St Andrew’s young surfing talents shredded up some top surfing conditions, dominating the school regional trials at Coolum last week.
The best young surfers on the Coast were on display in what is always a competitive event, as they vie for the chance to compete at the State championships.
St Andrew’s had 11 surfers competing in the trials, with Summer G, Dippy St B and Lucy B securing their place in the regional team. Tim B and Will P took out the MR Shield teams event in the Junior Boys Division and will also represent the College at the QLD State Surfing Titles.
“Our surfers have been training extremely hard in their sessions before school so the this event was a great opportunity for them to be able to display their talents under pressure in a competitive environment,” teacher in charge of surfing, Mr Alex Austin said.
“There is always an element of luck with the ocean involved but we had high expectations for a number of our surfers to be successful and qualify for the Regional Team.
“Summer, Dippy and Lucy have all been involved in the surf program for a number of years and it’s great to see their hard work pay off with these excellent results”.Surfing at St Andrew’s has been on the rise as a popular cocurricular opportunity in both the primary and secondary school for a number of years, with the Peregian Springs-based school producing a number of State and Australian champions, as well as Alumni now competing on the professional circuit. The win by Tim and Will in the MR Shield, a teams event that allows schools to compete against each other in a Tag Team style format, was the first time St Andrew’s had won this event.
“Our surfing program has been going from strength to strength with squads being conducted every morning before school across all year levels and abilities,” Mr Austin said.The surf conditions on the day were some of the best contest conditions seen at Coolum in a number of years, with 2-3ft clean peaks on offer throughout the day, providing the platform for an excellent level of surfing.
Given everything that has happened this year, Year 12 student Summer, was grateful to be able to compete for the final time in this event.
“On the day the conditions were fairly challenging and I definitely feel I could have performed better however I am still super happy to have made the regional team moving on to the state titles,” she said.
“My goals are obviously to do as well as possible (a win would be great) but to also make the most of the competition experience as it is my last school state titles after many years of competing. I look forward to spending time with my team mates and enjoying the team element of a sport that is usually very individual. I am extremely excited to get some good waves and surf them to the best of my ability.
“The surfing community at St Andrew’s is so inclusive and encouraging. There are groups for all students from leaners to advanced surfers and it brings people from all ages and experiences together.”
