Surfing

Angourie National Surfing Reserve, the world's first gazetted National Surfing Reserve, was dedicated on January 12, 2007, following several years of work by a steering committee of locals. Steering committee foundation member Helen Tyas-Tunggal said 21 years ago there were some serious conversations going on in the community regarding whether or not to nominate Angourie to become the first gazetted surfing reserve in the world.

More than 1,500 people gathered at Brooms Head last Saturday, drawn together by love, loss and shared memories, to celebrate the life of local legend Nathon "Wombat" Houghton. In just ten short days, a group of close friends rallied together to organise a farewell that truly reflected the man Wombat was — open-hearted, inclusive and deeply connected to the ocean.

Cudgen Headland SLSC has almost returned to the summit of Country surf sports but there's still plenty of racing to go after a day in which competitors of all ages earned a slew of medals at the 2026 NSW Country Championships at South West Rocks.

Members of the public have rescued two swimmers struggling in a rip in the Illawarra on Monday night, with the help of a rescue tube affixed to the Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) Emergency Response Beacon (ERB) located at the unpatrolled Coniston Beach, just south of WIN Stadium. 

When Shayne Sutherland and his partner Courtney Ann started Surf Camp Down Under, they had the goal of becoming the best surf school in Australia, and on Saturday night their ambitions were realised. Surf Camp Down Under was awarded the Surf School of the Year award at the 2025 Australian Surfing Awards...

Businesses and families financially impacted by the harmful algal bloom have been left wanting by the State Government’s most recent announcement on how it plans to keep our beaches open during summer ... “While our lifesavers do an outstanding job keeping our beaches safe, algae doesn’t swim between the flags,” Mr Tarzia said.

A record number of beaches along the metropolitan and southern coast will have seven-day Surf Life Saving patrols this summer, giving South Australians confidence they can safely swim between the flags amid the algal bloom. The ‘Between the Flags’ patrols will be funded through a partnership with Surf Life Saving SA and the State and Federal governments, as part of the Algal Bloom Summer Plan.

Serena Kirby. Sue Bussell became Denmark Surf Life Saving Club's oldest person to achieve a bronze medallion when she completed her course this year.

The Spot and Capricorn beach north of Yanchep Lagoon have BEN signs but not shark monitoring network receivers so funding to support Surfing WA shark hazard mitigation initiatives will no doubt be welcomed ... Surfing WA chief executive officer Mark Lane said the funding was a major step forward for ocean safety in WA.

Clarence Head Longboarders are hosting the annual Yamba Single Fin on the 7th, 8th and 9th of June ... Divisions range from Juniors through to Over 70s, Old Malibu and Timber longboards.

Austinn Lane. A Wallaroo student has received world recognition for her hand-painted surfboard. With help from her neighbour, who had experience in fibreglassing, 11-year-old Trinity spent six months painting her board during the 2024 season in preparation for 2025.

Rachel Hagan. Community consultation on the Yorke Peninsula for the Regional Shark Mitigation Project has begun, with Surf Life Saving South Australia visiting southern YP.

Jim Dougherty. A strong group of Yamba Surf Club members competed in the 2025 NSW State Surf Lifesaving Championships in Sydney over the last two weeks ... Cody Kratzmann once again led the way for the Yamba team with an all the way win in the U10 years male surf race final to retain the title he won last year in the U9 age group.

Serena Kirby. Five drowning tragedies along WA’s southern coastline this summer have again highlighted the ever-present danger our coastline presents. Two people lost their lives in waters off Esperance, two at Conspicuous Cliffs ... and one at Bremer Bay.

With hazardous weather conditions forecast to impact parts of NSW over the coming days, including major Sydney beaches, Surf Life Saving NSW is urging the public to exercise caution when visiting the coastline.

An immersive exhibition which plumbs the depths of the rich surfing culture on the Mid North Coast will open to fanfare at Coffs Harbour tomorrow.  Swell Chasers: Surf Stories from the Mid North Coast  sprawls across three galleries at the City of Coffs Harbour’s Yarrila Arts and Museum (YAM) from 23 November to 2 February.  

Angourie local and Australian surfing legend Monty Webber has lived a full and colourful life that he has documented in his Autobiography Is the Moon the Sun? – The Autobiography of a Time Rich Experience Junkie that will be officially launched at Yamba Cinema …

City of Coffs Harbour’s exceptional art gallery and museum has been making waves in its first 12 months and the next major exhibition will be a deep dive into local surf culture.  Swell Chasers: Surf Stories from the Mid North Coast will open at Yarrila Arts and Museum (YAM) [in November] ... the community can get involved right now.  

Surfing became the obsession of a legion of bored and restless teenagers in 1960s Australia, kids looking for adventure and freedom from the stultifying norms and expectations of their straight 1950s upbringing ... The arrival of the exciting new phenomenon and its far-reaching impact are recorded in a thrilling documentary film showing at the Byron Bay Film Festival in October.

Wilson McShane. Marion Bay’s Luke Sykora has won the Yorkes Classic men’s competition for a second consecutive year ... Despite some inconsistent swell, more than 35 competitors enjoyed offshore wind conditions and blue skies at the Chinaman’s surf break in the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park.

Wilson McShane. Corey Taylor, a young surfer from Marion Bay, is facing the unique challenge of balancing his ambitions with the isolation of his hometown on the Yorke Peninsula. At just 19, Taylor is striving to become South Australia’s sole professional surfer on the World Surf League Championship Tour, but the geographical and financial obstacles are significant.

Surfers are calling for improved safety at Yorke Peninsula beaches to help limit the number of shark fatalities. The push comes after Elliston Council on Eyre Peninsula installed shark bite first-aid kits at four popular beaches following several attacks last year, including two fatal ones, in the region.