The SunSmart WA School Surfing Titles is preparing culminate this Friday along Perth’s metropolitan beaches, with the 2022 State Final set to decide who is the best surfing school in Western Australia.
After ten regional and metro qualifying events held throughout Western Australia over the past month, the State Final will bring together 27 high schools from Geraldton in the north to Esperance in the south, and everywhere in between for what will be an action packed day of surfing and bodyboarding.
Over 60 teams will compete in a safe, relaxed and fun environment, which aims to promote surfing as part of the modern school curriculum.
The SunSmart School Surfing Titles is Surfing WA’s largest participation-based events of the year, with over 400 teams of secondary students pulling their wetsuits and taking part in the search for WA’s best surfing schools.
The Titles also provide a unique stepping stone for students to reach higher levels of competition. The winning surfing teams from Friday’s State Final will qualify to represent WA and their school at the Woolworths Australian Junior Surfing Titles on North Stradbroke Island, QLD where they’ll face off against the best surfing schools from across the country.
“46 regional and metropolitan high schools have nominated hundreds and hundreds of teams in 2022 and we’ve seen a swag of new schools taking part which is super encouraging,” said Surfing WA Events Manger Justin Majeks. “Despite our bleak winter, most events have seen enjoyed some great conditions, with fun waves and good vibes on offer for the students.”
Margaret River Senior High School has dominated the SunSmart School Surfing Titles in the past and will once again be the team to beat on Friday. Boasting a team dripping in talent and hungry for success, Margaret River Senior High School will be out for a record 17th consecutive Champion School Title.
Despite Margaret River’s dominance over the past decade, there are many regional and metro schools tipped to challenge them this year, with Nagle Catholic College, Mandurah Catholic College, Bunbury Catholic College, North Albany Senior High School, Christchurch Grammar School, St Mary’s Anglican Girls School and John XXIII College all fielding strong teams in both surfing and bodyboard divisions.
Surfing WA is thrilled to again join forces with long-term partner Healthway, to deliver the SunSmart message to a key target demographic throughout Western Australia. It is through initiatives such as this that aim to educate the community on the importance of being SunSmart.
“Through our partnership with Surfing WA, we are able to provide young Western Australians with pathways to continue their surfing journey, and also deliver important messages on how to stay sun safe to students who spend a lot of time outdoors,” Lotterywest and Healthway CEO Ralph Addis said.
Friday’s State Final will commence at 8am with competition set to conclude in the early afternoon. The SunSmart WA School Surfing Titles State Final will be live streamed through streamer.com.au for the very first time, allowing people to tune into the action live.
For more information on the SunSmart WA School Surfing Titles best sure to check out www.surfingwa.com.au and www.schoolsportwa.com.au. Competitors are encouraged to interact via Instagram: Follow @surfing_wa and use the hashtags #SunSmartSurfing
Regional Qualification Dates:
Mid West: Wednesday 27th July – Geraldton
Peel: Friday 5th August – Secret Harbour
Bunbury: Wednesday 10th August – Bunbury Back Beach
South-West: Thursday 11th August – Margaret River
Great Southern: Friday 12th August – Denmark
Metropolitan Qualification Dates:
Metro: Monday 15th – Friday 19th August – Scarborough Beach
State Final:
Friday 26th August – Trigg Beach
State Final Qualifying Schools:
Bunbury Catholic College
Bunbury Senior High School
Carine Senior High School
CBC Fremantle
Christchurch Grammar School
Comet Bay College
Denmark Senior High School
Esperance Anglican Community School
Frederick Irwin Anglican School
Geraldton Christian College
John XXIII College
Lady of Mercy College
Mandurah Baptist College
Mandurah Catholic College
Margaret River Senior High School
Mary Mackillop College
Methodist Ladies College
Nagle Catholic College
Newman College
North Albany Senior High School
Prendiville Catholic College
Sacred Heart College
Shenton College
St Hilda’s Anglican School For Girls
St Mary’s Anglican Girls School
St Stephens Duncraig
Yanchep Secondary College
About SunSmart: Did you know that the sun can see through your skin to the cells beneath the surface? In fact, each time the sun sees your cells (when the UV is 3 or above), it’s doing damage that can just keep building up and up, until one day it causes a mutation in your DNA which can turn to skin cancer. People are reminded to check the UV Index when they are exposing their skin to the sun and to protect themselves when the UV index is 3 or higher. Visit myUV.com.au for your UV forecast and to download the SunSmart App.
