Phillip Island hosts bumper weekend for state’s surfers

ROUND winners, series champions and team champions were all decided in a big weekend of surfing across the state.

The final round of the 2023 Victorian Open Series kicked off at Phillip Island to crown the series title winner.

After staying quiet in the first half of the men’s category, Phillip Island’s Harry de Roth found the biggest wave of the final, unloading a list of moves to receive a 8.27-point ride and push him all the way to the podium.

A showdown for second place between Lucas Hickson (Rye) and Ethan Huxtable (Jan Juc) enthralled spectators, but it was the Surf Coast local that turned in the better heat obtaining a combined total of 14.07 points to take second place.

“It feels great to win the last event of the series as I had a bit of a shocker in the others, so it feels good to get on top,” de Roth said.

“There were some fun lefts out there and you just had to be patient.”

With de Roth winning the final round of the series, he went into second place on the total rankings, knocking Lucas Hickson out of contention for the title and leaving Willis Droomer on top of the 2023 Victorian Open Series Title ladder.

In the Open Women, the final saw Lucy Naylor (Point Lonsdale), Eva Bassed (Sandy Point) and Sophie Fletcher (Phillip Island) vying for the top spot on the podium.

Fletcher looked strong all day, lighting up her first wave with a couple of vertical snaps and connecting on two rides throughout the final.

Her result vaulted her from 11th place on the series rankings to first place, overtaking Bassed.

“I didn’t even have any idea of the rankings, I was just keen to surf my home break with friends and family,” Fletcher stated.

“It was also cool to rock up and see fun waves to surf.”

Torquay local Jordie Campbell claimed the men’s Indigenous Titles with an impressive 16.07 combined heat total. Placing in second was Anthony Hume (Torquay), with Rhylee Duell (Phillip Island) coming in third.

To conclude the weekend, Peninsula Surfriders Club claimed victories at the 2023 Victorian Teams Titles for the first time in 29 years at Smiths Beach.

Peninsula took home wins in both the open tag team and women’s tag team categories, while Barwon Heads’ 13th Beach Boardriders Club excelled to first place in the junior tag team division.