Titles was held in pristine conditions on the Surf Coast with the 18km Marathon Paddle from Point Roadknight to Torquay whilst the SUP Surfing and Technical Race held at Pt Impossible. Taking out the Open Mens division was local Surf Coast surfer, Harry Lee (Jan Juc). Lee cruised through the early rounds to take a win in the final over Kenta Fergusson (Jan Juc) on 13.20 points to Fergusson’s 11.23 points. Placing in third was James Carew (Parkdale) on 11.10 points with Brendan Nachtigal (Mentone) in fourth on 5.20 points. Other division winners in the SUP Surfing were Lucy Bell in the Open Women, Chris Clarke (Pt Leo) in the Over 40 Men, John Takle (Jan Juc) in the Over 50 Men and Kenta Fergusson (Jan Juc) in the Under 18 Boys. One of the most exciting events across the weekend, the Technical Race involved weaving in and out of a course through the surf. Chris Clarke was the stand out throughout the division claiming the first to the line honours along with the Over 40 Men’s division in a time of 18:00mins.
Over 40 Women Marathon 1st Tiga Gilbert
Kieser SUP Paddler of the Weekend Glenn Morgan Racheal Blake
Claiming the Open Men’s Division was Surf champion, Harry Lee. The Open Womens was won by Lucy Bell (Sandringham), the Over 40 Women won by Kathy Naoumidis (Hampton East), the Over 50 Men taken by Warwick Lee (Highett) and the Over 50 Women by Jean Ringrose (Hampton East). The Marathon was held on Sunday under perfect sunshine and light winds. The 18km race from Point Roadknight to Cosy Corner in Torquay saw 24 competitors tackle the long distance ocean race. First to the line was perennial winner, Heath Meldrum (Frankston) who finished the course in 1hr 51min 25sec to take the Open Men’s division. Second to the line was Chris Clarke who just made it in ahead of Steve Ferguson (Keysborough) to take the Over 40 Mens division. Claiming the Open Women division was Anna Robertson (Black Rock), with Tiga Gilbert taking the Over 40 Women. The Over 50 Men was won by Warwick Lee, with the Over 50 Women won by Jean Ringrose. The HIF SUP Titles is presented by Endurance Supplements and supported by Core Boardsports, Kieser Australia, Coastalwatch Plus, Play it Safe by the Water and SUP Vic.
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HIF Clip of the Season The HIF Clip of the Season was run and won with the expanded format in the competitions fourth year. Expanding to include New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, the online competition allows surfers and filmers the chance to enter a one wave clip for the chance to win up the $1000 cash prize. In 2015, two clips from each state moved through to a national final with the winner claiming a $2000 prize. The Victorian round of the competition saw the combo of Lewi Oates and Ash Livingston claim the top prize with Billy Harrison filmed by Harry Dot placing in second and moving through to the National Final. The National final was taken out by the Western Australian team of surfer Josh Cattlin and filmer Belinda Le-Grice
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Victorian Team Titles Torquay Boardriders Club have claimed their seventh straight Victorian Teams Titles in perfect three foot waves at Bells Beach.
The final was an extremely close affair with only 4 points separating first to third. Finishing on 76.41 points placed Torquay in front of Phillip Island by only 1.4 points who finished on 75.37 points.
With a stacked field of eight teams from around the state, the level of surfing on display was one of the highest in recent memory.
“Every surfer on our team played his or her role perfectly and to win by only 1.4 is incredibly satisfying. It was a testament to how high the standard of surfing was,” continued Bell-Warren.
Moving easily through the qualification round, Torquay was on a roll in their hometown along with newly formed Jan Juc Boardriders Club.
Finishing in third place was 13th Beach on 72.27 points with Jan Juc in fourth on 51.96 points.
Club president Cahill Bell-Warren was impressed with the level of talent on display throughout the whole day. “To win our seventh consecutive Victorian teams titles means a lot, but this one is probably the most special of them all. It was by far the highest standard of surfing we have seen from all of the teams throughout the whole day.”
The inaugural Junior Teams event was also held to promote team surfing amongst junior surfers. Torquay Boardriders Club continued their dominance with a win in the event over 13th Beach Boardriders Club who placed second. Point Lonsdale Boardriders finished in third with South West Boardriders Club and South Coast Boardriders Club in fourth and fifth respectively.
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2016 GROUNDSWELL/
Photos: Mornington Peninsula Bodyboard Club / POP
2016 Results Cadets: 1st Ryan Flory
Womens:
Over 35 Mens:
Drop Knee:
1st Sally Wells
1st Sam Whittle
1st Nathan Clayton
Juniors:
Over 45 Mens:
Over 23 Mens:
Open:
1st Tawa Hura
1st Steve Watson
1st Liam Whitelaw
1st Tawa Hura
Victorian Bodyboard Titles The 2016 Vic State titles presented by Three Trees and Nomad was held in 2-3ft light onshore conditions at Rye. A great day was had by all in attendance, and the standard very high despite the poor conditions. Congrats to Tawa Hura for his second straight open state title, he surfed awesome all day and did well to survive a late charge from
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Boggy in the final! Also to Dillon Mould taking 3rd in his first Victorian comp since his move down here, super smooth all day. Liam and Rhodes were neck and neck all day in the Over 23 Men’s, with Liam just getting the nod with a slightly better second wave in the final, congrats mate! Has been ripping hard and deserved this win. And to Steve Watson in the Over 35’s, got it done again with the highest heat total of the day including a manic double roll wave over the dry inside ledge that had the whole crowd cheering! A big thanks to all the judges, Steve and Jo, and Ray for running the day super smoothly. Report by Nathan Clayton
2016 Results
Rip Curl Grom Search Sandon Whittaker (Avoca, NSW) and Piper Harrison (Coolangatta, QLD) have claimed the 16 & Under divisions at the opening event of the 2016 Rip Curl Gromsearch Series presented by Flight Centre at Jan Juc. The three day event saw classic Victorian Conditions with blistering sunshine, rain and wind. Impressing judges throughout the whole event, 16-year-old Sandon Whittaker was unstoppable on the final day locking in the highest single score of the event, a perfect 10-point ride in the Semi Finals. “I’m stoked to take out the first Gromsearch event. I’ve been trying for so long to get a Gromsearch win and I’m happy to finally get it” said Whittaker. Placing behind him was local favorite Xavier Huxtable (Jan Juc, VIC) who tallied a heat total of 15.60 points. Placing in third and fourth was Noah Stocca (Peregian Beach, QLD) and Jay Brown (Lilli Pilli, NSW). 15 year old Piper Harrison claimed the 16 & Under Girls division in what was a wave starved final. “I tried to sit out the back in most heats and wait for the bigger waves. It was hard in some of the inconsistent heats but it worked out in the end.” Scoring an 8-point ride on her final wave to take the win, Harrison tallied a 10.90 heat total to win over former event champion KirraBelle Olsson (Avoca, NSW) who scored a heat total of 10.23 points.
16 & Under Boys 1st Sandon Whittaker 16.30
14 & Under Girls 1st Nyxie Ryan 7.00
16 & Under Girls 1st Piper Harrison 10.90
12 & Under Boys 1st Marlon Harrison 15.77
14 & Under Boys 1st Xavier Huxtable 17.10
12 & Under Girls
The 14 & Under Boys final saw Xavier Huxtable dominate in the final locking in a heat total of 17.10 points including a 9.60 ride. Lennox Chell (Avoca, NSW) finished in second place behind Huxtable. With Jamie Thomas (Narrabeen, NSW) and Logan Steinwede (Wagstaffe, NSW) in third and fourth. A challenging final in the 14 & Under girls saw Nyxie Ryan walk away with the win on a heat total of 7.00 points. Ryan placed ahead of Bella Wilson (Jan Juc, VIC) who finished with a heat toal of 5.17 points. Emma Cattlin (Yallingup, WA) and Poppy Corbett (Phillip Island, VIC) placed in third and fourth. Piper Harrison’s little brother, Marlon, made it a successful weekend for the Harrison family by winning the 12 & Under Boys division ahead of Ethan Huxtable. Placing in third and fourth was Jack O’Brian (Lennox Head, NSW) and Zeph Lamperd (Barwon Heads, VIC) Scoring the highest female heat total of the weekend was Ellie Harrison who locked in a 17.50 point total in the final of the 12 & Under Girls. Finishing in second was Jazz Wylie (Jan Juc, VIC) who scored an excellent 8.50 point ride in the final minutes, however it was not enough to beat an inform Harrison. Finishing in third and fourth was Poppy Corbett (Phillip Island, VIC) and Charlize Everitt (Boomarang Beach, NSW).
Placing in third and fourth was Sophie Fletcher (Phillip Island, VIC) and Nica Frayne (Mona Vale, NSW). SURFINGVIC.COM
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Surfers In Suits It has been another fantastic year for Surfers in Suits. We have had some incredible support for all functions with some inspiring and incredible speakers across the year. Big thank you to Matt Hoy, Neil Ridgeway, Ritchie Porta, Nikki Van Dijk, Jack Perry, Shaun O’Callaghan and Andrew Ross for taking the time to be part of our events. Another big thanks goes to our partners The Perfect Wave, Idiom Events, Moore Stephens, Interactive and Australian Surf Business Magazine. Members are reminded that expressions of interest are being taken for next years Surf Trip in June. Please contact adam@ surfingvic.com or rick@podiumsport.com.au for full details.
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2016 Results Mens Final 1st Ethan Ewing 2nd Billy Harrison Women’s Final 1st India Robinson 2nd Lucy Callister
Subway Pro Junior Ethan Ewing (North Stradbroke Island, QLD) and India Robinson (Jan Juc, VIC) have been crowned champions of the Subway Pro Junior at Phillip Island, the fourth event of the 2016 Subway Surf Series. The final day was held in great 3ft waves at the infamous open ocean Cape Woolamai beach. In the men’s division Ethan Ewing continued his rampage of excellent form, this is his second Subway Surf Series win, taking him to a total of three WSL Pro Junior titles this year. The strong natural footer from Queensland’s North Stradbroke Island defeated a late finishing Billy Harrison (Barwon Heads, VIC) in their 25 minute final. Ewing saved his best for last for the Final, his two wave total of 16.50 (out of a possible 20) in his best score of the event.
“This is my first time to Victoria and I am really stoked to win the event. I really like the feel of the area, it reminds me of home” said Ewing. In the women’s, India Robinson took her second career WSL Pro Junior title over Lucy Callister (Currumbin, QLD). The women’s final was extremely close between Robinson and Callister, with the lead changing several times throughout the matchup. With less than 5 minutes remaining, Robinson was in second chasing a 4.65 ride until she found a mid-sized left hander and connected a series of backside turns, locking in a 5.50 and the victory. “I’m really happy to win today with my win today” said an elated Robinson. “I had some slow heats at the start of the event, I really worked hard to build my totals and I am more than stoked with the result”.
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Surfing for Girls
The Surfing for Girls Program was back again in 2016 and had 300 participants involved throughout the state. The program, which is in its 18th year, covers the entire state from Mallacoota to Portland taking girls surfing for the day. Utilising the abundance of positive female role models, participants are taught water safety, surf skills, and encourage physical activity. This year, all participants will also go in the draw to win a brand new Modern BlackFish surfboard valued at $750 thanks to Global Surf Industries. The 2016 Surfing for Girls Program is presented by Surfing Victoria and supported by Global Surf Industries, VicHealth, HIF Australia and Cancer Council Sunscreen.
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Become a Surfing Victoria member today! Benefits include: • Personal accident insurance while you surf (Australia wide).
• FREE 3-month subscription to CoastalwatchPLUS. www.coastalwatch.com
• Eligibility to compete in regional, state & national titles.
• 15% off at Choice Hotels Australia Wide. www.choicehotels.com.au
• Discounted car rental with BUDGET Australia.
• Surfing Victoria membership card.
• Free entry into the RIP CURL PRO.
• Surfing Victoria sticker.
• 20% Discount on Surf Eclipse Accessories. www.surfeclipse.com.au
• Groundswell newsletter. • 12 month membership.
• 12% Discount on HIF Health Insurance Policies. www.hif.com.au/svic
Head to surfingvic.com to sign up!
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Surfing Victoria 2017 Events Schedule DATE
EVENT
CLASSIFICATION
LOCATION
JAN 7
Australian Boardriders Battle
Teams Event
phillip island
14-15
Subway Pro Junior
Shortboard
BELLS BEACH/JAN JUC
21-22
Victorian Open Series presented by HIF Round 1
Open Shortboard
Mornington Penninsula
4-5
Victorian Junior Surfing Titles presented by HIF Round 1
Junior Shortboard
phillip island
18-19
Woorangalook Victorian Koori Surf Titles
All Indigenous
Urqhart Bluff
25-26
Victorian Junior Surfing Titles presented by HIF Round 2
Junior Shortboard
Mornington Penninsula
4
Victorian Open Series presented by HIF Round 2
Open Shortboard
phillip island
5
HIF Victorian Masters Titles
Masters Shortboard
phillip island
11-12
Victorian Body Board Titles
Body Board
Mornington Penninsula
18-19
HIF Victorian SUP Titles
Stand Up Paddle
PT IMPOSSIBLE/SURF COAST
25-26
HIF Victorian Longboard Titles Round 1
Longboard
TBC
9-10
Rip Curl Pro Trials
Invitational
BELLS BEACH
12-14
Rip Curl Pro
WSL CT
BELLS BEACH
5
Schools Teams Titles (Tentative)
Public School Teams
JAN JUC
6-7
Schools Teams Titles (Tentative)
Junior Shortboard
JAN JUC
8
Independent Schools Teams Titles
Independent School
JAN JUC
13-14
Victorian Junior Surfing Titles presented by HIF Round 3
Junior Shortboard
JAN JUC
20-21
HIF Victorian Longboard Titles Round 2
Longboard
PT IMPOSSIBLE
26-28
Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles
Indigenous
BELLS BEACH
Victorian Open Series presented by HIF Round 3
Open Shortboard
BELLS BEACH
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
SEP 2-3
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P (03) 5261 2907 E info@surfingvic.com W surfingvic.com
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