\nEmily McGettigan, 16, of Torquay
\nCielle Bouvier, 16, of Jan Juc, and
\nJuliet Muscroft, 15, of Jan Juc.<\/p>\n
Wayne Lynch Award recipients were:<\/strong> The awards celebrate the achievements of the region\u2019s young surfers and inspire them to follow in the footsteps of Surf Coast pioneer surfing champions such as Couper and Lynch.<\/p>\n \u201cPresentation of our Rising Star awards has become an exciting part of our launch for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach,\u201d deputy mayor Liz Pattison said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe are proud to recognise the dedication, prowess and achievements of these young athletes each year and provide them with a chance to share the stage with past and present champions of world surfing.<\/p>\n \u201cWho knows how far their commitment and aspirations might take them? One of our 2018 Rising Stars India Robinson returned to her home breaks this year as a World Championship Tour rookie.\u201d<\/p>\n Gail Couper presented the awards named in her honour and US star Griffin Colapinto, ranked 7th on the World Championship Tour, presented on Wayne Lynch\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n One of this year\u2019s Stars, Willis Droomer, was recently selected in the Australian team for the 2022 World Surfing Junior Championship to be contested in El Salvador next month.<\/p>\n Aged just 15, the Surf Coast Secondary College Year 10 student is one of only three Australians competing in the boys under-18 division. He was unable to attend the Rising Star ceremony but family accepted on his behalf.<\/p>\n As part of the awards ceremony each of the Rising Stars was able to ask Couper and Colapinto questions, which ranged from how they started in the sport to naming their favourite breaks and how they prepared for events.<\/p>\n Couper said she found surfing because she hated netball. Colapinto said he prepares for events with meditation and leg and core exercises. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat is absolutely certain is that everybody missed it deeply. It\u2019s just great to be back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The launch event followed a moving Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony on the beach by Wadawurrung Woman Corrina Eccles, attended by about 150 people including World Tour stars.<\/p>\n Lorne\u2019s Gail Couper won 10 Bells Beach titles in 11 years, is a five-time national champion, 13-time Victorian champion and has been voted the most influential Victorian female surfer of the past 50 years.<\/p>\n Aireys Inlet\u2019s Lynch is a six-time Victorian junior champion, three-time national junior champion, legendary board shaper and has been voted the most influential Victorian male surfer of the past 50 years.<\/p>\n Council has approved plans to build a new, expanded state-of-the-art Australian National Surfing Museum as part of the new $36.9 million Surf Coast Cultural Centre.<\/p>\n The museum\u2019s 12,000-item collection has recently been independently classified as internationally-significant.<\/p>\n The new site will enrich visitor experience and raise the museum\u2019s profile as a visitor destination.<\/p>\n Council hopes a wave of community support will help generate state and federal government funding for the cultural centre. People can find more information via surfcoast.vic.gov.au\/CulturalCentre<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SURF Coast Shire\u2019s Rising Stars of surfing will be celebrated alongside some of the sport\u2019s biggest Australian names following their crowning at the launch of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. The six recipients of the Surf Coast Shire\u2019s Gail Couper and Wayne Lynch awards will feature in a special display in Torquay\u2019s Australian National […]<\/p>\n
\nEthan Huxtable, 17, of Jan Juc
\nAsher Lens, 17, of Jan Juc, and
\nWillis Droomer, 15, of Jan Juc.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/RisingStarEthanHuxt_49038.jpg\")
\nCr Pattison welcomed guests to the launch, including World Surf League general manager Andrew Stark who spoke and hailed the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach as \u2018the Wimbledon of surfing\u2019.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/RisingStarAsherLens_54249.jpg\")