Island turns it on for Aussie SUP titles

PHILLIP Island’s changeable weather provided a challenging backdrop for the return of Surfing Australia’s national Stand-up Paddleboard Titles to the Island in the past week.

It thrilled the marathon competitors, riding a stormy easterly wind back to Cowes from Coronet Bay midweek, offered “user-friendly” offshore conditions for the surfing heats on Thursday and Friday before biting finalists hard with tough onshore conditions on Saturday.

But organisers and competitors alike were delighted with the success of the event and the challenges posed by the Island.

“From my perspective, after being involved in the running of dozens and dozens of surfing events, Phillip Island is simply one of the best places in the world to stage surfing events and that’s acknowledged all over,” said SUP Titles manager Max Wells of Inverloch.

“The standout performances were by Hannah Finlay-Jones of NSW who won three Australian titles including 10-foot women’s open, and James Casey of Narrabeen who also won three titles including the Open Men’s Short and Longboard and the Technical event.

“He was also second behind Ty Judson of NSW in Surfing Australia’s SUP Marathon (Open) Race, from Coronet Bay to Cowes on Wednesday. Judson completed the 16.34km event in a near world-record time of 1hr 7mins, 12 seconds faster than his 2019 time, back the other way, on a howling south-westerly in 2019.

“These were world-class conditions for these competitors and they raved about the event here at Phillip Island,” said Wells.

But the sentimental victory of the whole week, came in the Over 50s Men’s Surf Final when Australian SUP Titles stalwart, Andrew Cassidy of NSW, claimed his first-ever Aussie title after competing at all 13 title events over the past two decades.

“I’ve been in every Australian SUP Titles since 2009 and that’s the first time I’ve ever won an Australian title so it’s fantastic,” said Cassidy after saluting the crowd from the beach and celebrating with his supporters and fellow competitors, clutching the Australian flag.

“It was really tricky out there. You didn’t want to be going for the bigger ones, which were closing out, even if you could get out that far, the medium ones were better, when you could get into them, and just hoping they’d reform on the inside which a couple of them did for me, luckily.

“It’s been an awesome week but to finally break though and win one after such a long time has been really something,” he said.

Cassidy backed up with the Over 50s shortboard title as well.

Some of the result included:

Open Men Final: 1st James Casey NSW 16.05 (including a first wave ride of 9.80 and a third scoring wave of 6.25). From 2nd Wesley Fry NSW 10.25, 3rd Ray Hughes NSW and 4th Matt Takle VIC 5.70.

Open Women Final: 1st Skyla Rayner NSW 9.75 (first wave score of 6.00), 2nd Hannah Finlay-Jones NSW 3.05, Emma Webb VIC, Ke’ale Dorries QLD.

O40 Men Final: 1st Marty Cole NSW 12.35 (including final waves of 6.25 and 6.10). 2nd Scotty McKercher WA 9.50, 3rd Richard Feeney NSW 5.45, 4th Jason Barbour NSW 2.50.

O50 Men Final: 1st Andrew Cassidy NSW 11.60 (opening waves of 6.50 and 5.10), 2nd Scotty McKercher WA 9.15, 3rd Crawford Olney WA 8.15, 4th Blair Moore NSW 7.75.

10ft Open Men Final: 1st James Casey NSW 18.80, 2nd Marty Cole NSW 11.25, 3rd Kaelan Lockhart QLD 7.00, 4th Matt Takle VIC 4.00.

10ft Open Women Final: 1st Hannah Finlay-Jones NSW 8.05, 2nd Skyla Rayner NSW 6.05, Emma Webb VIC 4.20, eq 3rd Ke’ale Dorries QLD, eq 3rd Xanthe Rivett VIC.

O50 Men LB SUP Final: 1st Andrew Cassidy NSW 13.30 (second wave of 8.50), 2nd Crawford Olney WA 7.75, 3rd Damien Quinlan VIC 7.45, 4th John Takle VIC 6.60, 5th Michael Jenkins VIC 6.10.

O50 Women Final: 1st Leanne Jack VIC 7.25, 2nd Kerry Davenport NSW 4.20, 3rd Juanita Read QLD 2.00, 4th Madeline Rayner NSW 0.55.

More big surf events coming here

ON THE back of yet another Australian surfing success at Phillip Island, with last week’s Stand-up Paddleboard national titles, the Island’s versatile conditions will be hosting a WQS event here from November 3-6.

The World Surf League Australian Qualifying Series will return to the Island when our world-class conditions host the Phillip Island Pro bringing aspiring World Tour surfers to the region as they race for positions in the 2023 WSL Challenger Series.

The event will include a World Surf League Qualifying Series (QS) 1000 rated event for both Men and Women as well as the Victorian round of the Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle. The Victorian Indigenous Invitational will also continue the tradition at this event showcasing the best Indigenous Victorian surfers in action.

The Island will then get to host a huge national surfing event in December 2023, the Australian Junior Surfing Titles when hundreds of young surfers from all over Australia, with their families and support crews, will descend on Phillip Island.