Surf Coast, Bellarine represented at Australian Surf Championships

Current Victorian State Longboarding champion Bea Conroy will be looking to take home an Australian title when she heads up to the NSW North Coast. Photo: KATEY SHEARER

THE Surf Coast and Bellarine region will have 15 athletes head to the Australian Surf Championships this month as part of the Victorian State Surfing Team.

The prestigious event, which has not been run since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will bring together more than 500 surfers to the NSW Mid North Coast for the 17-day event.

During the event, which begins this Saturday, athletes will compete in the Shortboard, Longboard, Logger and Bodyboard disciplines.

Victorian State Longboard Champion Bea Conroy (Point Lonsdale) has been a fixture of the Victorian State Team for many years, competing in Longboard, Logger and Shortboard divisions from a young age.

The 18-year-old is eager to continue her strong surfing form at the Australian Surf Championships where she will look to take out her first title.

“I’m super keen for the Aussies,” Conroy said.

“It’ll be good to show everyone how well we can surf down in Victoria, despite the cold weather that we get.

“I’m also keen to catch up and surf with the girls and guys from around Australia and just have some fun in the water.

“Hopefully we score some good waves during the event.”

Other notable athletes that are set to go for gold in Port Macquarie include World Longboard Tour competitor Ben Considine, former Australian champions Greg Brown and John Lane, and Point Lonsdale shortboard dynamo Lucy Naylor.

Multiple time Australian champion Greg Brown (Torquay) will feature across the O50 and 055 Longboard divisions. Photo: KATEY SHEARER.

Surfing Victoria chief executive officer Adam Robertson said that he was stoked that the titles are back for 2022, thus giving surfers an opportunity to showcase their talent on the national stage against Australia’s best.

“Surfing Victoria are stoked to see the Australian Surf Championships back in 2022,” Robertson said.

“It is a huge honour to be selected to represent the state, and we look forward to seeing Victorians take it up to the rest of the country.

“Good luck to everyone representing Victoria at the event.”

The opening ceremony for the Shortboarding discipline of the event will kick off tomorrow (Friday, August 5), with action hitting the lineup on Saturday. The Longboard, Logger and Bodyboard divisions will run thereafter.

For full event information and to see the full list of participants, head to australiansurfchampionships.com