The 2022 Australian Surf Championships has concluded the Shortboard Titles today at North Haven Beach in the Port Macquarie region.
State hosts, Team NSW dominated the finals across the week, taking home seven of the 11 Australian Championship Titles. Despite this domination, it’s Team WA and QLD who are arguably best prepared for the upcoming Longboard and Logger Titles starting tomorrow with a solid team across all divisions.
Conditions throughout the week moved from small to sizable 4-6 foot waves with offshore winds on offer for the finals of the Masters divisions.
NSW Far South Coast athletes enjoyed the chilly and familiar breakwall conditions at North Haven. Freya Prumm (Merimbula, NSW) and Matt Hoar (Dalmeny, NSW) represented the Sapphire Coast region and returned home with an Australian Title in the Open and Over 35’s divisions, respectively. Both echoed each other about the impact the wins will have on their towns and the surf community to inspire people in the sport.
“This means so much because it shows the kids back home and the people from the south coast that it’s possible to be a good surfer and be competitive at any level,” said Hoar, who owns the Dalmeny Surf Academy.
Surfing Australia CEO Chris Mater commented how the Australian Surf Championships are the pinnacle of the surfing pathway in Australia.
“It’s inspiring when competitors from our most regional areas and small towns get the win at the Australian Surf Championships,” he said.
“It’s what we’re all about, and for the surfers it’s about being able to represent your community on the national stage to show that geography isn’t a barrier to being a great competitive surfer.”
Team Victoria got a win on the board today when Gayle Main took out the Over 60’s Women’s final. In the two-heat, points-based system where first place to fourth put a score on the board, the Victorian surfer laid the foundation for success early with a seven-point ride and a heat win in the first.
Western Australia also got their first Australian Title today after Paul Dupuy (Albany, WA) impressed the judges with an excellent range eight-point ride in the Over 50 Men’s Championship final.
To round out the Women’s Masters surfing it was 1999 Open Women’s Champion Sandra English (NSW) who claimed the Over 50’s Women’s Title. The Central Coast surfer is no stranger to competitive surfing finals and today brought her elite game to the table against Belinda Koorey (NSW), Samantha Vanderford (WA) and Kathy Cornish (NSW).
Shoutout to Samantha Vanderford (Greenhead, WA) who finished in third place in the Over 50 Women’s final, with Brad Cowan (Margaret River, WA) finishing in third in the Over 55 Men’s final.
State Champion Rod Baldwin (NSW) earned the play of the day after scoring not only the highest wave of the day with a near-perfect 9.25, but the highest heat total as well (17.4) in the Over 55’s final to take the crown.
After treating the Over 55’s as the warmup he paddled straight back out for the Over 60’s final where he continued to wow the judges. He took his second win in as many heats, earning back-to-back Australian Titles and proving age is no barrier for a competitive surfer.
2022 Australian Shortboard Surf Champions
Open Men
Reef Heazlewood (QLD)
Open Women
Freya Prumm (NSW)
Over 35 Men
Matt Hoar (NSW)
Over 35 Women
Lauren Poor (QLD)
Over 40 Men
Christo Hall (NSW)
Over 45 Men
Paul Snow (NSW)
Over 50 Men
Paul Dupuy (WA)
Over 50 Women
Sandra English (NSW)
Over 55 Men
Rod Baldwin (NSW)
Over 60 Men
Rod Baldwin (NSW)
Over 60 Women
Gayle Mayne (VIC)
View all results from Australian Shortboard Championships
The 2022 Australian Longboard and Logger Championships begin tomorrow and run from 11-19 August in Port Macquarie. View heat draw for Australian Longboard and Logger Championships and for all event information visit www.australiansurfchampionships.com.
The Australian Titles were first held in 1963 and won by Robert ‘Nat’ Young (NSW) and Phyllis O’Donnell (NSW). View full honour roll here.
Surfing Australia is working in conjunction with Surfing NSW to bring the 2022 Australian Surfing Championships to wave-rich Port Macquarie to crown the newest Australian Shortboard Champions.
NOTE: Entry to all Australian Titles is by state qualification or invitation. If you have qualified through your respective state titles, please enter via your state branch.
NOTE: All events and event dates are subject to change. Surfing Australia strictly adheres to any Federal Government directive regarding the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Australian Surf Championships | Port Macquarie, NSW August 5 – 22, 2022
- August 5 – Opening Ceremony for the Australian Shortboard Titles
- August 6 – 10 – Period for the Australian Shortboard Titles (Further division scheduling to follow)
- August 10 – Opening Ceremony for the Australian Longboard Titles
- August 11 – 19 – Period for the Australian Longboard Titles (Further division scheduling to follow)
- August 20 – Australian Para Surfing Titles (All divisions on standby)
- August 21 – 22 – Period for the Reflections Holiday Parks Australian Bodyboard Titles (Further division scheduling to follow)
ALL EVENT INFO HERE: https://australiansurfchampionships.com/
The Australian Surf Championships is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
The event is also proudly supported by Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, the Australian Institute of Sport, Reflections Holiday Park, mySURF.tv, Surfing Australia and Surfing NSW.
