TEEN surfers faced gusty weather conditions and fierce competition in the inaugural Reflections Cadet Cup on the NSW Mid North Coast this weekend.
The debut Cup, staged at Rainbow Beach, Bonny Hills, by Reflections Holidays in partnership with Surfest, attracted 76 competitors over two days of competition on Feb 10 and 11, with boys and girls competing in Under 12s, Under 14s and Under 16s categories.
The winners were: Maverick Macgugan (North Avalon) in the Under 12 Boys, and Coco Woolley (Boomerang Beach) in the Under 12 Girls; Hamish Harrigan (Coffs Harbour) in the Under 14 Boys, and Mali Adam (Merewether and Port Macquarie board clubs) in the Under 14 Girls; Joey Silk (Crescent Head) in the Under 16 Boys, and Chelsea Darling (Hat Head) in the Under 16 Girls. A $3900 prize purse was divided among the winners.
The Minister for Sport, Lands and Property, the Hon. Steve Kamper, said it was great to see the debut Cadet Cup draw the cream of teen surfers to the area, boosting patronage of local businesses and tourism services.
"The fact that there was strong demand for entries for the inaugural Reflections Cadet Cup shows just how healthy surfing is as a sport, and how important these events are to regional communities."
"Reflections manages holiday parks on Crown land in popular surfing locations on both the north and south coast. This partnership with Surfest was a great opportunity to support the growth of youth surfing and regional tourism."
Reflections CEO Nick Baker said the Cup, which included the competition alongside an 'Eats and Beats' zone with good trucks and music for the community to enjoy, had been a resounding success and one the organisation was proud to stage.
"As the largest holiday group in NSW, partnering with Surfest, the biggest surfing festival in the Southern Hemisphere, was a no-brainer, given both of us are focused on enjoying the great outdoors and helping to connect communities in nature," Mr Baker said.
"As a Crown Land Manager, Reflections cares for 45 nature reserves along the coast and inland NSW and it's a special thing for us to see communities gather on this land as we've witnessed this weekend."
Surfest co-ordinator Warren Smith said the Reflections Cadet Cup had drawn a highly competitive field in the teen ranks and witnessed history in the making with the surf talent at Rainbow Beach.
"The whole weekend was a fantastic showcase for these young surfers who will be tomorrow's champions, and the night-time entertainment on this most wonderful stretch of the NSW coastline was the icing on the cake," Mr Smith said.
"There's been so much good feedback from competitors, their families and locals that organisers have already started talking about how it's going to be a challenge to make the Reflections Cadet Cup even better in 2025."
