Bells lights up for Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles

This year’s Australian Indigeous Surfing Titles wrapped up at the weekend, with champions crowned across all divisions.

Finals day was full of powerful performance, spectacular moments and community celebration.

The Open Men’s Shortboard final proved to be a strategic battle, with Noosa Heads surfer Landen Smales coming out victorious.

With slow sets making wave selection critical, Smales was first to strike, completing two fast paced snaps to score a 7.17 ride.

Avoca’s Finn Hill stayed busy, banking a few mid-range scores, before Torquay surfer Jordie Campbell made his first wave count, locking in an 8.00-point ride

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A final flurry of waves pushed through the lineup, with Smales taking advantage of the larger and cleaner waves in the set.

He laid into a dynamic series of forehand snaps and carves to score the highest of the final, an 8.67 score.

Hill placed in second, Cambell was third and Russ Maloney (Central Coast) was fourth.

“I ended up in second priority at the end, and there was a two-wave set, and I kinda sold Finn on the first one and got the bomb behind it and got a good score,” Smales said.

“This is always a great event, the waves seem to always turn on for us, and I love coming here every year.”

Smales backed up his win in the shortboard division by claiming victory in the Open Men’s Longboard final.

 

The Noosa youngster caught eight waves, three scoring above 8.00 points.

The Open Women’s Shortboard final had fireworks of its own, with Byron Bay’s Lehaini Zoric claiming the win in strong form.

After watching her mother Kristy Zoric take out the Master Women’s title, and following her claiming the Junior Girls final, Lehaini opened with a blistering ride, flying down the line to score a 9.00 ride.

Kauri Heuston-Connor (Reedy Creek) responded with a strong combination of her own, posting a 6.50 score.

However, Zoric wasn’t done yet, finding another bomb set wave and attacking its sections with ease to record an 8.50-point ride.

 

Heuston-Connor finished second, followed by Bodhi Simon (Gold Coast), and Meg Day (Moonta) in third and fourth.

“I was cold out there, but I’m excited to win, and the waves have been so good,” Zoric said.

“I got to surf for half an hour in the opens and 25 minutes in the Juniors, so I had a bit of time out in the water and I got a couple of good ones.

“It’s like the greatest event ever, it’s my favourite one out of all the ones I have competed in because you get to surf Bells with no one out and I just love the vibe here!”

 

Zac Maloney (Killarney Vale) was honoured with the Community Spirit Award for his uplifting attitude and consistent encouragement of fellow competitors throughout the event.

Other division champions included Melissa Combo (Bundjalung) in the Longboard Women’s final, Rhys Collins (Red Hill) in the Masters Men, Charlie Chisolm (Torquay) in the Junior Boys, and Jay McKenzie (Cronulla) in the Over 50s.