Local talent the cream of the crop at Bells

FOUR competitors from the Surf Coast have taken out top honours at the first round of the Victorian Junior Surfing Titles at Bells Beach.

More than 60 surfers from across the state battled challenging conditions across the weekend in the pursuit of ultimate state bragging rights.

 

In the Under 18 Girls, Heidi Abetz (Jan Juc) showed her local knowledge surfing just three waves in the final for a heat total of 10.67 and her first ever state event win.

“It’s pretty special,” she said.

“It was nice to surf with the girls and have lots of fun in the water. It wasn’t too serious in the water, and it was pretty tricky to find waves but I’m happy I won.”

 

Liam Thomson broke through for another state win in the Under 16 Boys ousting fellow local trio Harlem Pec, Tully Gordan and Eden Hawken.

Thomson surfed his way to success by putting together two strong scores for a 15.07 heat total.

The Under 14 Girls division belonged to Estella Carbonelli who continues her amazing form in 2026.

 

Fresh off winning the Taj Small Fries event in Western Australia, the 12-year-old surfed with style to take out the title.

Over in the Under 14 Boys, Teddy Robertson was victorious, narrowly piping Sorrento surfer Raff Morris by just 0.50 points.

Full results can be found online at surfingvic.com/live