Lance Corporal Mitch Adams had his toes hanging over the nose of his longboard in a perfect hang five when he realised he had a chance of winning the men's Kirra Longboard Klassic.
"It's my favourite manoeuvre; I was surprised to get into the final and actually get the win," he said.
"I was balancing and positioning myself to the rear of my board to be in the whitewash."
His strategy was based on tide, wind direction and wave size, focusing on conditions before heats rather than competitors.
"It gives me a game plan because the conditions can change within the hour," he said.
In the three-day event during July, competitors were judged on control and stability, style and flow, wave selection and manoeuvres.
Waves were scored out of 10 - 8 to 10 being excellent, 6 to 7 good, 4 to 5 average, and below 4 poor.
A surfer's score is based on the best two waves during a 25-minute heat, with a maximum score of 20.
Lance Corporal Adams looks for waves with the most power and size for longer rides.
"We look for sets or the type of wave that comes in every five to 10 minutes," he said.
Even though he's only been longboarding for two years, he said his 25 years of surfing experience made the transition smooth.
"It's something you get feedback from, and competing at a younger age made it easier," he said.
Air Force's Sergeant Tatum Nicholls won the women's division.
