Campbell honoured at Surfing Australia Awards

A TORQUAY surfer has been lauded for enhancing First Nations sporting opportunities in Australia and rewarded with national honours.

Jordie Campbell took home the Indigenous Surfing – Community Celebration Award at the Surfing Australia Awards last weekend.

Campbell has led the Victorian Indigenous Surfing Program at Surfing Victoria since 2015.

The program is one of the longest running Indigenous engagement programs in the country and connects Indigenous Victorians with the ocean while helping them learn new skills, water safety and healthy habits.

 

In 2024, the program attracted more than 700 First Nations people from both coastal and rural communities around the state.

Campbell said it was a great privilege to win the award.

“I certainly don’t do it for the accolades, but it’s great to be recognised. Award or not, I’d still be doing the same things,” he said.

“It makes me proud to be able to use my platform to create change for community around the country.

“We’ve grown our programs, our reach, consulted to other sports and government bodies and created some fantastic new opportunities for Indigenous people.

 

“We continue to strive to be the standard in working with Indigenous people.”

Former Surfing Victoria chief executive officer Max Wells was also given an honour on the night, receiving the Peter Troy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jan Juc surfer India Robinson received the Hyundai She’s Electric title in the competition’s third season.

For all the winners, head to australiansurfingawards.com