Many of Noosa’s established and rising surf legends will be honoured at the Noosa World Surfing Reserve’s first annual Community Surfing Awards this weekend, not just for their surfing ability, but for their willingness to give back to the community.
As NWSR’s recently-elected president Kirra Molnar says: “We set out to establish an awards system that recognised all-round surfing talent but also acknowledged that you need to do more than just be good at your sport. You need to contribute to the marine environment and to the general good of the surfing community, to preserve it for future generations.”
The sold-out awards night and summer surf party will be held at the Noosa Surf Museum, Noosa Lakes Resort, on Saturday 27 November.
Finalists in all categories of the awards are:
Environmental Award: Amber Currie, Surfrider Foundation, Amanda Pummer.
Amanda and Amber are both surfing environmentalists who, with their families, have been contributors and major inspirations to the surfing community through hard work and example over several years. Surfrider Foundation Sunshine Coast has led the way for decades in beach cleaning operations as well as more general environmental awareness.
Cultural Award: Noosa Surf Museum, Dingira Warrai Indigenous Surf Dance, Team Mad Froth.
Noosa Surf Museum, which sprang to life during 2021 and is set to open to the public this summer, is home to a private collection of 800 historic surfboards and possibly the world’s largest reading room of surfing literature and documentation. A major sponsor of the Noosa World Surfing Reserve, the museum has pledged to give a voice and a home to sustainable surfing in Noosa. Dingira Warrai is a collaboration between the Surf Dancer Academy and Gubbi Gubbi Dance to create better understanding between Indigenous and European Noosans of our shared land and ocean. Team Mad Froth is the collective noun for five junior teen groms with heart who have banded together to help people in need. How? By surfing more.
Industry Innovation Award: Classic Malibu (Peter White), Thomas Surfboards (Thomas Bexon), Campbell Designed (Stuart Campbell).
Three of Noosa’s best home-grown surfboard designers and manufacturers vie for this award, and all are deserving.
Photography Award: Hunter Vercoe, Fenna de King, Tony Rapacioli.
Noosa’s most giving and talented amateur surf photographers go head to head here, with each having contributed not only to the social media profiles of our most talented young surfers, but to the general good of the surfing community through featuring environmental and sustainability themes throughout their output.
Videography Award: Ian Borland, Wilzen Crawford.
It’s the wily old fox versus the energy of youth in this category. Veteran stills photographer Ian Borland has turned his skills to the video format with outstanding results, while Wilzen has set out to establish himself with a beautifully artful depiction of Noosa’s surfing amenity and its surfers. Both artists contribute to greater awareness of the values of Noosa World Surfing Reserve.
Community Surfer Awards:
Junior Male – Landen Smales, Lennix Currie, Team Mad Froth.
Ranging in age from 10 to 17, all of these groms have shown a willingness to share, respect and preserve our surfing assets, and honour all who came before.
Junior Female – Mia Waite, Lucy Bowen, Coco Cairns.
These three champion surfers, representing both short and longboard disciplines, are finalists because of a shared desire to make Noosa a great place to surf into the future.
Senior Male – Jack Lewis, Glen Gower, Paul Peterson.
Each leaders in different aspects of the local surfing tribes, these excellent surfers are also role models for the values that NWSR seeks to cement in surfing consciousness.
Senior Female – Tori Farmer, Mason Schremmer.
A Hawaiian living in Noosa, a Noosan living in Cornwall: the world of surfing is small and these women, from different sides of the world, represent the best of its values.
Respect Award (In Memory of Bill Wallace): Shaun Cairns, Al Thomas, Bob Wood.
A film-maker, a beach marshal volunteer and a senior ocean swimmer. What do they have in common? A lot of heart and an abiding love of the surfing culture of Noosa.
The Noosa World Surfing Reserve Community Surfing Awards want to thank major sponsors GemLife Resorts, Noosa Heads Surf Club, Paul Smith Images, Boiling Pot Brewery, Noosa Surf Museum and our many friends and supporters for support on the night and many kindnesses over a hugely productive year.
